If you live in Massapequa or its surrounding areas, and you’re looking to tap into your inner rock and roller, there’s no better place to learn the ins and outs of how to wail on an instrument than at The Rock Underground.
Located at 5372 Merrick Road, The Rock Underground is a music school that caters to all age groups. Their primary focus is on kids—their youngest student is a mere 5 years old—but they also have students well into their 30s and 40s. The only prerequisite needed to attend The Rock Underground, according to owner Ken Lombardi, is the will to rock.
“Obviously we teach people how to play music, but we also teach them the culture behind it. If someone is serious about music and wants to make a career out of it, we can teach them the business end of it; how money is made,” he said. “It’s also like a community center…I always tell the kids they can just come here and hang out if they want to. It’s an open-door policy, and we have a cool little vibe-y culture. It’s definitely more than just teaching music.”
From creating music via guitar, bass, drums, singing and beyond, Rock Underground—a chain franchise that also has locations in Bellmore and Commack—can teach you how to belt it out any way you want while doing so in style, Lombardi said.
“If someone came in here and wanted to learn how to play the tuba, I’d teach them,” he said. “I don’t care what it takes, I’d go out there and find someone who knew how to teach tuba. The harp? It might be a challenge, but I’ll hunt someone down for that, too.”
Born in Seaford, Lombardi had a tough childhood; his parents passed away when he was still in his teens, and as a result, he moved around a lot before eventually settling in his current home in Massapequa after finishing college in Florida and living in Staten Island for a while.
Throughout it all, Lombardi said he always had a strong love of music, eventually getting involved in several aspects of it as a career. In addition to being a sound engineer, he is also a talent manager and owns his own independent music label. He has strong ties to several heavy-hitters in the music scene, such as popular DJ and dubstep artist Skrillex.
When Rock Underground initially opened its Massapequa location, Lombardi thought it would be fun to give it a shot there as a part-time teacher. He eventually bought the establishment himself in October 2014.
“My friend Brandon was managing it when it was a corporate store, and it was such a chill place, so I started working here a few hours a week. I got to the point where I thought, ‘This is a cool gig. I might as well buy it,’” said Lombardi, who is officially a franchisee, but said that the corporate guys are all rockers so they are pretty laid back. “They give me a pretty free hand to run the place however I want. It’s turned out great so far…business is good and rent is cheap, so it’s all good.”
In order to give his students a real taste of what it’s like to take to the stage and shred before a life audience, Lombardi regularly sets up free concerts at a venue in Amityville or teams up with the Rock Underground’s Bellmore location to play at venues in that area as well.
Fifteen-year-old Paul Abizeid of Massapequa has been a guitar student at The Rock Underground for over a year, and said that it’s the best music school he has ever been to by far.
“I think it’s awesome…the teaching staff is really good, and the whole place is just so cool,” said Abizeid. “I’ve improved a lot since I started coming here, and I’m sticking with it for as long as possible. Every day I can’t wait to come here.”
Gianni Murano, also 15 and of Massapequa, is fast becoming a veteran at Rock Underground, having attended the school for guitar for well over two years and counting.
“It’s fun and even when I don’t have lessons I just come here to hang out,” he said. “There’s lots of stuff to do here with your friends in addition to learning how to play guitar, and I love Ken…he’s just awesome.”
The experience of owning a genuine rock and roll school has proven to be positive for Lombardi. So much so that he’s got plans brewing about expanding his musical empire to other areas of Long Island as well, possibly Huntington Village. But no matter where The Rock Underground takes him, its mission will never waver; to keep the spirit of rock and roll alive for generations to come.
“The thing that sets us apart is that we’re young and we’re current. We’re different from other schools, because the scene that they grew up in is not the scene that’s today,” said Lombardi. “What makes us unique is that we all work in the business so we know how to make money in it and we’re the people who are making the moves. If your kid is serious about making music, this is the best place to take them, hands down.”
Be sure to check out The Rock Underground at www.facebook.com/TheRockUndergroundMassapequa.
