Excitement echoes among Harvest Hall in Grapevine as the students of School of Rock Coppell join the audience after performing on stage. But there is still one more performance in the lineup: the teacher show.

The drummer counts off, and the beginning notes of “Respect” by Aretha Franklin boom from the venue. Eyes widen and jaws drop as they hear the projecting voice of School of Rock Coppell’s owner, Melissa Birchett, her pink hair illuminating under the stage lights as she sings the empowerment anthem.

Birchett’s passion for music started when she was 5, beginning with her desire to be an opera singer. With the support of her parents, Birchett grew up in a childhood surrounded by music. As she got older, her passion only grew.

She graduated from Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif. with a bachelor’s degree in music. After receiving her master’s degree in opera performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, she moved back to Texas and auditioned for opera companies across the country.

Birchett’s journey in School of Rock began when a childhood friend recommended her to School of Rock in Southlake.

“What they don’t tell you about opera is that it’s a rich person’s profession,” Birchett said. “I just needed some money so I could do the rest of my auditions, and I applied.”

After getting the job teaching vocals and the keyboard at Flower Mound, Birchett built strong relationships with her students through empathy, impacting their lives and musical journeys.

One of her first students, Cece Case, is now the assistant general manager at School of Rock Coppell.

“She’s taught me since I was so small and she still teaches me so much to this day,” Case said. “I remember when I was a kid I would mess up and it was just a learning moment, and even now that she’s my boss, she’s never there to make anyone feel bad.”

After six years of being music director at Southlake, Birchett wanted to start something that was her own.

“I knew I could do it and I knew I wanted to start my own thing,” Birchett said. “I wanted everything to be my decision, and I wanted the pressure because I knew that would help me grow as a human being.”

In November 2023, Birchett opened her own School of Rock just off of Denton Tap Road in Coppell. It was a dream come true for her and her partner Tim Harman, who is the school’s current music director.

“I thought it was the best idea ever,” Harman said. “She always had the right ideas that sometimes people oversaw. So what better way to do things the way they should be done then start her own.”

Birchett owns a school for everyone, and is not only running the show, but is an influence on young students believing rock is only for boys.

Birchett makes sure her students are educated and motivated by women in their lives, as women have contributed so much to music. She even gave students the option to join a band focusing on music produced by women.

“Women are such good storytellers,” Birchett said. “We’re good performers, we know how to capture the mood of the crowd, and there are so many women in history and music that have changed the game.”

Through her years working for School of Rock, Birchett teaches her students to be as confident in their voice as they are in their love for music, altering gender norms in the entire program.

“The whole point is to teach kids music and give them a space outside of their home and school to have something that’s theirs,” Birchett said. “Music is the most constant thing that’s ever been in my life, and it really pulls so many people together.”

This story was originally published on Coppell Student Media on April 1, 2026.