Southlake/Keller
School of Rock

Explore School of Rock

Southlake/
Keller

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School of Rock Southlake/Keller
3220 W Southlake Blvd
Southlake, TX 76092
(682) 593-0990

Location Specifics

At the corner of 1709 and Pearson Lane.

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Hours
  • Monday: 2 PM - 9 PM
  • Tuesday: 2 PM - 9 PM
  • Wednesday: 2 PM - 9 PM
  • Thursday: 2 PM - 9 PM
  • Friday: 2 PM - 9 PM
  • Saturday: 10 AM - 3:30 PM
  • Sunday: Closed

Music programs at School of Rock Southlake/Keller combine one-on-one lessons with group band practices

School of Rock in Southlake, TX is proud to serve the Southlake and Keller communities—as well as surrounding areas like Colleyville, North Richland Hills, Roanoke, and North Fort Worth—with a revolutionary music education approach. The local area is no stranger to musical talent like Post Malone and is a great place for budding artists. With lessons from our expert instructors, students can learn to rock out on guitar, bass, keyboards, drums, and vocals across every genre including rock, pop, blues, soul, funk, and R&B. By jamming in a band together with friends while learning to read and play music by ear, students gain the confidence to truly be a rock star. Our students perform at community-based festivals like Southlake's Oktoberfest and Colleyville's Trunk-or-Treat, and regularly play at local establishments like Bedford Ice House, Third Rail, The Dive, and more! Take the first step towards stardom and join School of Rock in Southlake, TX today!

Programs we offer

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

Rock 101 is one of School of Rock Southlake/Keller'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 Southlake/Keller 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 Southlake are designed to get students on stage performing, with the goal of building strong musical proficiency. Younger students at School of Rock Southlake/Keller 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 Southlake
Performance
Ages 8-18

The Performance Program at School of Rock Southlake/Keller 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 Southlake/Keller Performance Program students take the stage and play at local Southlake 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 Southlake/Keller'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 Southlake music venue.

Rookies music program for children in Southlake
Rookies
Ages 6-7

At School of Rock Southlake/Keller, our music program for children with no previous musical experience (typically ages 6 to 7-years-old) 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 Southlake/Keller, 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.

Little Wing music program for toddlers and preschoolers in Southlake
Little Wing
Ages 4-5

At School of Rock Southlake/Keller our Little Wing music program for preschoolers and toddlers teaches students foundational music skills by playing games and participating in other interactive musical activities. Little Wing students have one weekly group music lesson in which they use classic rock songs to learn about rhythm, song structure, melody and dynamics through play.

What To Expect
  • 1 WEEKLY GROUP LESSON
  • USE HAND PERCUSSION & OTHER TOOLS TO LEARN RHYTHM PATTERNS & MUSIC SYNTAX

The Path to Take the Stage

The Little Wing music program is the first step in a young musician's journey. At School of Rock Southlake/Keller, toddlers and preschoolers who show an interest in music should start with Little Wing. As they get older, they will progress into the Rookies program, followed by Rock 101 and the Performance 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 Southlake/Keller, 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 Southlake is designed to create musical proficiency through the creation of original music. Students at School of Rock Southlake/Keller 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 Southlake/Keller, 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 Southlake for students over 18
Adult Program
Ages 18+

School of Rock Southlake/Keller'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 Southlake/Keller 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 Southlake.

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 Southlake/Keller 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 Southlake.

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

The School of Rock Southlake/Keller 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 Southlake/Keller's House Band. Once selected, House Band members become leaders in their School of Rock community and perform live shows at TX 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 Southlake and the rest of TX. 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 Southlake/Keller

Kid learns to play guitar at School of Rock Southlake

Guitar Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Guitar Lessons for Kids

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

Kids learn to drum at School of Rock Southlake

Drum Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Drum Lessons for Kids

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

Singing Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Singing Lessons for Kids

School of Rock Southlake/Keller 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 Southlake/Keller, 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 Southlake/Keller 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 Southlake/Keller, 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 Southlake.

Kid learns to play bass at School of Rock Southlake

Bass Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Bass Lessons for Kids

School of Rock Southlake/Keller 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 Southlake 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 Southlake/Keller, 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 Southlake 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 Southlake/Keller, 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 Southlake

Keyboard Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Keyboard Lessons for Kids

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

Bri Wischerman
General Manager
Bri was born and raised in southern California and developed a love for music early on. She started playing the violin in 4th grade and continued on with the flute, dabbled in the bass and drums in high school, and later moved on to the piano. She was also in show choir and various musical theater productions throughout middle and high school. Being from So-Cal she inevitably developed a love for ska-punk, classic rock, and metal, and her favorite band is The Interrupters. Bri is now learning the bass guitar in the School of Rock Adult Program, and having a blast.

