Forget the piano lessons—kids who favor Metallica to Mozart will give a standing ovation to the program at The Paul Green School of Rock Music (201-342-8314) in South Hackensack. For $280 a month, students receive a weekly 45-minute lesson with professional musicians in bass, vocals, keyboard or drums, studying “legends like Led Zeppelin and The Beatles instead of Beethoven,” says director Andy Lucibello. And there’s no need to rock out alone; the school has an added bonus: a three-hour weekly rehearsal/jam session with other rockers-in-training. Each session culminates in a high-energy student concert performed at the school’s own venue—the School of Rock Garden—plus a local spot, such as Mexicali Blues Café in Teaneck. For kids who prefer to enjoy their rock shows with audience-member anonymity, the Rock Garden also hosts shows by both established and up-and coming bands, open to the public. Tickets are generally priced around $10.

Art around the corner
Step aside, Soho—Bergen County has its own go-to spot for top-tier art. The Fieldstone Fine Art Gallery in Ramsey (201-962-3636), which opened last April, displays “one-of-a-kind pieces of the same caliber as those in Manhattan,” says gallery director Mariana Maldonado. Housed in a quaint 1911 stone building, the gallery features an array of pieces in various media, all for sale. Unsure if a framed find will work with your furnishings? You can try out pieces in your home or office before purchasing them. Fort those needing extra guidance, Maldonado will even analyze your space to help you find the perfect complement. Susan Bogen-Zarrabi of Montvale recently purchased an oil painting by Russian artist Sonia Grineva and was wowed by the gallery’s offerings. “As an artist myself, I’ve visited many Manhattan galleries,” she says. “Fieldstone’s art is just as impressive—and it’s close to home.”

Picnic perfect
If you have romantic notions about an old-fashioned springtime picnic but don’t have the time or inclination to assemble it all, try ordering a ready-to-go spread from Picnic Caterers in Emerson (201-262-5505). Just call a few days ahead, select entrées, appetizers and desserts from a tasty seasonal menu and voilà—a bursting basket awaits! A sample alfresco feast might include cheeses, crackers, fried chicken, macaroni salad, tossed salad, fruit and chocolate-chip cookies, all for $30. The shop even throws in serving ware, a corkscrew and wine glasses—all yours to keep. (Vino not included). And should a rainy day spoil your blanket-bound plans, fear not—owner/executive chef Christine E. Nunn insists her baskets are equally enjoy-able indoors. “People even order them for winter nights in front of the fireplace,” she says.

Puppy Love
Leanne Miller, age 20, Ridgewood
Rags, age 1, Norfolk terrier
How we met: “My family jokes that we got Rags because when I started college, the house was too quiet—I have a very outgoing, loud personality. Rags is super hyperactive, so he definitely livened things up. When I met him for the first time during summer break I fell in love, he was so small and adorable—although I knew he was really my replacement.”
Little brother syndrome: “Our older dog, Polo, is a 13-year-old wheaten who is like very, very over Rags. But Rags is obsessed with batting at Polo, trying to get a reaction. It’s hilarious. He just knows that he’s the youngest so he can be pampered like a baby.”
Playful pup: “His favorite game is hide-and-seek. Sometimes I’ll be searching for him all over the house, then I’ll suddenly discover a little black nose under the living room couch!”

We belong... in the '80s
Big hair, leather pants and Pat Benatar tunes. Two of these fads were thankfully left behind in the decade of excess. But with an album of new music, Go, in 2003, a greatest hits collection in 2005 and frequent tours with guitarist-husband Neil Giraldo, Benatar is still a vibrant presence on the music scene. She and Giraldo come to the Bergen Performing Arts Center on April 19. (Tickets: $39 to $99; 201-227-1030).

To help you get pumped for the show, try this playlist of her top hits. Go on—give it your best shot!
           
1. “Hit Me With Your Best Shot,” from Crimes of Passion
2. “We Belong,” from Best Shots
3. “Love Is a Battlefield,” from Best Shots
4. “Heartbreaker,” from Best Shots
5. “Shadows of the Night,” from Best Shots
6. “Fire and Ice,” from Best Shots
7. “Hell Is for Children,” from Crimes of Passion
8. “Treat Me Right,” from Crimes of Passion
9. “We Live for Love,” from Best Shots
10.“I Need a Lover,” from In the Heat of the Night