Like all great ideas, Solid Rock began on a simple premise — inside every teen there is a hidden talent.
Alice Cooper’s Solid Rock Teen Centers inspire teens to discover their talent and achieve artistic excellence through music, dance, and the arts as well as vocational training in sound, lighting, staging, and fellowship — all in a safe, supervised facility.
Located on the southeast corner of Thunderbird Road and 32nd Street in Phoenix, the 22,000 square foot Alice Cooper’s The Rock Teen Center Phoenix opened in 2012 in partnership with Genesis Church after a decade of fundraising. The center encompasses an auditorium, dance studio, recording studio, video studio, computer lab, music rooms for guitar, drums, bass and vocal lessons, and a LeRoy Neiman art studio.
Opening in Spring 2021, Alice Cooper’s The Rock Teen Center Mesa, located in a former elementary school at 122 N. Country Club Drive, will showcase more than 11,000 square feet of space in partnership with Mesa Public Schools. Alice Cooper’s Solid Rock Teen Centers will fund the renovations at the new Mesa center and provide more than $100,000 worth of music, arts and dance programming to youth ages 12 to 20 as well as the local community.
The Mesa center grew out of the Alice Cooper’s annual Rock & Roll Fundraising Bash at Las Sendas Golf Club in east Mesa.
“Some of the elected officials came out and saw what we were doing,” Alice said. “They said, ‘What would you think about doing one of these in Mesa?’ And immediately, our antennas went up.”
The new Mesa center will start with the basics, Alice says, “and let it grow like the other one did.” That means rehearsal rooms, musical instruments students can learn on free of charge, and a dance studio. Fender has already donated 20 guitars and several amplifiers for the new location.
As far as staffing the Mesa location, Sheryl Cooper said, “There are people being groomed right now. We’re excited about meeting people that fit for it. We’ve got to let them know this is not just a thing that you do. We want you to love this. We want you to be involved in this. So it’s your baby. Like it’s our baby. You want to make sure that the kids are safe.”
One of the organization’s main fundraisers, Alice Cooper’s Rock & Roll Golf Classic, provides the opportunity for the public to learn more and donate at the annual event. Additional funding for both Centers comes from grants and donations made by people and organizations who appreciate what the Coopers and their non-profit organization have done for teens in the community.
“Every kid out here,” Alice said, “has got talent. Somewhere in you, there’s a talent that you want to get out. We invite you to come in and find your talent. It might not be music. It might be art. It might be dance. Whatever it is, you can discover it at Alice Cooper’s Solid Rock Teen Centers.”
COOPSTOCK
CoopStock Music on the Green will be held on Saturday, April 24 from 6 to 11 p.m. at Las Sendas Golf Club in Mesa. The evening’s festivities include a silent auction, food trucks, and live celebrity entertainment, including a performance by Alice, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer himself. Others include the original voice of Foreigner, Lou Gramm, ASIA featuring John Payne, Tommy Thayer of KISS, and more.
Ticket donations are $89 to $350 per person and can be purchased online at AliceCooperSolidRock.com/COOPSTOCK/. The event is open to the public.
Alice Cooper’s Solid Rock Teen Center is located at 13625 N. 32nd St.in Phoenix. For information, visit alicecoopersolidrock.com, or call (602) 522-9200. Las Sendas Golf Club is located at 7555 E. Eagle Crest Drive in Mesa. For information, visit lassendas.com, or call (480) 396-4000.