Rock Dojo is a Black-owned, family-owned business based in Portland, Oregon. We founded Rock Dojo in 2015 after a year of research and development with the help of The Microenterprise Services of Oregon (MESO). This initiative stemmed from Brian’s childhood passions for rock, guitar, and martial arts, combined with a desire to address the lack of access to arts education in public schools. As music educators, we recognized the potential of merging guitar instruction with a martial arts belt system curriculum.

Over the last decade, we meticulously developed the Rock Dojo after-school program, impacting thousands of students across the Portland Metro area, thanks to the collaborative efforts of organizations such as MESO, SBDC, SBLC, RACC, Portland Parks and Recreation, Bienestar de La Familia, IFCC, NAYA, Oregon Arts Commission, Multnomah County Cultural Council, The Black Chamber of Commerce, and The Dirt.

As music teachers, we faced two primary challenges: inspiring children with busy schedules to practice and creating engaging, relevant content for today’s kids. To address these challenges, we implemented a hybrid model whereby students attend weekly in-person classes and receive online practice support to help them internalize the material and concepts covered during in-person classes.

But our work doesn’t stop in the classroom! You can find us out in the community performing live rock concerts for kids at schools, libraries, and public parks, or you can see our award-winning, original metal musical for kids and families, “Elijah & the Sacred Song.”