CR
Carissa Riccardi
Jul 18, 2025
I’ve given this many months of thought before deciding to share an honest reflection of our experience at Bach to Rock, and I do so with my daughter’s full consent and encouragement.
When we first joined, it felt like we had found something truly special. My daughter was enjoying her lessons and was invited to join a band early on, which made her feel included and excited about music. The emphasis seemed to be on fun, friendship, and building a creative community, exactly what we were looking for.
Unfortunately, that experience didn’t last.
Over time, clear red flags began to emerge, and in hindsight, I regret not acting on them sooner. The first major concern came when the band’s instructor was fired. A situation that, surprisingly, was shared in detail directly with the kids by other staff members. That level of unprofessionalism felt inappropriate, especially in a space designed for young people.
What followed was a period of rapid turnover among my daughter’s private guitar instructors - four different teachers in just three months. As anyone who’s studied music knows, consistency is essential to growth, and this kind of instability made it difficult for her to progress or build rapport with any one teacher.
Another concern I initially overlooked was how one instructor reportedly used lesson time to vent about being in a bad mood. At first, I gave it the benefit of the doubt, assuming it was a one-off moment of burnout. But my daughter brought it up more than a few different times. That same instructor later became the band leader for one of her groups, and things escalated from there.
During that time, my daughter experienced what I would describe as verbal and emotional mistreatment from this teacher, something she bravely stood up for herself about. Unfortunately, doing so seemed to alienate her from her peers. I was also told that yelling from this teacher was a regular part of band practice, which only added to the tension.
When conflict arose between the kids as a result of this volatile environment, I was told there would be a brief, mediated conversation to help them work things through. What actually happened was a 90-minute ambush, where my daughter was blindsided and made to feel attacked by the other band members, without appropriate support or boundaries from the adults in the room. Even the manager later admitted that the other students had been out of line and agreed that if things didn’t improve, they should be the ones to leave the band.
Despite all of this, my daughter kept showing up, hoping things would get better. Instead, she felt increasingly isolated and unsure of how to act around her peers who continued to shut her out. After weeks of ongoing discomfort, I received a call from the manager informing me that my daughter should leave the band due to her "presented trauma." It was a gut punch, especially after everything she had already endured.
For a place that works with kids, especially teenagers, I was shocked by the lack of structure and protocol around conflict resolution, and by how little effort was made to prioritize a fun, positive environment over the appearance of career potential. The decision felt like it prioritized the comfort (or financial investment) of the other families over what was right or fair. Bach to Rock stated that they weren’t trained to handle emotional conflicts between students, but it doesn’t take specialized training to encourage communication, acceptance, and inclusivity. These kids, who were essentially strangers, were placed in a band together by B2R. That comes with responsibility, and I believe B2R didn’t take enough of it.
Looking back, I wish I had trusted my gut and left the school sooner. What started as a promising and joyful experience ultimately turned into something disheartening, and at times, traumatic. My hope is that Bach to Rock reflects on how they support young musicians, not just in learning songs, but in teaching them how to respect, support, and accept one another. That’s the kind of music community I want for my daughter.