A mother of 2 settled in North Richland Hills, she enjoys horror movies, concerts, eating out, hockey, and spending time with her family. Bri couldn’t be more excited to be with School of Rock, and loves helping kids explore the arts and find themselves.
Studio Coordinator Nick Bagrow
Nick Bagrow
Studio Coordinator
Nick was born in Montana and moved to Keller when he was 9 years old. Growing up, he loved listening to punk and pop punk music, especially Blink-182 and the Misfits. He started writing and making his own music as a teenager and started pursuing it after high school and goes by the stage name NXCK.

Nick came to School of Rock Southlake as a student, learning guitar and vocals and performing in our Adult Program. He says it’s the best decision of his life! Nick is so excited to be a part of School of Rock helping new musicians young and old find their passion! In his free time, he works on his music and loves exploring fashion.
Music Director, Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher James Malone
James Malone
Music Director, Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Co-founder, singer, guitarist, and lead songwriter for Arsis, James has been involved in the technical melodic death metal scene for more than a decade. A lifelong musician, James grew up in Virginia and began his musical education at the Berklee School of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. In 2000, he co-founded Arsis and the band has released five studio albums and three EPs. In addition to his work with Arsis, he composed "A Diamond for Disease" for the Ballet Deviare, a contemporary ballet company in New York City, which was performed off-Broadway in 2005 to a sold-out crowd. "A Diamond for Disease" featured a 13-minute title track that took four months to write and was hailed as “a multi-movement death metal masterwork” by "Decibel Magazine." Last year, James started a side project, Necromancing the Stone.
Ariel Ditta
Assist. Music Director, Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Piano Teacher, Vocal Instructor
Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Ariel Ditta first discovered her passion for music at the tender age of two when she threw a big fit in front of a music store because it was closed. She began taking piano lessons at four years old, voice lessons at seven, and eventually started teaching herself guitar and bass at 13 years old. Fresh out of high school, she moved to Denton to study voice performance at the University of North Texas, where she earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Jazz Studies in 2018. When she’s not busy instilling a life-long love of music in her students, she enjoys writing tunes, drawing mutant creatures that hopefully don’t exist, spending money she doesn’t have on effects pedals and making ambient, art grunge noises in her various projects around the DFW area. She is a guitar teacher, bass guitar teacher, piano teacher and vocal instructor at School of Rock Southlake/Keller.
Beth Carter
Piano Teacher, Vocal Teacher
Beth was born in Springtown, Texas and was around music her whole life, growing up in a musical family. She always sung in church, choir and within her family. When she was eight she moved to Fort Worth and continued to sing in choirs and started to get into theatre. When she was 11 she started participating in musicals every summer. Then at age 14, she started attending School of Rock Fort Worth and making friends within the Fort Worth music scene. Throughout learning at School of Rock, she has picked up the piano, as well as ukulele, harmonica and bass guitar. In her last year as a student at School of Rock at age 18, she went on a summer tour and gained musical experience, as well as created everlasting bonds with the people she worked with. Currently she is studying music education at TCC and participates in their ensemble group. She still attends School of Rock as a part of the Fort Worth Adult Band, striving to broaden her horizons and become a better musician.
John McCoy
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
John McCoy is from a small town in North Texas. His exposure to music started when his mother, a Beatles maniac and also a fan of 80s new wave and pop music, supported his learning of music in school. Growing up, his older brother, who had been a gigging bass player in DFW, exposed him to metal, punk, alternative rock and jazz fusion bands at an early age.

John was in the children's church choir all through grade school and also was in musical theater in high school. He always had an interest in musical instruments and finally got a guitar at 14. When John was in high school he learned that his longtime neighbor was a monster behind a drum kit and soon started his first band with him. He still plays in a band with him to this day. John took classical guitar instruction while in college, as well as private lessons from virtuoso guitarists of notable progressive rock and metal bands.

