Main Line
School of Rock

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Main Line

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Map
School of Rock Main Line
511 Old Lancaster Road
Berwyn, PA 19312
(610) 647-2900

Location Specifics

Behind Casey's Pour House.

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Hours
  • Monday: 3:30 PM - 8 PM
  • Tuesday: 3:30 PM - 8 PM
  • Wednesday: 3:30 PM - 8 PM
  • Thursday: 3:30 PM - 8 PM
  • Friday: 4 PM - 6 PM
  • Saturday: 12 PM - 6 PM
  • Sunday: 12 PM - 8 PM

Music programs at School of Rock Main Line combine one-on-one lessons with group band practices

School of Rock in Berwyn, Pennsylvania is proud to serve the Main Line community—as well as surrounding areas like Devon, Wayne, Paoli, King of Prussia, and Newtown Square—with a revolutionary music education approach. Our quality music lessons are taught by real, practicing musicians and students can learn to rock out on guitar, keyboards, drums, and vocals, across many genres. Students can develop their skills in a supportive and encouraging environment, and gain confidence like true rock stars by jamming together in a band with friends. Our students perform at community-based festivals like the Wayne Music Festival, the Devon Horse Show, and the Haverford Music Festival. They also regularly play at local venues like 118 North, Ardmore Music Hall, and Bridgeport Rib House. Come join the band and visit School of Rock Main Line today!

Programs we offer

Rock 101 music program in Berwyn for kids and beginners
Rock 101
Ages 8-13

Rock 101 is one of School of Rock Main Line'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 Main Line 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 Berwyn are designed to get students on stage performing, with the goal of building strong musical proficiency. Younger students at School of Rock Main Line who have participated in the Rookies program can move to our Rock 101 music program once they’re ready. Additionally, students (typically ages 8 to 13-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 Berwyn
Performance
Ages 8-18

The Performance Program at School of Rock Main Line 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 Main Line Performance Program students take the stage and play at local Berwyn 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 Main Line'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 Berwyn music venue.

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 Main Line, 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 Berwyn is designed to create musical proficiency through the creation of original music. Students at School of Rock Main Line 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.

Remote student playing guitar
Online
All Ages

At School of Rock Main Line, our students can take online, one-on-one music instruction from the comfort of their homes. We call this program School of Rock Remote. This online music program contains weekly one-on-one instruction conducted by our expert School of Rock instructors in a safe virtual lesson room.
 
Students will receive their training using our proprietary education program, The School of Rock Method™, which couples live video lessons with our proprietary Method App™, SongFirst Approach™ and Method Books™. 

What To Expect
  • ONE WEEKLY 1-ON-1 LESSON
  • LESSONS CONDUCTED USING SECURE VIDEO TECHNOLOGY

THE PATH TO TAKE THE STAGE

All of our music programs for kids, teens, and adults are designed to help students gain amazing musical proficiency. School of Rock’s online music lesson program is no exception. Online guitar lessons, online piano lessons, online drum lessons, online singing lessons and online bass guitar lessons are all offered through the School of Rock Remote online program.

Adult music program in Berwyn for students over 18
Adult Program
Ages 18+

School of Rock Main Line's Adult Program is for students over 18 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 Main Line 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 Berwyn.

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 Main Line 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 Berwyn.

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

The School of Rock Main Line 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 Main Line's House Band. Once selected, House Band members become leaders in their School of Rock community and perform live shows at PA 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 Berwyn and the rest of PA. 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 Main Line

Kid learns to play guitar at School of Rock Berwyn

Guitar Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Guitar Lessons for Kids

At School of Rock Main Line, 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 Main Line is an experienced musician, and they emphasize foundational music theory and technique when teaching guitar lessons to kids. Unlike other Berwyn 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 Main Line'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 Main Line, we teach beginner guitar lessons for adults in our Adult Program. This program gets students performing onstage at a local Berwyn 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 Main Line 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 Berwyn guitar teachers will work with each student to develop a custom learning plan.

Kids learn to drum at School of Rock Berwyn

Drum Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Drum Lessons for Kids

School of Rock Main Line 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 Main Line we combine private drum lessons for beginners with weekly band rehearsals—it prepares students to perform live. With years of experience teaching drums in Berwyn, 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 Main Line, 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 Berwyn. Unlike other Berwyn 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 Main Line, our drum lessons are customized for each student and his or her goals. Our Berwyn 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 Berwyn

Singing Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Singing Lessons for Kids

School of Rock Main Line 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 Main Line, 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 Main Line 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 Main Line, 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 Berwyn.

