Jim
Owner, Music Director
With a music career spanning more than three decades, pianist Jim Sellers has performed with many of today’s jazz luminaries, including trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, saxophonists Frank Catalano and Richie Cole, and bassist Bill Yancey. Chicago Jazz Magazine says, "Sellers uses his virtuosity and eclectic knowledge to excellent effect…[with] novel approaches and notable musical surprises." The Jazz Institute of Chicago has praised Jim's "…unambiguous attack of the piano and witty arrangements."
Prior to School of Rock, Jim taught at the Bloom School of Jazz for 17 years, St. Barbara High School, and Oak Brook Academy of Music and Art. He is an accomplished guitarist, bassist, and composer, and earned a bachelor's degree in music from Northern Illinois University, and a master's degree in Jazz Studies and Composition from DePaul University.
Luke
Music Director, Show Director, Guitar Teacher, Vocal Teacher
Luke is a guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter who mainly performs and creates in the genre of progressive rock and metal. He has been playing guitar for nearly two decades, and since his start, he has built and refined skills as both a technical lead and rhythm player. Luke fronts his own band, The Untold, on lead vocals and guitar. He also writes most of the music for the band which has been releasing songs and playing shows since 2017.
In 2018, Luke graduated from Columbia College Chicago with a bachelor’s degree in contemporary, urban, and popular music, with a focus on guitar performance. Even though Luke is mostly a rock and metal player, he has experience studying and playing in various genres of music including jazz, fusion, r&b, funk, acoustic finger-style, blues, and more. Luke is always pushing himself and constantly honing his sound, technique, and songwriting. Becoming a better musician is a lifelong and joyous process, and there is nothing he would rather be dedicating his life to.
Manuel
Show Director, Guitar Teacher, Vocal Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Manuel is a guitarist and vocalist born and raised in Chicago. He has performed in multiple original and cover bands over the course of the past decade, playing shows at places like Double Door, Lincoln Hall, Bottom Lounge, and House of Blues, and touring the Midwest.
Manuel started learning guitar at the age of 13 while also learning saxophone as part of his education, and dabbled in other instruments like keyboards, bass, and any other instrument lying around with strings on it. While mostly focused on performing rock and indie music, he has experience playing many genres of music, including soul, funk, and jazz, winning the Berklee College of Music's Judge's Choice Award in 2011.
Manuel has also recorded with Sean O'Keefe and has recorded and mixed original music. Currently, he leads a cover band and an original project called j a b o b o.
Felipe
Drum Teacher
Felipe is a Brazilian drummer from Rio de Janeiro, based in Chicago since 2017. With over two decades of experience playing drums and performing live, he started at age 11 in the Afro-Brazilian percussion ensemble, Bloco d'O Passo. Later on, he moved to the drum kit and joined a few punk, metal, and rock groups, touring around as the headliner or the opening act for bands like Ignite, Truckfighters, La Dispute, Silverstein, No Fun At All, Jake Bugg, and many others.
Once in Chicago, Felipe studied music performance at Columbia College Chicago, where he dedicated his time to learning new genres and had the opportunity to study and perform with artists like Darryl Jones, Nick Tremullis, Woody Goss, Bernard Purdie, and Donny McCaslin. Now Felipe is a drum instructor for School of Rock Andersonville and performs around town.
Rachel
Drum Teacher
Rachel aka “Chop Suey” is a professional drummer and live performance teacher who believes that rhythm and music are an extension of who we all are in the world. She is a working musician who studied performing arts throughout high school and studied for her BA in Music Performance and Music Education at the Detroit Institute of Music Education, with a personal interest in music therapy and music psychology.
Rachel strives to make an impact by nurturing musical development in a supportive, inclusive, and positive way.
Izzie
Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Izzie is a pianist, songwriter, producer, and DJ native to the Chicago area. As a former School of Rock student, she is no stranger to the joy of performing with an ensemble and bringing the works of legendary bands to life. During her time as a School of Rock student, she was a keyboardist in the House Band and performed at Summerfest and the Rave in Milwaukee. Her fondest memories include playing a Frank Zappa tribute show and music by the Big 4 of Thrash Metal.
