About – Rock Dojo

Two Different Paths. One Shared Mission.

Sophie and Brian Parham took very different journeys into music. Sophie began her musical training in France at age three, studying classical violin and piano through the Suzuki Method. Brian grew up in a working-class Pennsylvania coal town, where music lessons simply weren’t part of his world. He began his musical journey at age 28. Despite their different paths, Sophie and Brian discovered the same truth: becoming a musician develops more than musical skill. It builds confidence, character, and courage. Together, they created Rock Dojo, the world’s first story-driven guitar program where kids train like musicians and rise like heroes.

Why We Started Rock Dojo.

Most music programs are built for the parents. Kids learn the songs from their parents’ childhood. We wanted to create something just for kids. A world where every challenge reminds them they’re capable of more than they ever imagined. So we asked a simple question:

What if learning guitar felt like an epic adventure?

That question led to the Nullsong Chronicles™.

Today, students don’t simply practice songs.

They complete Musical Missions.

Earn Hero Cards.

Unlock Special Moves.

Discover Original Music.

All while building real musical skills, one challenge at a time.
Because when kids believe they’re the hero of their own story…

They become invested.

They practice.

They improve.

And discover what they’re truly capable of.

Different Beginnings. Shared Purpose.

Brian Parham

Founder • Guitar Educator • Composer

Award-winning music educator and creator of The Nullsong Chronicles™.

Brian Parham is a visionary artist, composer, and educator based in Portland, Oregon, and the founder of Rock Dojo—an award-winning youth guitar program that fuses rock music with storytelling, original composition, and gamified learning. With over 1,500 students taught, Brian’s major works include The Nullsong Chronicles (a comic-meets-curriculum where music is rebellion), Elijah & the Sacred Song (a heavy metal musical awarded Best New Musical Theatre by Live & In Color), and Six-String Showdown (a prequel funded by the 2024 Fertile Ground Grow Grant). Named Portland’s Best Guitar Educator by Distinguished Teaching, Brian uses music to build confidence, community, and creative power in the next generation.

Sophie Parham

Co-Founder • Educator

Classically trained musician whose passion for music and education shapes every Rock Dojo class.

Sophie Parham, the co-founder of Rock Dojo, is a passionate guitar instructor with a background in violin and piano. A Berklee College of Music graduate, Sophie’s’ empathic and positive teaching style focuses on developing complete musicianship and fostering a love for music.

Award-Winning Music Education

Rock Dojo has been recognized for excellence in music education, artistic innovation, and community impact.

Selected recognitions include:

Best Guitar Educator in Portland
Steve Vai Scholarship Recipient, Berklee College of Music
Fertile Ground GROW Grant Recipient
Artist-in-Residence, Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center
Rising Star of Oregon, U.S. Small Business Administration

Our History

Founded 2015

Rock Dojo is a Black-owned, family-owned business based in Portland, Oregon. We founded Rock Dojo in 2015 after a year of research and development with the help of The Microenterprise Services of Oregon (MESO). This initiative stemmed from Brian’s childhood passions for rock, guitar, and martial arts, combined with a desire to address public schools’ lack of access to arts education. As music educators, we recognized the potential of merging guitar instruction with a martial arts belt system curriculum.

The Evolution

Over the last decade, we meticulously developed the Rock Dojo after-school program, impacting thousands of students across the Portland Metro area, thanks to the collaborative efforts of organizations such as MESO, SBDC, SBLC, RACC, Portland Parks and Recreation, Bienestar de La Familia, IFCC, NAYA, Oregon Arts Commission, Multnomah County Cultural Council, The Black Chamber of Commerce, and The Dirt.

Community Impact

But our work doesn’t stop in the classroom! You can find us out in the community performing live rock concerts for kids at schools, libraries, and public parks, or you can see our award-winning, original metal musical for kids and families, “Elijah & the Sacred Song.”

Why We Do It

Why do we do it? Well, we love sharing the positive power of rock with children, enabling them to enjoy the numerous benefits of music education, including developing social skills, building project-based self-confidence, and fostering a lifelong love of music.

Proud to Serve Portland Families

For more than a decade, Rock Dojo has partnered with schools, libraries, and community programs to make music education more accessible to children across Portland.

Every partnership gives more children the opportunity to discover what they’re truly capable of through music.

Every Hero has an origin Story.

Whether your child is picking up a guitar for the very first time or ready for their next Musical Mission, we’d love to welcome them into Rock Dojo because heroes aren’t born. They’re trained.