Cleveland West
School of Rock

Explore School of Rock

Cleveland West

Map
School of Rock Cleveland West
23820 Center Ridge Road
Westlake, OH 44145
(440) 333-7625
Hours
  • Monday: 2 PM - 9 PM
  • Tuesday: 2 PM - 9 PM
  • Wednesday: 2 PM - 9 PM
  • Thursday: 2 PM - 9 PM
  • Friday: 2 PM - 7:30 PM
  • Saturday: 10 AM - 4 PM
  • Sunday: Closed

Upcoming Special Hours:

  • 07/04/2024: Closed
  • 07/05/2024: Closed
  • 07/06/2024: Closed

Music programs at School of Rock Cleveland West combine one-on-one lessons with group band practices

Define your music skills at School of Rock Cleveland West. This school is proud to offer Cleveland, Westlake, Bay Village, North Olmsted, Rocky River, Lakewood, Fairview Park, Avon, Avon Lake, and surrounding areas with quality music lessons taught by real, practicing musicians. Here in the birthplace of "rock 'n' roll," students can earn everything from drums, guitar, vocals, keys, bass, and piano, as well as popular genres like pop, rock, and more. Many famous acts call the Cleveland area their home, including Michael Stanley, Maynard from Tool, Trent Reznor, The James Gang, Filter, Chimaira, and Tracy Chapman. With enough practice, students may even one day perform at local venues like the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Beachland Ballroom, and the Grog Shop.

Programs we offer

Rock 101 music program in Westlake for kids and beginners
Rock 101
Ages 7-11

Rock 101 is one of School of Rock Cleveland West's top programs for kids and beginners. Students have one weekly group rehearsal where they learn to play classic rock songs that have been simplified for beginner musicians. Additionally, Rock 101 students in Cleveland West have a weekly private music lesson with an instructor who helps them learn the concepts and skills behind their performance songs.

What To Expect
  • 1 WEEKLY PRIVATE LESSON
  • 1 WEEKLY GROUP REHEARSAL

The Path to Take the Stage

Our music programs for kids in Westlake are designed to get students on stage performing, with the goal of building strong musical proficiency. Younger students at School of Rock Cleveland West who have participated in the Rookies program can move to our Rock 101 music program once they’re ready. Additionally, students (typically ages 7 to 11-years-old) can begin Rock 101 without any prior experience. The goal of this rock program is to quickly develop a basic competence on students’ chosen instruments before moving on to our famous Performance Program.

Performance music program for teens in Westlake
Performance
Ages 8-18

The Performance Program at School of Rock Cleveland West is our hallmark music program, where tens of thousands of students enroll each year. It consists of a weekly group rehearsal where kids and teens learn by playing rock music's most iconic songs with a band composed of their peers. Students are assigned songs and parts that are tailored to them based on their age, experience and ability to learn new skills and concepts. Students then work through their parts in weekly private music lessons, refining the skills and concepts that those songs introduce. The goal of this curriculum is to prepare kids and teens for live performances. Every few months, School of Rock Cleveland West Performance Program students take the stage and play at local Westlake music venues in front of a live audience.

What To Expect
  • 1 WEEKLY PRIVATE LESSON
  • 1 WEEKLY GROUP REHEARSAL

The Path to Take the Stage

School of Rock Cleveland West's music programs for kids and teens are designed to inspire by getting students on stage and performing. All of our other music education programs focus on readying students for our famous Performance Program. This is where students develop incredible musical skills. Performance Program students have often gone through our Rock 101 program first or have some previous basic music experience. These young musicians will have custom development plans outlined by their instructors with key concepts reinforced during private lessons and group rehearsals, all with the goal of performing live at a Westlake music venue.

Rookies music program for children in Westlake
Rookies
Ages 7 - 8

Students must be 7 or 8 years old to qualify for the class. At School of Rock Cleveland West, our music program for children with no previous musical experience is called Rookies. Rookies students have one weekly group music lesson where they learn fundamentals like chords, rhythm and song structure. Kids get to learn and experiment with multiple instruments so they can later decide which one they ultimately want to continue pursuing in Rock 101.

What To Expect
  • 1 WEEKLY GROUP LESSON
  • USE OF SIMPLIFIED ROCK INSTRUMENTS TO TEACH KIDS TO PLAY MUSIC

The Path to Take the Stage

All of our music programs are designed to inspire students to learn and develop a strong musical proficiency. At School of Rock Cleveland West, younger students who are not ready for a more comprehensive program like Rock 101 can start in Rookies. Additionally, students who have completed the Little Wing program will progress into the Rookies music program. No prior musical experience is needed for Rookies. Once your child is ready for private music lessons (typically older than first or second graders), they will graduate into our Rock 101 program.

