‘An incredible experience’: Musical ‘All-Stars’ from Regina picked to rock U.S. stages | Canadian

Kennedy Pisula has been singing since she was six years old.

It was a natural progression coming from a musical family that loves country.

For the last five years, the student at Miller Comprehensive High School has also been a student at School of Rock Regina.

The music school is part of the global School of Rock brand, which has over 300 locations worldwide.

Every year, School of Rock holds All-Star camps where students from around the world are chosen to attend.

Students must submit an audition video to School of Rock headquarters where a corporate judging committee selects that year’s All-Star team.

Pisula was selected this year and recently returned from her five-day All-Star camp in Denver, Col.

“If you would have told me that when I started in this little School of Rock building that I would be travelling the world with people from all different places, and me being the only Canadian, I would have never believed you,” said the singer.

Over the five days, the All-Stars spend two days rehearsing, one day recording in a studio and two days performing live shows.

“My biggest thought was that I was going be so nervous and the second we got there everyone was so bubbly and outgoing, it was amazing,” Pisula said.

Fewer than one per cent of all School of Rock students make it into the All-Stars program.

“It’s very competitive. School of Rock has over 50,000 kids in their program worldwide so you’re getting the cream of the crop,” said School of Rock Regina co-owner Roland Schulz.

But Pisula wasn’t alone in her All-Star endeavour.

Marshall Brooks is a dummer and attends Campbell Collegiate. He has been drumming for five years and he was also selected as a School of Rock All-Star.

Brooks had his All-Star camp experience in Sacramento, Calif.

Canada is home to nine School of Rock locations and Pisula and Brooks were the only two Canadians to make this year’s All-Star team.

“The best part was being able to bond with these people. We didn’t have a lot of time together but we became really close friends over the five days we were together. It was really cool,” Brooks said.

Pisula and Brooks recently graced the stage together as the School of Rock Regina house band was the opening act for this year’s Shake the Lake music festival.

“Joining School of Rock has been such an incredible experience and everytime I think about it and that something can’t get better, it does,” Pisula said.