Ryan Wheatley
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
As a kid Ryan always loved listening to music. He picked up his first guitar at the age of 12 and quickly developed a passion for it, deciding then that music would be his career. At the age of 14 he was asked to join his first band and soon after he was playing shows all around Ottawa. After high school Ryan took Algonquin College's Music Industry Arts program where he learn all about how to produce and record bands. This gave him the skills needed to record Ginger Fox Band's two latest releases. Ryan has been a music teacher for over four years, teaching kids and adults of all ages guitar, bass and drums. He also works as a live sound engineer all around Ottawa. He has played gigs across Ontario in multiple bands, including The Ginger Fox Band and M'alice and Monsters, a tribute to Alice Cooper.
Alex Pharoah
Guitar Teacher
Born and raised in Guelph, Ontario, Alex began his musical career at the age of 12. He was gifted an electric guitar for his birthday and it was love at first sight. He got his start playing at church in the band on Sunday mornings which evolved to performing at various church events around the Guelph/Kitchener/Waterloo area. Alex moved to Ottawa in 2014 to attend Algonquin College's "Music Industry Arts" program where he graduated in 2016. Quickly after moving Alex got involved as the lead guitarist for the band "Hearts In Stereo". Over the next year they played shows all over Ottawa and even as far as North Bay. A year later they unfortunately broke up as multiple members moved away. While in school, Alex met and became friends with Tori Dawson (who now goes by the stage name "Vi"). Alex has become her guitarist, performing live together and on her album "Blackwater". They eventually played at Ottawa's Bluesfest in 2019, opening for a band named "The Backstreet Boys". In 2015, Alex and a couple of his musician friends got hired to be the band in CBC Radio One's "Christmas Human Jukebox". They practiced for months beforehand learning every christmas song they could. Listeners would call in to the show with a special story and a song that reminded them of christmas. Then the band had to play whatever song they requested. Since January 2020, Alex has been a music director at a church here in Ottawa.
Robin Kenny
Keyboard Teacher, Vocal Teacher
Robin Kenny is an Ottawa born singer-songwriter/keyboardist with a growing commitment for writing music and being involved in her local music scene. She has studied under various vocal coaches including Ottawa's Juno Award winning jazz talent, Kellylee Evans. She is currently in her last year of Carleton's BMUS performance program studying jazz vocals where she is thankful to have built connections with many talented musicians both on and off campus. In previous projects she has played at RBC Bluesfest, the Navan Fair, as well as winning the 2017 City of Ottawa Battle of the Bands with her former alt-rock group, O Neptune. Performing at various rock venues across the city has helped her develop her sound and ability to engage with an audience as well as continue her love of performing.
Gabriella-Rose Nasrallah
Little Wing Teacher, Rookies Teacher
Gabriella was 12 years old when she took her first vocal lesson at School of Rock and was instantly hooked. Wanting to get more involved in music, she joined our Teen Performance group and picked up guitar lessons shortly after. Some of her best memories were made on stage, rocking out with the band at Hope Beach Volleyball, or singing her heart out to Paradise City by Guns N Roses at the Capital Fair. Since leaving the school, Gabriella continues to practice music at home and perform at open mics.
Now as a university student at UOttawa, Gabriella is studying Psychology and Music in hopes of becoming a music therapist.
Nathan Reid
Drum Teacher
Jonathan "Nathan" Reid is an Ottawa based drummer and multi-instrumentalist with a lifelong interest in performance and writing. Growing up in a predominantly musical household, Nathan was surrounded by a family of aspirating musicians, all trying to perfect their own specific instrument. His parents bought him a drum kit after he spent many childhood years drumming on pots and pans with wooden spoons. Learning drums mainly from participating in public competitive rhythm game tournaments, to filling in for many smaller bands on tour. Nathan wants to pass on what he's found to make drumming as a craft such a fulfilling and fun experience. Playing his first gig at 12, Nathan frantically joined local Rock bands, trying to pack in as much live performance as possible. After the high school years of hopping from band to band, Nathan co-founded their current project, known as "Amnita". Learning to use recording equipment from scratch and self-producing their own material, Amnita has recorded three EPs alongside a collection of singles, carving out their own psychedelic, Indie Pop sound. Between 2018 and today, Nathan has taken a passion in joining other bands as a hired drummer and bassist on their tours. Bands such as Castlefield, Romancer, Pine, Fanclubwallet and Plastic Farm have had Nathan behind the drums for shows ranging from Ontario and Quebec, to the southern American states.
Ryan Eagleton
Guitar Teacher
Ryan is a local Canadian music industry professional with a passion for entertainment, performance and learning. He picked up the guitar, teaching himself at age 12 how to play and continued pursuing his interest by participating in school band events and attending tons of concerts. After some years of working after school, Ryan went to Algonquin college where he received his diploma for graduating from the music industry arts program with honors in August of 2021. He currently resides in Orleans, Ontario where he spends much of his free time playing and learning music, creating content and gaming. The collaborative nature of music is something special and he is always eager to meet new people that share that passion.
Chloé Martin
Drums Teacher
Chloé Martin discovered her passion for drumming at the age of 12. After taking some lessons at School of Rock, she participated in the performance programme where she got to play with other musicians who were just as excited about music as she was. Later on she joined bands outside of the school and started playing gigs in bars all over Ottawa. She then picked up vocals, guitar and cello to further her abilities in songwriting.
In 2022 , she is now a student at Carleton University. She is part of the BMUS performance program studying jazz drums in hopes to be a session musician.
Hannah Judge
Studio Coordinator
Hannah Judge is a multi-disciplinary artist from Ottawa Ontario. Working in many different fields over the years such as illustration/animation and film/photography, Hannah has found that music and the way it can bring people together is what she enjoys the most. Currently, she fronts indie rock band “fanclubwallet” and also plays bass in a slew of local Ottawa projects, while occasionally dabbling in music production.
Mike Datson
Drum Teacher
Mike has been playing drums since 1996. With a focus on kit drumming, Mike teaches the basic theoretical concepts through a curriculum that is equally fun and engaging. He has played with various acts since the late 1990s, performing mostly original music. Some of his influences include Dave Grohl, John Bonham, and Keith Moon.
Michael Watson
Drum Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Vocal Teacher
Michael Watson is a producer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter based in Ottawa, Canada. From the time they got their first drum kit at age 5, they have had an incredibly strong fascination with the world of songwriting, recording, and performing music. They currently run and own a local music production business called Plastic Moon Sound, working with Canadian indie acts such as fanclubwallet, chemical club, and frown line. Michael is also an active touring musician and stage manager/producer, playing drums and guitar in acts such as fanclubwallet, Neurotypes, and Boyhood.
Mia Fridgen
Vocal Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Mia started singing when she was only 3 years old and started songwriting as soon as she was able to hold a pen. She was MVP of her vocal jazz choir in high school and went on to study Musical Theater in Windsor at St. Clair College where she originated the alternative-rock band Black-Eyed Susan.
Since then Mia has worked on many different projects of varying styles such as local Ottawa projects Mia The Clown and Gio where she writes, performs, and records original music. As a multi-instrumentalist, Mia teaches vocals, keys, guitar, and bass.