Songwriting
Age 12 and over

Our Songwriting program for kids and teens teaches the fundamentals of songwriting, arrangement and music theory, and helps students compose original works.  At School of Rock Cleveland West, songwriting students receive one weekly private lesson where they learn concepts, technique and theory on an instrument of their choice. These principles are then applied in a weekly group lesson where students work together on songwriting exercises and lyrical workshops.  Every few months, Songwriting students take the stage to perform or band together to record their original songs.

What to Expect
  • 1 weekly private lesson
  • 1 weekly group lesson

The Path to Take the Stage

Our Songwriting program for kids and teens in Westlake is designed to create musical proficiency through the creation of original music. Students at School of Rock Cleveland West who have completed our Rock 101 program can move to our Songwriting program once they’re ready. Additionally, new students who have prior experience with and basic knowledge of an instrument can also begin Songwriting. The program culminates with a live showcase where students perform their original compositions in bands at a local music venue. Students taking the Songwriting Program online will remotely record their original songs to produce a demo of the class's music.

Adult music program in Westlake for students over 18
Adult Program
Ages 21+

School of Rock Cleveland West's Adult Program is for students over 21 years old who are looking to either improve their musical proficiency or pick up an instrument with no prior musical experience. As with most School of Rock music programs, the Adult Program uses a performance-based music education approach. This means the curriculum focuses on learning music concepts and applying them in a live performance setting. Our Adult Music Program includes one weekly private music lesson and a weekly group rehearsal. Every student at School of Rock Cleveland West is placed in a band of fellow adults and then assigned specific songs as a way of learning key music concepts and skills. Adult students then take the stage to play at a live show in Westlake.

What To Expect
  • 1 WEEKLY PRIVATE LESSON
  • 1 WEEKLY GROUP REHEARSAL

The Path to Take the Stage

All of our music programs are designed to inspire by getting students on stage and performing, with the goal of building strong musical proficiency along the way. The School of Rock Cleveland West Adult Program is open to all experience levels and each student will follow a customized learning plan developed by their instructor. Adult students will work together during rehearsal to prepare for a live performance at a real rock venue in Westlake.

House Band program for gigging at local venues in Westlake
House Band
Age 17 and Under

The School of Rock Cleveland West House Band music program gives students under 18 the opportunity to join a gigging band composed of fellow musicians from their school. These students perform additional live shows throughout the year. All students in the Performance Program have the opportunity to audition for a spot in School of Rock Cleveland West's House Band. Once selected, House Band members become leaders in their School of Rock community and perform live shows at OH rock venues throughout the year.

What To Expect
  • A GIGGING MUSICIAN'S EXPERIENCE
  • FREQUENT LIVE PERFORMANCES IN COMMUNITY

The Path to Take the Stage

Performance is the core of School of Rock's educational approach. Therefore, we create additional opportunities for students to perform on stages throughout Westlake and the rest of OH. The House Band music program allows each school's most talented students the opportunity to join a band and play routinely in front of live audiences. Once a member, students will gain real music experience associated with gigging musicians and will become leaders and mentors inside the School of Rock community.

The AllStars national tour features the best child and teen musicians
AllStars
Age 17 and Under

The School of Rock AllStars Tour takes the very best students from around the world and sends them on a nationwide summer tour across the United States. Less than 1% of School of Rock students are selected each year to represent School of Rock as an AllStar. All Performance Program students are eligible to audition for this prestigious program. The intensive audition process starts off with video submissions followed by live auditions. Once selected, AllStar students will have an authentic touring experience including traveling on a tour bus, doing tour publicity and starring in nightly performances at famous venues and festivals during a two-week tour.

What To Expect
  • A MULTI-CITY, COUNTRY-WIDE MUSIC TOUR EXPERIENCE
  • PERFORMING ON SOME OF THE BIGGEST AND MOST FAMOUS STAGES IN THE WORLD

The Path to Take the Stage

Becoming an AllStar is the highest level of achievement for a School of Rock student. They play on legendary stages large and small, including The Knitting Factory, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, The Troubadour and Lollapalooza. AllStar students often go on to have accomplished careers in the music industry. Former AllStars have gone on to become touring artists, star in Broadway musicals, get signed to record deals, become finalists on talent competitions like "The Voice" and "American Idol" and have other notable roles in the music industry.

Music Lessons in Cleveland West

Kid learns to play guitar at School of Rock Westlake

Guitar Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Guitar Lessons for Kids

At School of Rock Cleveland West, we offer beginner guitar lessons for kids. Our expert guitar instructors guide your child from start to finish with private instruction and weekly group band rehearsals. Every instructor at School of Rock Cleveland West is an experienced musician, and they emphasize foundational music theory and technique when teaching guitar lessons to kids. Unlike other Westlake guitar lessons and programs, School of Rock is designed to get students performing in a band.

