New Yorker of the Week

NovMon 2009 Filed in: New Yorker of the Week

Darren Musatto

Craft: Musical Co-Director for School of Rock - NY
In New York: 7 years
Lives: Greenpoint, Brooklyn
Why we think he's cool: Thinks those guys at American Idol are a joke.
Where to find him: http://www.schoolofrock.com/newyork
Interview by: José

Jose: So I went to the New York City School of Rock Halloween Party at Arlene’s Grocery. The kids were amazing.
Darren: Yeah, it was a fun night. I worked on that event with a couple of people - Chrissy Corcoran and Jessie Krakow who is the other musical co-director. The Haunted House Band did great.

J: As the designated emcee you looked liked you were having a good time up there.
D: Yeah, it came naturally to me, but I’ve had practice at a dozen shows now. You got to get the crowd excited and let them know that these kids are up there giving their all and it's not OK to just sit in the back of the room and applaud. We want to make it a rock and roll show, you know? When they see how excited I am about the whole thing, they’re fired up, too. The kids see the audience fired up, and they go above and beyond what anybody expected of them.

J: You know a few of us saw you afterwards taking a break, leaning against the wall with your Caesar costume half-off, and we all thought ,“That guy is BAD ASS.”
D: Haha. That’s funny. I appreciate that. I got to steal a little moment for myself, too.

J: So how did you even get into Paul Green’s School of Rock?
D: I had known a guy named Claude Coleman, who was the drummer of Ween. He was one of the first music directors at the New york location. He needed a guitar teacher for a couple of days for a production of the Ramones. After that, Paul asked me then if I was interested in directing shows. I was like, "absolutely."

J: Alright, so for those who don’t know, explain the School of Rock.
D: School of Rock is a performance space music program for kids. We believe, and I’m going to quote Paul Green, who’s the founder of the school, that “The stage is the best teacher.” We really believe in developing the skill of performing on stage at the same time somebody is learning their instrument. We want to get kids on stage as soon as we can, you know? Immediately.

J: Wow. You throw them right up there.
D: It could be the most embarrassing thing when you fall flat on stage, and it's also the biggest thrill ever when you pull it off, so there’s a greater dynamic of possibility there. We don’t believe you have to become an expert on your instrument before a gig is warranted. There’s nothing I can teach in a room one-on-one with a kid or even in a rehearsal situation that will teach them that skill of playing on stage. It's extremely effective and the results are magical--we see it every day.

J: What’s it like to see the kids perform?
D: It's an electrifying atmosphere, and every single show makes me well up. Each and every time they take the stage they blow my mind. The kids blow their own minds, too. It never gets old.

J: What was your first year like?
D: Wow. It was intimidating, difficult and challenging. In front of me were extremely talented kids who had been there since the beginning. It was crazy, but I couldn’t have asked for a better first experience. When the kids afterwards were expressing their gratitude and thanking me, I realized that they got what I was trying to do--they got what I was saying.

J: How are kids in New York different from everywhere else?
D: New York kids have a different perspective. They’re involved in a lot of different things. I had a student who had to leave rehearsals early, because he was going on stage to go sing for Les Miserables. I think the culture of affluence makes these kids.

J: As a kid, how did you get into playing music?
D: I’ve always been a fan of music. I remember being 6 or 7. I used to go the basement and put on my Dad’s records and I would grab yarn and make this strap for a tennis racket and put it around my neck. I’d build a microphone with tinker toys and I would pretend I was on stage. There was something about the physicality of standing there strumming a tennis racket and singing, fantasizing about really playing. A year or two later, I begged my parents to buy me a guitar.   They listened and got it for me. I was ecstatic to have it. I would sit in my room and strum this one chord. It would just reverberate through my bones. It was the most amazing thing. Eventually my parents got me lessons. Then I formed a little punk band with my brother.

J: What was the name of your band?
D: We were called Spazz Maggots! It was great. The first show we did was in this condemned house. We got 50 kids in that basement and kicked into our first song. As soon as we started playing, the entire room starting moshing and bouncing off the walls. After we played that first song, the room just erupted into cheers--it was the most exhilarating thing.

J: Sounds like it. What about lessons at the school?
D: The kids do get private instructions and we do teach music. We teach theory, scales, chords, modes. The lessons are all based around the nuts and bolts of the instrument. Learning how to play the guitar or the drums or the keyboard or learning how to sing.

J: I know you guys do a four of five productions a year, but you guys have something special called “All Stars”. What is that?
D: The "All-Stars" are the top performers of the program. These kids are really committed and work really hard. You know, we don’t require fantastic musicianship; we require a real desire and willingness to learn and to be directed. They do national and European tours. They play at a festival in Germany at the Frank Zappa Festival. They can end up playing with Jon Anderson or Earl Slick. We’ve had a lot of guest musicians. And they’re happy to do it.

J: American Idol--thoughts?
D: Here’s the thing with American Idol. We don’t require amazing ability. Just the desire and willingness to learn and take direction. You got these judges up there - sure, Randy is qualified, but Simon Cowell? This guy is a businessman. He wants to figure out to make a million dollars off one song. At the end you end up with ten or twenty people that end up being good technicians.   Singing well is only one component. Especially with rock and roll. You got Mick Jagger. He’s not the best singer. In fact, he probably wouldn’t pass the first round of American Idol, but the man has got mojo for days, and that’s what carries him through--he’s amazing. What American Idol is doing is developing people to be trained monkeys basically.

J: Speaking of, do you ever do a tribute to the Monkees?
D: We do the Monkees. We did them last season at Crash Mansion. It was great.

J: What are you doing for Thanksgiving?
D: I tend to stay in town. I’m sure someone will invite me over. If not, I’ll go to the diner, order some turkey and cry.

J: Haha. I’m sure you’ll get invited. Darren it was great talking to you.
D: Thanks. Same here. Hope to see you at the next show.

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How Darren answered our 5 Outsider Questions:

1. List 5 things you have in your fridge:
D: Mustard, jelly, ketchup, salad dressing and parmesan cheese.

2. What freaks you out most about NY?
D: The randomness that can swallow people’s lives.

3. Describe a good NY cheap date:
D: First, go to a nice dive bar. Maybe some old-time country music on the jukebox, have a beer and go to some nasty, dingy rock club and see a rock show. Then to a diner.

4. What's your favorite NY Icon?
D: Pinky Weitzman. A friend of mine. We have a nice, big group of friends. Pinky is the center of the universe. She’s gone right now, but we miss her.

5. Where do you go to escape NY?
D: Train rides up to Metro North to any towns along the Hudson River Valley, going on some hike and swimming in the river.

Tags: Jose