Steve McFarland
Owner
Steve began his musical journey at age 16 playing along to bands like Kiss, Aerosmith, Van Halen, and Rush. Okay, it was air guitar, but he was a rocking pretender from an early age!
Steve wished School of Rock had been around when he was young. After seeing his children take endless lessons without motivation, the idea of getting kids on stage with School of Rock just made sense. Steve has a sports background and coached youth sports for many years, so the concept of School of Rock was natural to him: individual lessons (practice), group rehearsals (team practice), and the rock show (the game).
“I’ve always wondered why some people ‘make’ their kids take an instrument just because they think it’s a good idea to learn an instrument. You don’t hear of anyone making their kids take a sport and never playing on a team or in a game. Why make them take endless lessons with no chance to perform?”
As the owner, Steve challenges his team to enrich kids’ lives through music lessons, performances, camps or just hanging out with some new friends. Along with the School of Rock in Mount Pleasant, SC, Steve also owns three School of Rock locations in Indiana and one in Wisconsin.
Mandy McFarland
General Manager, Owner
Mandy is the General Manager and Owner of School of Rock Mount Pleasant. Although not a musician herself, Mandy is an avid music lover through and through. Growing up on Led Zeppelin, Motley Crue and Nirvana, she is a true Rock N’ Roll baby. Mandy went to school for Child Development and Human Growth Psychology. She is passionate about working with youth and children of all ages. What better way to make an impact on someone's life than with music! Mandy has been involved with School of Rock as a career since 2019 but has been a part of the School of Rock family in Indiana since 2014. Mandy and her husband, Matt moved to South Carolina from Indiana in the summer of 2022. The most important part of School of Rock is the community that is cultivated, something Mandy takes pride in being a part of. Her favorite memory from her time at School of Rock Fishers was taking a group of House Band students from the Fishers and Carmel school to perform at the Rock in Rio Music Festival in Lisbon Portugal.
Matt McFarland
Manager of Franchise Operations, Owner
Matt is our manager of franchise operations and a co-owner of the school. He was one of the first drum students at his local School of Rock in Carmel, IN back in 2012. Although Matt did not continue his drumming bug, School of Rock is still a big part of his life.
Matt pursued video production in college and worked in that field after graduating but quickly realized it was not his true passion. He found his way back to School of Rock, starting as a studio coordinator in Carmel, then rising to the General Manager position at the Fishers, IN location. Shortly after visiting Charleston for the first time in 2021, Matt and his wife Mandy decided they wanted to open a school in the Charleston area. Since moving to the area in the Spring of 2022, they have since made South Carolina their home.
Steve Laine
Music Director
Steve has been playing bass guitar for over twenty five years, has twenty years worth of experience playing in bands, and fifteen years of teaching experience. With his musical interest sparked by The Beatles, Steve began to play the bass guitar. As the years went by his influences grew from classic rock gods such as Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Black Sabbath to more improvisational rock groups such as The Allman Brothers Band, Grateful Dead, and Phish. Along with his love for rock n’ roll Steve enjoys blues, bluegrass, reggae and jazz.
Steve has logged over 600 gigs in 16 states traveling from Burlington, Vermont to Austin, Texas and everywhere in between. “I feel my approach to the bass guitar is very similar to that of John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin and Jeff Ament of Pearl Jam. A focus on solid rhythm with melodic ideas interspersed.
Daniel Garneau
Guitar Teacher
Daniel recently moved to Charleston to be closer to family in anticipation of having twins, which were born in August! Previously, Daniel worked at School of Rock in Johns Creek, GA as House Band Director for several years. Alongside his tenure at School of Rock he was music director at McGinnis Woods Country Day, a private school in which he taught students Pre-K to 8th grade. His curriculum included running the school band and chorus classes, a guitar class and general music classes which would focus on learning about music from around the world and introducing a variety of instruments including piano, trumpet, trombone, recorder and several percussion instruments. Daniel received his formal music education from Armstrong State University in Savannah, GA where he majored in Music Composition with an emphasis on French Horn. With his degree he has focused on writing a series of operas, one of which had a small debut in June 2022.
Grayson Lentz
Guitar Teacher
Grayson Lentz is a Charleston-based multi-instrumentalist with over a decade of performance experience and a passion for live music and live sound production. Self-taught at the age of 14, he has played both guitar and bass in a variety of bands. Grayson has toured across the country twice now and currently plays with three different groups and can be found gigging 4-5 nights every week.
Annie Lesser
Vocal Teacher
Originally from metro Atlanta, Annie grew up with a love for music and found herself performing for friends and family from a very young age. Taking her vocal education to a new level, Annie graduated from Shenandoah Conservatory in Virginia (more colloquially known as the “pop-rock school”) with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre.
In addition to her professional collegiate training, Annie has been taking voice lessons and learning technique her whole life. She has a love for all music and styles, especially rock, folk, bluegrass, indie-pop, and musical theater. Annie has performed in productions ranging from HAIR and REEFER MADNESS to 1776, and others.
Matthew Walker
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Matthew Walker is a local musician with over a decade of performing experience as a guitarist and singer, as well as a performer in musical theatre in the Charleston area. His passion for music is rooted in a love for artists such as The Who, Bob Dylan, and The Beatles, as well as a background in jazz and classical.
Steve Morrison
Drum Teacher
Steve "Steevo" Morrison is a world-renowned drum technician, drummer, and educator dedicated to nurturing the rhythmic talents of young and old minds alike. He grew up in New England and honed his craft at Western Connecticut State University, majoring in Jazz Performance, with a minor in classical percussion.
With a rich touring background spanning over two decades, Steevo has left his mark on the global stage, supporting drummers such as Tommy Lee (Mötley Crüe), Stephen Perkins (Jane’s Addiction), Kenny Aronoff (John Fogerty), Erik Kretz (Stone Temple Pilots), Joey Jordison (Rob Zombie), and Nate Morton (NBC’s The Voice). As a drummer, Steevo has played drums for Nardcore legends Dr. Know, indie trio Grace & Manners, and the active rock act Stranger Things. He currently has a band called The Crew, comprised of all of Mötley Crüe staff members. In June 2023, the band opened for Mötley Crüe at The Underworld London for a secret show. He is an endorsing artist for Vater Drumsticks, Kwik Key, TnR Products, SkyGel Dampening Pads, Cympads, and Groove Juice cymbal cleaner.
Driven by a desire to inspire and educate the next generation of drummers, Steevo has decided to concentrate his efforts locally at School of Rock in Mount Pleasant, SC. His focus has shifted towards instilling a love of drumming in students of all ages, combining his technical prowess with a genuine passion for teaching. Steevo brings a unique blend of unparalleled professional experience and a deep commitment to helping young drum enthusiasts discover their rhythm. His teaching philosophy centers around not just creating drummers, but nurturing a lifelong appreciation for music and the students themselves.
Jailan Williams
Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Jailan Williams serves as a keyboard instructor at School Rock Mount Pleasant. He is from Florence, SC, and has been a musician since the age of 12. While he is an excellent keyboard instructor, he’s also a proficient vocalist, bassist, and trombonist.
Jailan is also a recording artist, music producer, and leader of his group JP Band in the Charleston area. Jailan credits much of his development as a musician to his alma mater, the College of Charleston, where he received a bachelor's degree in Arts Management and minored in Music.