Beginner Guitar Lessons for Adults

It’s never too late to learn to play the guitar. Similar to our kids guitar lessons, School of Rock Cleveland West's beginner guitar lessons for adults utilizes a performance-based curriculum. Our experienced instructors teach adult students through popular rock songs, and teach students to play guitar in a way that’s challenging and fun. We believe the best way to learn is by doing, which is why we combine weekly private guitar lessons with group band rehearsals. At School of Rock Cleveland West, we teach beginner guitar lessons for adults in our Adult Program. This program gets students performing onstage at a local Westlake venue.

Key Concepts
  • Technique
  • Solos
  • Chords
  • Theory

Intermediate to Advanced Guitar Lessons

As students gain skills and experience, we move them along to more challenging programs at higher skill levels. Intermediate and advanced students take the skills they learned in beginner guitar lessons, and layer on more difficult techniques and concepts. School of Rock Cleveland West offers advanced guitar lessons for kids and adults that teach by playing challenging classic rock songs and emphasize playing the guitar in a real music venue. Our Westlake guitar teachers will work with each student to develop a custom learning plan.

Kids learn to drum at School of Rock Westlake

Drum Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Drum Lessons for Kids

School of Rock Cleveland West is the best option for anyone looking to learn the drums. Our beginner drum lessons get kids behind the drum kit and on their way to taking the stage. That’s why at School of Rock Cleveland West we combine private drum lessons for beginners with weekly band rehearsals—it prepares students to perform live. With years of experience teaching drums in Westlake, our drum instructors teach beginner drum students core techniques, including how to groove, play rudiments and more.

Beginner Drum Lessons for Adults

Our drum lessons for adults are designed to accommodate all skill levels. At School of Rock Cleveland West, our beginner drum lessons for adults are built for musicians with little to no experience. We teach adults using the same core performance-based education philosophy as our drum lessons for kids—performing with a band accelerates the learning process. Adult students will perform live at a venue in Westlake. Unlike other Westlake drum lessons for beginners, School of Rock combines private drum lessons with weekly band rehearsals so students are ready to play in front of real, live audiences.

Key Concepts
  • RUDIMENTS
  • TIME SIGNATURES
  • TECHNIQUE
  • GROOVE

Intermediate to Advanced Drum Lessons

More experienced to advanced drum students need a drum lesson curriculum that builds upon foundational skills and continues to grow musical proficiency. That’s why at School of Rock Cleveland West, our drum lessons are customized for each student and his or her goals. Our Westlake drum instructors integrate more complex techniques and concepts—intermediary grooves, shifts, meters and more—into a student's individual lessons and group band rehearsal, and will also select more difficult songs for his or her live performances.

 

Kid learns to sing at School of Rock Westlake

Singing Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Singing Lessons for Kids

School of Rock Cleveland West offers beginner singing lessons for kids. Our unique, performance-based approach develops students' musical proficiency by preparing them to perform live. At School of Rock Cleveland West, our vocal coaches are practicing musicians who integrate key music fundamentals—breathing, posture and more—into a curriculum based on performing with a band. Each week, beginner singing students participate in a private singing lesson and a band rehearsal.

Beginner Singing Lessons for Adults

School of Rock Cleveland West teaches adults how to sing in our innovative Adult Program. Students develop vocal skills at a challenging pace designed to help you see results with every singing lesson. Adult vocalists learn how to keep tempo, stay on-key and master advanced vocal techniques for a powerful and healthy voice. Our curriculum teaches students how to sing by using popular rock songs that emphasize key concepts. Each week, Adult Program students have a private singing lesson for beginners and group band rehearsal.

Key Concepts
  • TECHNIQUE
  • HARMONY
  • POWER
  • READING

Intermediate to Advanced Singing Lessons

At School of Rock Cleveland West, our singing lessons for kids and adults are designed to help our students reach a high degree of musical proficiency. Intermediate and advanced singers take skills learned from previous singing lessons and layer on more difficult techniques and concepts. Our advanced singing lessons teach students to sing by performing popular rock songs that illustrate a specific vocal concept or technique. We pair weekly private singing lessons with weekly band rehearsals with the goal of getting musicians to perform live in Westlake.

Kid learns to play bass at School of Rock Westlake

Bass Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Bass Lessons for Kids

School of Rock Cleveland West offers beginner bass guitar lessons for kids that blend weekly private instruction with weekly band rehearsals. This performance-based approach results in a high level of musical proficiency because it engages and inspires students. Every School of Rock bass instructor is a practicing musician in Westlake and teaches bass lessons for kids that get great results. Beginners learn to play bass guitar by using popular rock songs that illustrate key concepts and techniques.

