Chad Smith has never forgotten what it felt like to get his first shot at music, and now he is making sure more kids get that same chance. At School of Rock’s recent bi-annual Overdrive conference in San Diego, the Chad Smith Foundation announced a partnership with the Play Without Limits Project to fund scholarships for students across the country who might not otherwise have access to music education. The conference brought together 549 School of Rock community members from 12 countries and raised more than $17,500 from over 165 donors, with the Chad Smith Foundation committing up to $25,000 in matching funds.
Students from Illinois to Texas, New York to Florida are already in rehearsal rooms and on stages because of Play Without Limits scholarships, which cover approximately one season of School of Rock programming including weekly lessons and group rehearsals. Smith, whose own path led from playing on makeshift drums as a kid to performing on some of the world’s biggest stages, has made expanding access to instruments and education for underserved youth the Foundation’s central mission. “Music changed my life, and it all started with having the chance to learn and play,” he says. “The friendships and shared experiences are what make it so powerful.”
School of Rock President Stacey Ryan points to the organization’s own Social Impact Study, surveying more than 1,400 parents, as proof of what this kind of access delivers: “Music has the power to build confidence, unlock creativity, and strengthen essential social and emotional skills.” Play Without Limits Executive Director Ian Hamilton puts it simply: “Every kid should have the chance to find out what music can do for them.”
This partnership is the kind of thing that actually moves the needle. Real scholarships, real stages, real communities built around music. To support student scholarships or learn more, visit playwithoutlimits.org and chadsmithfoundation.org.