Izzie is a graduate of Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin, where she earned her B. Mus. in Piano Performance. Her specialty there was contemporary classical music and works for piano and electronics. This interest turned into producing her own music for her solo project Ar1adn3, under which she’s released three EPs and several singles. Izzie is an active performer and DJ in the Chicago area and has performed at Chop Shop, Undercoast, Bourbon on Division, and Bookclub. A performer with a passion for teaching, her pedagogy training has informed everything she does with her students.
Quinn
Guitar Teacher
Quinn is a Chicago-based guitarist and educator specializing in jazz, funk, blues, R&B, and rock. Following resistance to piano lessons, Quinn’s parents bought him a guitar for his ninth birthday and he started guitar lessons. Early on, he studied privately with Larry Baker and Duke Tumatoe.
Quinn played in the jazz band throughout high school, getting to meet Emmet Cohen and Bob Mintzer as clinicians. Along with this, he gigged in a cover band with other students from his school.
Quinn recently completed his bachelor's degree in Jazz Studies at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music studying under Dave Stryker. In his time at the Jacobs School of Music, Quinn performed in ensembles led by Sean Dobbins, John Raymond, Brent Wallarab, Wayne Wallace, and Tom Walsh.
Piwa
Vocal Teacher
Piwa is a Columbia College arts graduate and has been a performing musician for over five years, playing live venues around the Chicago area.
Piwa specializes in singing, songwriting, production, and live recording. As she continues to center herself around the creation of music, Piwa plans to educate as well as learn from the students found at School of Rock Andersonville.
Quinn
Drum Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Guitar Teacher
Quinn originally hails from Pasadena, California, where he recorded and performed with many bands as a songwriter, drummer, and guitarist. There he played various shows, ranging from backyard parties to some of Hollywood's most iconic venues, including the Viper Room and the Whisky a Go Go. He moved to Chicago in January 2022 and started playing around the city.
Quinn's teaching philosophy is based on identifying each student's individual style and passion for music and supporting that with practical techniques and theory fundamentals. Quinn firmly believes that every student has a unique, profound, artistic essence, and it is his mission to guide them in unveiling that.
Tom
Drum Teacher
Tom's journey as a drummer has been a lifelong passion fueled by the vibrant alternative rock scene of the early 2000s. Bands like Green Day and blink-182 became the soundtrack to his formative years, igniting a fire within him to pursue drumming as more than just a hobby.
Tom's musical voyage began in middle school when he formed a band with close friends in class. They played gigs at local venues and house parties, sharing their love for music with anyone who would listen. Those early experiences laid the foundation for Tom's musical path, teaching him the value of live performance and the connection it can forge with an audience.
Tom took a significant step in his drumming journey in 2012 when he became a student at School of Rock. The School of Rock environment offered Tom not only a comprehensive education in music theory and technique but also a platform to perform alongside talented musicians. It was at School of Rock that his progression as a performing drummer accelerated, and he discovered the true power of collaboration and the joy of sharing music with others.
Currently, Tom is a member of a punk rock band called Superkick, where he continues to channel his passion for drumming into dynamic live performances and recording sessions. Playing in a band has provided Tom with invaluable experiences, from writing and arranging music to working with other talented musicians, all of which he brings into his teaching.
Tom is thrilled to be a part of the School of Rock Andersonville community and to share his knowledge and enthusiasm for drumming with students of all ages. Teaching is not just a job for Tom; it's a true love. He looks forward to helping you discover the joy and creativity that drumming can bring to your life. Let's rock!
Lucas
Vocal Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Multi-instrumentalist and Baritone vocalist Lucas moved to Chicago after completing his first year teaching choir and adaptive music at Ben Franklin Middle School in Fargo, North Dakota. He received a degree from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota in Vocal Music Education. At Concordia, he performed in multiple theatrical productions, directed and managed Concordia Vocal Jazz, and sang with the Concordia Choir on multiple national tours as well as internationally during their recent tour in Italy.
Outside of college, Lucas sang with the Fargo Moorhead Choral Artists as well as performed in multiple musicals with Straw Hat Theatre and ActUp Theatre. Lucas has also served as a co-director and music director for two musicals (25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Godspell) and music director/composer/arranger for an original play (Darling) in the non-profit community theater organization he founded with his father in his hometown - Little Falls Theatre Company.
Lucas brings a wide range of skills from his experience in classical choir, vocal jazz, musical theatre, rock bands, and more to his classroom. In lessons, Lucas strives to highlight each voice's unique and beautiful sound through healthy techniques and careful attention to detail.