Beginner Bass Lessons for Adults

Adults looking to learn bass guitar can enroll in School of Rock’s Adult Program. No experience is necessary in our beginner bass guitar lessons for adults. At School of Rock Cleveland West, our experienced, local bass guitar instructors have the patience and skills to help adult students gain musical proficiency. As with all School of Rock music programs, our bass guitar lessons for adults ciriculum is performance-based, and include both weekly private instruction and weekly band rehearsals.

Key Concepts
  • GROOVE
  • TECHNIQUE
  • THEORY
  • TONE

Intermediate to Advanced Bass Lessons

Our intermediate to advanced bass guitar lessons teach Westlake students the skills they need to become the backbone of a band. Students take skills from previous bass lessons and layer on more difficult techniques and concepts. At School of Rock Cleveland West, our bass instructors use popular rock songs as a way of teaching students advanced concepts and techniques. We pair weekly private bass lessons with weekly band rehearsals to inspire and engage students throughout the learning process.

Kid learns to play piano at School of Rock Westlake

Keyboard Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Keyboard Lessons for Kids

At School of Rock we teach differently than other music schools in Westlake. Our curriculum is performance-based, meaning that we prepare students to perform. Our piano lessons for beginners combine weekly private instruction with weekly band rehearsals. At School of Rock Cleveland West, our beginner keyboard lessons for kids take key concepts and music fundamentals—finger placement, scales, key differentiation and more—and teach them through popular rock songs. This approach inspires and engages students, which results in attaining a high level of musical proficiency. Our piano teachers have years of experience teaching music in the Westlake area, and know how to coach and motivate students of any skill level to play the keyboard.

Beginner Keyboard Lessons for Adults

The School of Rock Cleveland West Adult Program puts beginner keyboard students in a band. Adult Program students in the Westlake area learn to play piano through a combination of weekly private beginner piano lessons and weekly band rehearsals. At School of Rock, our piano lessons give adult students the chance to perform in a band at local Westlake music venues, taking them out of the classroom and onto the stage.

Key Concepts
  • TECHNIQUE
  • TONE
  • THEORY
  • READING

Intermediate to Advanced Keyboard Lessons

At School of Rock Cleveland West, our keyboard lessons for kids and adults are designed to help students get results. Intermediate and advanced students take skills learned from beginner keyboard lessons and layer on more advanced piano techniques with concepts. Our local keyboard instructors are all practicing musicians in Westlake, and use popular rock songs as a way of teaching complex skills. We pair weekly private piano lessons with weekly band rehearsals to inspire and engage students throughout the learning process.

Our Experienced Music Teachers

All of School of Rock Cleveland West’s music teachers are experienced musicians devoted to helping students attain musical proficiency. Our instructors guide students one-on-one to personalize learning, inspire confidence and build social skills.

General Manager
Louie Novotny
General Manager
Louie is a working Cleveland musician as well as School of Rock Rocky River’s General Manager, and School of Rock Cleveland’s Sales Manager. Louie has been with the school since 2009. Louie is the bass player for local rock act Hot Ham & Cheese, which has also toured regionally and nationally. Louie also holds down bass duties for the acoustic/cover act Duo-Ish.
Director of Staff Training and Development
Joe Stefano
Director of Staff Training and Development
Playing drums since the age of eight, and playing in rock bands steady since the age of 11, Joe has been a part of the music scene for 20 years. Dabbling in all genres, he is well-versed in funk, jazz, reggae, afro-cuban, drum corps and is deeply rooted in rock. In high school, he was the recipient of the Louis Armstrong Jazz Award in 2001, and was the percussion section leader in marching band. He has played in various groups such as Detagoh, The Recent Vintage, Drop Notion, Switchblade Scarlett, The Stereo Riot and many more. One of the original staff members at both the East and West Side School of Rock, Joe loves teaching music and gives students every bit of knowledge that he can.
Vocal Teacher Scott Heisel
Scott Heisel
Vocal Teacher
After a few years of dabbling with each discipline, Scott Heisel began seriously studying both voice and percussion at age 12. In high school, he was forming bands and playing gigs while also touring North America and Europe every summer with the professional youth choir Kantorei and being active in his high school's choral, band, and jazz programs.

Accepted to Augustana College on a vocal performance scholarship, Scott continued to study voice under Dr. Angela Hand. He also performed in the world-renowned Augustana Choir and Opera@Augustana, in addition to playing in multiple jazz ensembles and combos. (Also, he once won his college's version of "American Idol" and still has the oversized check for $1,000 in his basement to prove it.)

