An entrepreneurial musician is hoping to unearth the next Jimi Hendrix or Keith Moon with his latest business venture - the Brighton Rock School Project.

Nick Minnion wants to give Brighton and Hove's bedroom rockers the chance to play their instruments with other youngsters bent on rock 'n' roll stardom.

And just like in the Hollywood movie School Of Rock, starring Jack Black as a frustrated rocker turned inspired teacher, students on his course practise towards a live performance.

Guitarist Nick, 47, believes the elevation of classical music over rock 'n' roll in schools has created a vast reservoir of musical talent which is being neglected.

His latest enterprise, however, coincides with a revival of rock music in the charts.

Bands like Franz Ferdinand, Keane, Coldplay, and The Libertines now dominate the airwaves at the expense of so-called "manufactured" pop bands.

But, according to Nick, getting to play in a live band presents a hurdle for many aspiring rock stars, with a lack of confidence being one of the main stumbling blocks.

He said: "If you went round and did a head count of all the kids who would like to play in a rock band and then how many had a realistic opportunity of doing that, you would see a big difference.

"Music - classical or rock - is so undervalued in schools. For a child to have a good musical education in a mainstream school they must have a very dedicated teacher.

"I have parents coming up to me saying 'Can you teach my son or daughter the guitar because the level of tuition in their school is just hopeless'.

"And yet music develops so many different skills in children, personal and social skills, creative and artistic skills, a lot of maths is involved, and it's also great fun."

He added: "If you have just been playing guitar in your bedroom, to actually go and audition for a band or to play on stage is absolutely terrifying. We are hoping to bridge that gap."

Nick taught himself to play guitar when he was just eight.

By the time he turned 15 he was teaching a group of beginners at his local primary school.

Throughout the Seventies and Eighties he travelled around Europe playing in various now-forgotten rock and blues bands before settling in Brighton.

After five years in the aviation industry - Nick was one of the co-founders of microlight aircraft manufacturing company Aerial Arts - he returned to being a full-time musician.

Since the mid-Nineties he has taught hundreds of people to play guitar and for seven years ran a three-storey music studio in Hove until high overheads forced him to close.

He returned to teaching music from home and between lessons set up a web site called www.teachguitar.com and wrote several books on the subject.

Now Nick, of Nevill Way, Hove, is hoping to encourage youngsters into a controlled studio environment.

He said: "This is all about getting young people together and interacting. It is not meant to be a replacement for one-to-one tuition but a chance to get out there and enjoy your instrument."

The Brighton Rock School Project is open to anyone aged eight to 18 who has been learning their instrument for at least a year.

Bookings for the summer term, which starts on April 18, can be made by calling Nick on 01273 555659 or emailing nick@teachguitar.com