Kid learns to play bass at School of Rock Berwyn

Bass Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Bass Lessons for Kids

School of Rock Main Line 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 Berwyn 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 Main Line, 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 Berwyn 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 Main Line, 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 Berwyn

Keyboard Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Keyboard Lessons for Kids

At School of Rock we teach differently than other music schools in Berwyn. 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 Main Line, 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 Berwyn 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 Main Line Adult Program puts beginner keyboard students in a band. Adult Program students in the Berwyn 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 Berwyn 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 Main Line, 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 Berwyn, 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 Main Line’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.

Music Director, Guitar Teacher
Rik Alison
Music Director, Guitar Teacher
Rik has over 20 years of professional performing experience and taught 65+ students a week for over 15 years. From traveling the Midwest in a road cover band, to playing his own music in some of the top venues on the eastern seaboard, including The Middle East in Boston, CBGB's and The Continental in NYC, Rik has played thousands of gigs and brings this real world experience to the classroom. As an alumnus of the Berklee College of Music in Boston where he majored in Performance and Music Education, Rik has devised a program to solidify student's understanding of harmony, arranging and ear training as it pertains to their instruments and the music they love. In addition to all the road work and studying, Rik has also logged hundreds of hours of studio time in everything from 8-track demo studios to fully automated 48-track facilities and uses this experience to help prepare students for the different situations that can arise in live performances and studio sessions. Rik believes in continuing education and is always trying new things and looking for time to study new concepts.
Singing Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher Claudia Terry
Claudia Terry
Vocal Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Claudia began playing music at the age of 11 at the School of Rock in Easton, PA. She joined the school’s house band for vocals when she was 12 years old and was a student there until she was 18. After graduating from the Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts as a vocal major in 2018, she began teaching lessons and directing shows at School of Rock Easton. Since joining the team at School of Rock Main Line, Claudia has been named Director of Rock 101 as well as Assistant Music Director. She has a strong passion for teaching and looks forward to connecting with new students each season.

In addition to her passion for rock music, Claudia is a classically trained vocalist and majored in both Music Education and Music Theory at West Chester University. She has been regularly performing for over a decade and currently plays in an acoustic duo and as a member of the Dan May Band.
Wally Smith
Piano Teacher
Wally Smith's experience covers over 40 years of live performance and recording session work in Philly, NYC, Europe and Japan. His studies included rock, classical and jazz piano and Hammond organ along with ARP Odyssey synth training. In the late 70s he recorded and toured with CBS recording artist Quincy, then managed by CBGB's owner Hilly Krystal. Wally then became the house keyboard player for JC Dobbs' legendary Last Minute Jam Band. Throughout the 80s and 90s they backed up artists like Ace Frehley, Scott Henderson, Gerald Veasley, Frank Gambale, Chris Squier, Bo Diddley and many others. He also became a regular session player for producer David Ivory at Philly's Sigma Sound Studios. Current studio work has been with Grammy-winning producers Phil Nicolo at Studio 4, and Mike Tarsia. Wally has recorded and/or performed with a variety of rock, blues, and jazz artists, such as Greg Davis, Johnny O, Essra Mohawk, Laura Mann, Vernon Reid, Ben Arnold, Philly 76ers House Band, Soul Survivors, Will Lee (Fab Faux), Jeannie Brooks, Kenn Kweder, Richard Bush, Tommy Conwell, Clarence Spady, Calvin Weston, Byard Lancaster and many others. Wally's long term jam band project, Crosstown Traffic, has done three tours throughout Japan. Other current activities include playing keyboards in power pop band Smash Palace, funk band Loose and Alright and Hooter's drummer David Uosikkinen's band In the Pocket. Wally also runs School of Rock Main Line's Adult Jam program and has been a piano teacher and directed student shows at School of Rock Main Line for over 10 years.
David Uosikkinen
Drum Teacher
Drummer David Uosikkinen is one of the founding members of Philadelphia’s own, The Hooters. In 2010, David formed his own band, David Uosikkinen’s In The Pocket, to bring awareness to music education and to pay homage to all of the great music that has come out of Philadelphia. In The Pocket brings together all-star Philly musicians to cover classic Philadelphia tunes.