In addition to pursuing music performance, Scott is an accomplished music journalist, previously serving as an editor of the national music magazine Alternative Press for 10 years and currently contributing to several arts and entertainment publications. Locally, Scott can be found hosting and DJing various parties all around Cleveland.
Guitar Teacher
Griffin Pereksta
Guitar Teacher
What do you get when you mix elements of classic rock, funk and Weird Al Yankovic? You get Griffin Pereksta. He decided he wanted to play guitar after hearing Angus Young from AC/DC play on the “Live at Donnington” recordings. His affinity for classic rock grew when he heard Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin. With time he branched out to funk with influences like James Brown, George Clinton and a different kind of P-Funk with The Red Hot Chili Peppers and their punk-funk. Naturally after hearing the funk you just want to get groovy, so Griffin picked up the bass and drums. After high school, he graduated Cuyahoga Community College with a degree in applied sciences from the Recording Arts and Technology program. Griffin currently is playing with The Whiskey Hallow and The Tim Moon Band.
Neil Chastain
Drum Teacher
A drummer, percussionist and educator, Neil Chastain has been around the Cleveland music scene for many years. He's performed with notable acts such as Roberto Ocasos, Latin Jazz Project and Craw. Neil has also toured internationally with New York-based group Kokolo. Neil performs on many hand percussion instruments and creates electronic music under the name Pureplex.
Russell Richards
Piano Teacher
Russ has been teaching at School of Rock for over 10 years now. Prior to that he earned his living doing nothing but playing music with a variety of R&B and Motown bands, including Heart and Soul, Gratitude and Cruisin. He's been in the rock bands Calabash and Easy Street from Thunder Bay, Ontario to Key West, Florida. Locally he works with I-Tal, Darryl Green and the Power House Band, and Lazy Ted and the Big Hurry. He studied music at the Cleveland Music School Settlement, CCC, Baldwin Wallace Music Conservatory and Cleveland State. He has a senior kitty named Baja.
Jeff West
Drum Teacher
Jeff started playing gigs when he was 15 years old. While in Cleveland, the notable area bands he played with were Strutter, Club Wow and the infamous Baloney Heads. In 1978, he moved to NYC to get deep into the punk rock explosion. His punk band, Testors, toured, and was on Bleeker Bob’s great punk label (punk fans, look this up!). With the Testors guitar player Gene Sinigalliano, he built and ran Ultra Sound Rehearsal studios for 33 successful years. It was one of the biggest, longest-running rehearsal complexes in New York.

Some great musicians he has had lessons with are Steve Smith, Thomas Pridgen, Marvin ‘Smitty’ Smith, Pat Petrillo, Neal Smith and Norman Grossman. He has recorded at most of the great NYC studios (like HIt Factory and Right Track) and been signed to Atlantic, Geffen and MCA Records. He is a drum teacher at School of Rock Cleveland West.
David Romweber
Guitar Teacher
David was hooked as a young boy after watching The Beatles on "The Ed Sullivan Show" in 1962. A veteran of the Cleveland music scene, David has been involved in retail and the club management side of the music business as well. He welcomed the opportunity to return to teaching and joining the staff at School of Rock Cleveland West. Dave can be seen on the weekends with his original band, The Velvematics. And yes, he is cousins with Dex and Sara Romweber.
Studio Coordinator John Koury
John Koury
Studio Coordinator
Obsessed with music from an early age, John Koury was given a drum set for Christmas when he was around 5 years old. Within a day, the kit was smashed to bits, thrown out on the curb and John was told by his father that he would never buy him another instrument EVER. Fifteen years later, John decided to learn how to play guitar and drums and started kicking around Youngstown’s original music scene, writing songs and playing in bands such as the Infidels, Slack Jaw, The Deadbeat Poets, and Snowmen Of Boise.

John's bands have shared the stage with many national artists and still hit the road for the occasional domestic and European tour. John has sat behind the drums with bands like the Dead Boys and Rick Derringer and played bass in Harper with members of the legendary NRBQ. In the "real world," John was a sales and marketing rep for Warner Music Group for fifteen years and had the opportunity to meet and work with some of the finest musicians in rock and roll. He is the Studio Coordinator at School of Rock Cleveland West.
Drum Teacher Erik Sledge
Erik Sledge
Drum Teacher
Erik Sledge is a drummer from Cleveland, Ohio. He started playing drums at a very early age, gaining influence from the drummer at his church. He would come home, pull pots and pans out of the cabinet and imitate what he saw that day for the entire week. His grandparents saw the passion form and bought him his first drum set at the age of 5, shortly after he began to take formal lessons.

