'School of Rock' set to open in Oklahoma

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — For five years, Chris Schaefer worked as a disc jockey and he'd studied nightlife enough to know he wanted a career in the music industry.

The 25-year-old Oklahoma City man had his immediate future planned out: He'd move to Great Britain and attend the award-winning Academy of Contemporary Music, a school noted for developing industry professionals, and use what he learned as a springboard into a music-related job.

Then he found out he could do the same thing in his own backyard.

Last year, the ACM partnered with the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond to open the music school's first U.S. venture. Known formally as ACM at UCO and informally as the "School of Rock," the school will offer two-year degrees to students wanting to enter the music industry and opened its doors to about 160 students on Monday.

Schaefer is so excited about the opportunity that he's helped this summer as officials scrambled to set up for the first semester.

"It was one of the weirdest coincidences, because it's such a prestigious school in the U.K. and they're bringing it to Oklahoma City, of all places," Schaefer said. "There was absolutely no question as to if this was my direction or not."

Director Phil Brookes founded the ACM 12 years ago in Guildford, England. It now has about 1,200 students and has partnered with universities in Italy and South Africa. Through industry connections, ACM leaders became acquainted with Scott Booker, who has spent more than two decades managing Oklahoma City-based alternative rock band The Flaming Lips, and he knew of ACM's interest in expanding into the U.S.

Booker also knew Oklahoma higher education leaders, including UCO President Roger Webb and Phil Moss, the state's vice chancellor for academic affairs, who seemed interested in an ACM-style program. At a music festival, he brought the interested parties together and the idea quickly took root.

Webb figured a different approach to education required a different kind of CEO, so he asked Booker to fill that role as well (he will continue to manage the Flaming Lips).

"My thought was, I could always go back to teach," said Booker, who planned to become a high school history teacher until a chance meeting with Flaming Lips band members in the 1980s. "I just never thought it would be like this."