David has played drums with The Hooters for almost 40 years. He has also recorded and performed with Alice Cooper, Rod Stewart, Cyndi Lauper, Taj Mahal and Patty Smyth, as well as with many other emerging artists. In addition, David has performed on extensive international tours, including Live Aid, Amnesty International and Roger Waters’ The Wall in Berlin. When David isn’t on stage, he returns to his first love of teaching and mentoring his students. He is a drum teacher at School of Rock Main Line.
Singing Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher Madison Yannatelli
Madison Yannatelli
Vocal Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Madison has been entertaining people since the age of 2 and could make friends with any person in the room. Her mom took notice of her outgoing personality and put her in theatre when she was 5 years old. Madison did theatre for a decade, and she flourished on stage as a performer. At 14, she found School of Rock Main Line in Berwyn, PA. Madison immediately picked up guitar and vocal lessons and she found where she belonged. In the School of Rock program, she did over twenty shows and was a part of House Band (Delta Squad) for two years.

With School of Rock Main Line's House Band, Madison had the amazing opportunity to go on tours all over the United States, including cities like Nashville, Memphis, Atlanta, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland where she played at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Since graduating School of Rock in 2018, Madison has attended school at the University of South Florida for Psychology and a music minor. She is so excited to be back in the School of Rock program as an instructor and Music Director where she can give kids the same experience of belonging that she had as a student.
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher Paul DeSanctis
Paul DeSanctis
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Paul DeSanctis is a former student of School of Rock Main Line. He has written and recorded two full-length albums and an EP for his band Malphas, for which he is the guitarist, vocalist, composer, and lyricist. He has toured extensively, including Canada and Europe.

Paul's domain is symphonic death metal, but he’s adept at teaching students proper technique and setting them on the path to being excellent guitarists. His teaching philosophy is predicated on hard work, patience, and persistence in helping his students realize their potential and musical goals.
Drum Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher Aubrey Blount
Aubrey Blount
Drum Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Aubrey Blount is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and performing artist living in Philadelphia. Aubrey started playing music at the age of 4 when his parents put him in a preschool music class. Aubrey participated in school band throughout elementary and middle school, playing everything from trumpet to standup bass, and in that time took private lessons on guitar and piano. In high school, Aubrey started playing in bands with friends and found a love for the drums, which has been his primary instrument ever since.

Aubrey moved from his hometown of Alexandria, VA to Philadelphia in 2021 to pursue music in the Philly scene. Aubrey spends most of his time away from School of Rock touring with his band Friend, and creating other art. Aubrey loves getting to see his students perform in shows and absolutely cherishes the opportunity that working at the School of Rock in Berwyn, PA has given him to spread his love for music to the next generation.
Vocal Teacher, Piano Teacher
Kira Lokay
Vocal Teacher, Piano Teacher
Kira started her School of Rock journey at 9 years old when she joined the School of Rock Easton, PA. During her time at School of Rock, she took voice and keyboard lessons and was a part of the school’s house band, (Bank Street Band) where she and other students had the amazing opportunity of touring across the east coast and executing hundreds of local gigs. Kira is currently studying both Vocal Performance and Music Business, Entrepreneurship, and Technology at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Alongside her love for rock music, she is also heavily influenced by jazz and soul music, including artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Lawrence, and Hiatus Kaiyote. She has always had a desire to work with School of Rock because of the school’s unique approach to music education and the emphasis on live performance. Along with lessons, she also is a co-director of the Rock 101 program and an assistant director in the seasonal show programs.
Terry Conrad
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Drum Teacher, Piano Teacher
Terry Conrad has worked at School of Rock Main Line since its opening in 2009. He is a guitar teacher, bass guitar teacher, drum teacher and piano teacher. He holds a Bachelor's and Master's degree from the University of the Arts in Jazz Performance and a Master's Degree in Music Theory and Composition from West Chester University.
Drum Teacher Max Glazier
Max Glazier
Drum Teacher
Max Glazier is a Philadelphia-based drummer with over a decade of experience. He is originally from Montgomery County and his musical origins include attending summer camps at the School of Rock location in Fort Washington.

Max is a graduate of the University of the Arts with a degree in Jazz Drum Set Performance. In addition to his jazz training, Max spent much of his time at UArts studying Afro-Caribbean percussion and playing in the salsa ensemble. He is very active in Philadelphia’s indie music community, having performed and recorded with a long list of local rock/pop/folk projects including Vague Positivity, Maax Power, Black Opal, and more.