In his freshman year of high school, Erik realized he wanted to do music professionally. Shortly after graduating high school, he hit the ground running, getting his feet wet in the Cleveland music scene and abroad.

At this point in his career, Erik has operated drum clinics, played for multiple National Recording artists like Marvin Winans and Sharon North, held a residency as the only musician of a Cirque show (Origins: A Cirque Experience), and toured abroad with the Gospel Connection show in Europe.
Tim Moon Music Director
Tim Moon
Music Director
Vocal enthusiast, Pianist, writer and composer Tim Moon began his musical journey as a backup singer to his Mom at the ripe old age of 3. Soon, at 4 years old, he began playing piano, writing endlessly complex music by hitting random notes on the piano all while insisting all notes were musically intentional.

Tim started his first band and began playing in every high school show he could. Being an acoustic guitar rock singer was DEFINITELY in his future. Then, at the ripe age of 19, Tim saw Ben Folds play piano and decided that being in a piano rock band was DEFINITELY in his future. He obsessively read every theory book he could find in the learning of this process.

But as High School rolled into college, Tim continued his classical voice and piano development. College was boring and nothing happened….Until Tim started Don’t Fear the Sun and went on tour, had a stint on Warped Tour, quit his job, moved to Cleveland because of a national tour in support of this big band at the time but ultimately the tour ended in catastrophic train wreck which left him unemployed and living in a new city.

In his first stint at School of Rock, which lasted 7 years, he at one point had 44 students a week and developed a pedagogy teaching classical mechanics to sing contemporary music.

While this story can continue, the next chapter included a new band, working for an artist, writing for other artists, working with professional vocalists and being a Creative Director for a Warner Music Group Recording Studio.

But nothing was better than working with the kids at SoR, so he came back, proceeding the legend himself, Tommy Rich.
Guitar Teacher, Singing Teacher Dan Molina
Dan Molina
Guitar Teacher, Vocal Teacher
“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything.” - Plato

While his personal tastes in musicality didn’t start to truly take shape until college, 8-year-old Dan was introduced to his first stringed instrument—the violin—in Solon, OH. After four years of “fiddling” around with more traditional orchestral strings, he deemed it necessary to further his music career and look like less of a nerd when he picked up his first acoustic guitar at 12 years old...and the rest is history.

Since first picking up the guitar, Dan went from acting in high school and being in show choir to going to school at the Butler School of Music in Texas for operatic and contemporary vocal performance. After learning about his voice and dabbling in music production with friends and fellow artists, Dan had a brief stint back in Cleveland to regroup and then headed off to Miami, FL to chase more studio and production opportunities. Seven years later, he’s back in the CLE to further bolster his musical resume and acumen.

Dan has worked with incredible artists in and out of studio sessions for the past nine years including Kent Jones, Takeoff, Kris Kollins, That Dude Stu, Robot Disco Puma, Rey Richh, Karlos Slimm, and more.
Guitar Teacher Jim Cook
Jim Cook
Guitar Teacher
Jim is a guitarist, songwriter, and Dark Lord of the Sith.

Jim has toured extensively and recorded in Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and the three “C’s” of Ohio. He worked in the music industry in L.A., has music credits in film and TV, and sang lead in an international commercial. You’d think he’d be super famous by now.

Jim has coffee and rambles about Eddie Van Halen. I mean, have you seen that guy play? See, there Jim goes again!

Anyway, Jim wishes the best for his students and hopes they’re too young to realize he has no idea what he’s doing.
Guitar Teacher Lyle Quimby
Lyle Quimby
Guitar Teacher
“You can play a shoestring if you’re sincere.” - John Coltrane

Lyle Quimby is a producer, songwriter, performer, and above all, a teacher.

Lyle’s love of music started as a child. His family has deep roots in big band and country music. He got bit by the guitar bug and started playing at age 13. Before he knew it, he was playing in clubs and recording in studios. Although Lyle had taught private lessons in high school, he never gave teaching much thought until he heard about a new kind of music school opening in Cleveland. He joined School of Rock in February of 2007 and has enjoyed every minute of it.

Lyle loves helping others find their passion in music. Let him help you! On the weekends you will find him playing guitar with The Friday Nite Blues Band (his original group), Maiden Voyage (Cleveland’s finest Iron Maiden tribute band), D.I.O. (a tribute to the music of Ronnie James Dio), and many other groups. Tune it and turn it up!!!
Drum Teacher Chris Walker
Chris Walker
Drum Teacher
Chris Walker began teaching himself to play the drums when he was 5 years old. He took piano, guitar, clarinet, flute, and cello lessons as a child, so, naturally, he ended up following in his dad’s footsteps and became a drummer. His solos landed him in the Guitar Center Drum-Off store finals when he was 13 years old and he competed in the competition for years and eventually became a judge.

