Music instructor chosen for Rock and Roll Forever educators' conference

Congratulations to Patel Conservatory music instructor Deborah Lynch for being selected to attend the first Rock and Roll Forever: Summer Teachers’ Institute in July.

Dee Lynch demonstrates vocal technique
during a Rock School workshop.

Created by Steven Van Zandt, actor and musician with the E Street Band, the Summer Teachers’ Institute will teach educators how to incorporate rock history into standard curriculum for middle and high schools.

Lynch is the Patel Conservatory staff accompanist, a member of the music faculty and the coordinator of our Rock School program. She was one of only 22 teachers from across the country selected to participate in the program, which will be in New York on the NYU/Steinhardt campus.

“I’m excited to learn how to train other teachers in the Tampa Bay area on how to integrate rock history into their lesson plans, from history classes to finance, English to social studies.”

Incorporating rock history into other classes engages the students and also helps them learn about the influence music and musicians can have in society and culture.

“Frank Zappa testified before Congress against censorship and recorded Public Service Announcements asking people to vote. Here was this rock music figure, encouraging citizens to exercise their civil rights,” said Lynch.

At the Summer Teachers’ Institute, Lynch will learn skills to train other educators on the institute’s web-based curriculum, which will be available for teachers online beginning in the fall. 

In addition to providing vocal coaching to Patel Conservatory’s Rock School students, Lynch will also be teaching a new class starting this fall called Vox - Voice Rocks!, a vocal training and fundamentals of music class for students interested in singing rock music. Lynch will incorporate rock history into the class.

“A lot of rock musicians are classically trained. Pat Benatar was actually an opera singer before she made it on the pop charts, and Freddie Mercury of Queen was a classically trained pianist,” said Lynch.

“Understanding where a certain style came from, and the music skills behind a song, helps make you a much better performer.”

Undoubtedly, her training this summer will further enhance our Rock School and music programs here at the Conservatory, and academic classes throughout the area!