More recently, Max has started performing free jazz and improvised avant-garde music, both as a soloist and in groups. He draws from an eclectic mix of influences and inspirations, with some of his drumming idols being Glenn Kotche, Brian Chippendale, Milford Graves, and Max Roach. Max is excited to be back at School of Rock as a teacher and hopes to guide his students into becoming lifelong musicians and music lovers.
Ellie Perez
Vocal Instructor, Piano Teacher
Ellie Perez is a School of Rock Main Line alumna with several years of experience teaching in contemporary styles. After earning a degree in Music Writing and Production from Berklee College of Music, she spent two years performing with touring acoustic folk group Kismet while simultaneously working in the music publishing industry at Universal Music Group. Currently, she is a vocal instructor and piano teacher at School of Rock Main Line and composes/produces music for television with the production music library Velvet Green Music.
Darren Ellis
Drum Teacher
Darren Ellis has been playing for over 25 years and teaching for more than a decade. He studied drums and percussion in college and his experience encompasses a wide variety of styles with many different artists and bands in Ohio, Tennessee, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. Some acts he has performed with include The Dave Landeo Band, Stonewater Groove, Jagstar, Jason Allen Phelps and Donald Brown. Darren also played with American Speedway. He spent two years studying at The Drummers Collective in New York City. Drums are his primary focus, however beginning in 1998 he worked as a systems tech/engineer for a pro concert sound company in the southeast. Darren worked on the sound crew for Bob Dylan, The Black Crowes, James Brown, Slayer, Herbie Hancock, Merle Haggard, Dark Star Orchestra, Keith Urban, Wilco, Brad Paisley, Cassandra Wilson and many more. Darren holds a BSC in Audio Production from Ohio University. He is a drum teacher at School of Rock Main Line.
Elliot Garland
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Piano Teacher
Elliot Garland is a multi-instrumentalist born and raised in Philadelphia. His music education began at Settlement Music School, where he studied classical piano for 12 years. Elliot participated in orchestra and jazz ensemble at Friends’ Central School and in the jazz ensemble at Drexel University. Since becoming a professional musician, Elliot has worked with a number of amazing artists such as John Medeski, Lauryn Hill, Jef Lee Johnson, Geoffrey Owens, Dice Raw and many more. In addition to being a guitar teacher, bass guitar teacher and piano teacher at School of Rock Main Line, Elliot plays over 200 events a year with a variety of musical projects.
Joe Baldacci
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Drum Teacher
Joe Baldacci is a multi-instrumentalist/producer based out of Philadelphia. After studying classical piano from second grade through high school, he picked up guitar, bass and drums simultaneously, remaining largely self-taught until he attended University of the Arts in Philadelphia. He graduated in 2008 with a BA in Jazz Performance with focus on drum set. Joe has performed and recorded with many diverse musical acts including Drgnking, Early Ape, Ben Kenney and Elevator Fight. He has also been hired as a side man for recording and performing for every genre from jazz to modern metal, and his production work has been used commercially by the likes of Vera Wang and the CW. He has produced/mixed several local recording projects.

Currently, you can find Joe playing locally and touring the east coast with his original band, Muscle Tough, as well as with Nik Greeley and the Operators. Joe is a strong believer in individuality, creativity and diversity in musicians, and he tries to transfer these qualities to his students. His goal is to teach students to play with passion and musicality, and with the technical facility to execute whatever they hear in the moment. He is a guitar teacher, bass guitar teacher and drum teacher at School of Rock Main Line.
Drum Teacher Bryan Connolly
Bryan Connolly
Drum Teacher
Bryan Connolly is a drummer and educator based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, and was exposed to a wide variety of music from a young age. He holds a bachelor's degree in Jazz Studies from Virginia Commonwealth University.

As an educator, Bryan caters his teaching to the needs and interests of each student. He has experience teaching children of all ages. You can expect to learn rudiments, rhythm reading, and most importantly, how to play as part of a band when studying with him.

Bryan enjoys performing a variety of musical styles including R&B, jazz, rock, and pop. He has shared the stage with Virginia music icons Michael Hawkins, Desirée Roots, Tennishu (Butcher Brown), and Jason Jenkins along with Grammy Award-winning musicians jazz pianist Lee Musiker and Afro-Latin percussionist John Santos. He is also a frequent collaborator with singer/actor Scott Wichmann aka Mister Showtime.

Photo Credit: Peter McElhinney
School of Rock is where music and learning come together

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Reviews

School of Rock promotes confidence!

Our grandson truly loves School of Rock and his talents have flourished under their direction. He has said many times how School of Rock has given him the confidence he never thought he had and that it has made such a difference in his life.

SO much more than the music!

Honestly, it's the best decision my husband and I EVER made for our sons. It's about SO much more than the music!

I love School of Rock.

My son was a student for six years and it was truly a wonderful experience. He has really become an awesome electric guitar player.

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