Chris' musical tastes range from hip-hop and live electronic music to jazz and heavy metal (and of course rock n' roll!). Chris has been an avid concertgoer for his entire life. He played in the jazz and jazz improv bands throughout high school before moving to New Orleans to begin his college career in 2005. After spending a few years in Louisiana, he returned to Cleveland and started a band, Broccoli Samurai, in 2010. The project grew from a local improv trio to a nationally touring entity, playing in over 30 states for several years, and continues to play reunion shows sporadically at both festivals and venues today.

Chris has been privileged to play on stage and in the studio with artists such as DJ Logic and the Sugarhill Gang, while his band grew from a basement jam band to playing at legendary venues around the country and at major festivals like Euphoria Festival in Austin, TX and Electric Forest in Michigan. Chris also played with other bands: The Lorax Tree, Jones for Revival, EP3, Octopus Prime, and his DJ/Drum project Chris/Tucker.

Chris has been an intern and volunteer at the Bop Stop Music Settlement and is honored to have had the opportunity to play music for so many people over the years. Chris enjoyed teaching students in the fourth grade in East Cleveland through a program called We the People at John Carroll University, where he eventually graduated in 2019 with a degree in Integrated Marketing Communication. Now he is excited to begin his journey as a drum instructor at School of Rock and he teaches at the Highland Heights, Strongsville, and Westlake locations.
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher Noah Knoblock
Noah Knoblock
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Noah Knoblock began playing guitar at 10 years old. After banging out his first classic rock riffs he fell in love. Noah is a former School of Rock student and participated in all show seasons and became a member of the School of Rock Headliners at 16. After graduating from Strongsville High School, he went on to pursue a degree in Recording Arts from Cuyahoga Community College. Noah continues to pursue his passion for recording, production, and live performance playing in groups such as Salty Roads Band as well as recording whenever he is able. Noah primarily plays guitar although also dabbles in drums, keys, bass, and vocals.
Vocal Teacher Camara Rhodes
Camara Rhodes
Vocal Teacher
Camara is a singer, songwriter, guitarist, and vocal instructor from Pittsburgh, PA. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Studies from Kent State University and is in pursuit of his Estill Figure Proficiency certificate.

Camara specializes in stylizing voices to create signature pop and rock sounds. Using Estill Voice Training, he teaches the anatomy and physiology of the voice and concentrates on the 12 isolated muscles that are responsible for making specific sounds when speaking and singing. He believes that craft and artistry are both essential and should be in unison.

His favorite performance roles in theater include Rent (Angel), Hairspray (Seaweed), and Little Shop of Horrors. Camara released his debut single "Better Now" in Spring 2021.
Vocal Teacher Sophia Price
Sophia Price
Vocal Teacher
Sophia Price is originally from Hudson, Ohio, and started her music and songwriting journey at the age of 12 teaching herself how to play guitar, piano, and bass, as well as being classically trained on the flute. She began performing at local coffee shops and community music festivals when she was just 14 and later attended Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan where she received intensive singing and songwriting training. This led her to study at Loyola University of New Orleans where she majored in Commercial and Popular Music with a concentration in singer/songwriting as well as music production, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Music.

In New Orleans, Sophia was fortunate enough to have performed at legendary venues such as Tipitina’s, The Howlin’ Wolf, and Zony Mash Beer Company, and she also started teaching at School of Rock Metairie. After graduation, Sophia moved back home where she is beyond excited to be working as a vocal instructor again and teach even more students between the Highland Heights, Strongsville, and Cleveland West schools.
Bass Guitar Teacher Preston Murphy
Preston Murphy
Bass Guitar Teacher
Preston has been musically inclined since the age of 8. Starting on violin and acoustic guitar for a few years, he would later switch to bass and electric guitar after discovering School of Rock. Preston was a student for six years and was a part of his school's House Band and successfully auditioned to be a School of Rock AllStar. During his time as a School of Rock student, he also picked up vocals, drums, and a bit of keyboard.

After Preston graduated from high school he attended the British and Irish Modern Music Institute (BIMM London - University of Sussex) where he received his bachelor's degree in Popular Music Performance (BMUS - Bass). While in London, Preston performed with multiple artists from a wide range of countries. He is very excited to bring his skills to School of Rock Cleveland West to teach and inspire a new generation of musicians.
Vocal Teacher Nate Tabanji
Nate Tabanji
Vocal Teacher
Ever since he can remember, Nathan loved to sing. As he got older, he quickly realized that his passion for music would grow beyond just a hobby. At the age of 11, he started taking keyboard lessons at School of Rock and was instantly obsessed with the environment. Directly after his first show (Michael Jackson vs. Prince), he enrolled in vocal lessons and dove into the journey of learning vocals.

Over the next decade, Nathan continued to perfect his craft by performing in multiple audition choirs, a capella groups, 10+ School of Rock shows, and even recorded with multiple studio artists. During college he began producing and sound engineering as a hobby which quickly turned into a new passion that he then studied professionally, adding Studio Recording and Songwriting to his toolkit. Nathan has never been more excited to share his passion and skills, inspiring the next generation of rock stars.
Drum Teacher Auden Stevenson
Auden Stevenson
Drum Teacher
Auden was born into a family of artists of all different mediums who taught him how to appreciate all different kinds of human expression through art. At 4 years old, Auden was banging on pots and pans, dancing to Michael Jackson, and singing along to School House Rock all the time. By chance, his parents won a set of trial lessons at School of Rock, and following those sessions, it was clear to 10-year-old Auden that he was meant to be a musician and drums were his medium of expression.

By age 15, the various neighborhood cover bands would call Auden to sub on gigs and at parties. He got very involved in all the different music programs his high school offered including symphonic band, marching band, jazz band, pit orchestra, and a capella choir. He was also playing in his own original band Filler which was a 2018 Tri C Rock Off finalist.

Auden attended Ohio State University to further his knowledge in the realm of jazz and adjacent styles. Following college, he started a new project named Huntmere with current staff members and School of Rock alumni which focuses on mixing indie folk and R&B fusion. In addition to music, Auden is a massive fan of Spongebob Squarepants and spends a lot of time playing Minecraft.
Drum Teacher Aaron Smith
Aaron Smith
Drum Teacher
Born with an extraordinary gift for music, Aaron Smith (he/they) emerged as a true musical prodigy at the tender age of 2. With an innate talent that couldn't be ignored, it was clear that music was not just a hobby but a calling. At the age of 10, Aaron took their first step into the world of professional music, setting the stage for an incredible journey ahead.

With a focus on drumming, Aaron honed his skills over the years to reach a professional level that was nothing short of remarkable. This dedication led them to the renowned Berklee College of Music in 2012, where he immersed himself in the world of musical theory and performance. Two years later, in 2014, Aaron continued his musical education at Indiana University, adding depth and diversity to their musical repertoire.

Throughout his career, Aaron has had the privilege of collaborating with an impressive array of artists, leaving his rhythmic mark on the music industry. Notable names in their portfolio include The Williams Singers, Pop Ukrainian Superstar Tina Karol, and the incredibly talented Doobie Powell, among many others.

One of Aaron's significant milestones is the creation of their album "765," a project that showcased their versatility and creativity. Now, they're embarking on an exciting new venture with his upcoming project, "1991," promising a fresh musical journey that's bound to captivate audiences.

Aaron is also the driving force behind the dynamic jazz/fusion band, Aaron Smith & RDAA, where their drumming prowess and musical leadership take center stage, creating an unforgettable fusion of sounds that resonate with audiences of all backgrounds.

With an extraordinary musical journey spanning from childhood prodigy to a seasoned professional and collaborator with some of the industry's finest, Aaron Smith continues to push boundaries, redefine genres, and leave an indelible mark on the world of music.
School of Rock is where music and learning come together

For over twenty years, our amazing instructors have transformed hundreds of thousands of students across the world into skilled musicians. Become a musician at School of Rock.

Reviews

School of Rock is amazing!

Best thing I’ve ever signed my son up for! He loves it and has grown so much. It's a huge confidence booster.

The kids love playing music together!

They come from all different backgrounds and have different interests and personalities. Playing together gives them the opportunity to learn how to work together and to get along!

Positive and supportive staff

The programs are tailored to each student's skill level in a positive and supportive way. The staff is very devoted to imparting their knowledge and passion for music. It's a warm environment!

There's unlimited potential here!

The teachers, students, friendships and the exposure to so many genres of music combine to create unlimited potential for our children in these program. I really can't say enough about School of Rock.

My son always gushes about how kind everyone is

The kids have a safe space to learn their instruments and make friends. My son always gushes about how kind everyone is there, from the staff to the students.

The instructors and staff are very engaging

The instructors and staff are very engaging and give you a sense that they really want to help you become a better musician.

The staff is genuine and they really care about the students

The staff is genuine and they really care about the students. My son was struggling with some anxiety and was met with so much kindness and compassion. Excellent music program all around and the seasonal shows are very entertaining.

My only regret is not signing up my son earlier

School of Rock has been amazing for my son. He not only learned to play guitar but his confidence grew with each and every lesson and show. My only regret is not signing him up earlier.

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