John is the lead guitarist and key songwriter for Surrounded By Monsters, a metal band based in Denton, TX. They have released one EP independently, and after signing a record deal with Nuclear Blast Records they released a full-length studio album called "Novella." They have toured all over the US and in parts of Canada.
After being with School of Rock Southlake/Keller, John has realized that he loves to teach guitar but also still enjoys learning it. He is a guitar teacher and bass guitar teacher.
Billie Wigington
Drum Teacher
Billie Wigington is a professionally trained musician and specializes in drums and guitar. Billie is a graduate of Musician’s Institute in Hollywood, California. He has an appreciation of all genres of music, but rock n' roll is his specialty. Growing up, Billie has primarily been a drummer at heart with over 15+ years of experience playing, as well as multiple years playing in bands and performing on stage. He is very passionate about sharing his knowledge of music with upcoming musicians. He is a drum teacher at School of Rock Southlake/Keller.
Singing Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher Jana Branham
Jana Branham
Vocal Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Growing up, Jana always had a passion for music. At 6 years old, she played piano by ear and loved to sing. Jana took piano lessons when she was 12 years old and she wrote and performed music for her church when she was 13. When she was 15, she continued writing songs and taught herself guitar and bass. Later in high school, Jana started an all-girl punk rock band called Neverland where she composed most of the music, sang backup harmonies, and played guitar.

Jana attended Walter State University in Sevierville, TN to study music theory. She took voice lessons, choir, acapella, ear training, piano, and guitar. In 2017, Jana performed "Jubilate Deo" by Dan Forest with her college choir at Carnegie Hall in New York City. After graduation, Jana started writing her own music and found a love for composing songs with her husband who writes all of her lyrics. In October 2022, Jana became the frontwoman for a gothic metal band called Infinity Vein where she continues to sing, write music, and play piano. Jana is now a vocal teacher and keyboard + piano teacher at School of Rock Southlake!
Drum Teacher Jake Tarpley
Jake Tarpley
Drum Teacher
Jake loves rocks—minerals, gemstones, metals, and, of course, MUSIC! Being one of the first School of Rock students in the DFW metroplex, Jake started rocking in 2008 at the age of 11. His long red hair made him stand out as he mastered his skills on the kit. Not satisfied to keep the beat in the background, Jake picked up the guitar in high school and quickly joined the ranks of those who stand and perform. He has fond memories of all of his teachers, so he knows the important role a teacher plays in the development of a student.

Jake attended the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, CO, to indulge his interest in earth science and he earned a Bachelor of Science in Geological Engineering. Not entirely ready to trade his sticks for the pick axe, the musician in him found a like-minded group of students and started gigging around Golden, playing mostly funk-influenced improvised “jams.” While his foundation was set in the classic rock bands of the ’60s and ’70s, with Red Rocks Amphitheatre a mere 10 miles away, Jake discovered jam bands The String Cheese Experience, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Twiddle, Phish, and Uhmphrey’s McGee who all trace their influences to the likes of The Grateful Dead.

Regarding his current creative endeavor, Jake creates electronic music as a solo artist characterized by unique sound design, intricate grooves, and a strong influence on multicultural instrumentation.

Jake lives with his cat, Yosi, who tolerates his passions.
Guitar Teacher C.J. Cotton
CJ Cotton
Guitar Teacher
C.J. Is the lead guitarist and primary composer for DFW metalcore band December Screams Embers. He is currently working on degrees in both music education and music composition.

C.J.’s grew up in a small town southwest of Ft. Worth. In his childhood home there wasn’t a time when the radio wasn’t on or music wasn’t being played. His parents were big fans of Classic Rock, Classic Country, and 80’s Pop. C.J.‘s dad always had instruments lying around and encouraged his sons to play with them even if they just made noise.

When C.J. was thirteen, he began taking music seriously and “borrowed” his dad’s acoustic guitar. He spent all of his free time practicing, and bought every book, VHS, and DVD he could find that he felt would help him become a better musician.

C.J. Moved to DFW in 2014 with his childhood friend and formed December Screams Embers, focusing his time on writing, releasing, and performing music. In 2021, he decided to go back to school and set his goals on obtaining doctorates in both music education and composition.
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Drum Teacher Brandon Wildman
Brandon Wildman
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Drum Teacher
Brandon was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and was a fixture in the Maryland music scene until he relocated to Texas in 2014. His interest in music and performance began as a child singing and dancing to James Brown, Motown, and doo-wop classics. His love for drumming began at age 7, followed by guitar and bass at age 12.

Brandon has performed at major venues, festivals, and conventions across the country with bands Telesma (psychedelic world music), Contra (instrumental progressive rock), Entertainment System (video game covers), and large-scale productions with the Baltimore Rock Opera Society.

Brandon realized his passion for teaching at age 17 when he began volunteering as a youth coach and has continued to teach and mentor since. Brandon is the father of two boys, both musicians. His youngest son performs in the Honors Orchestra of the Suzuki Strings program, in which Brandon remains involved by assisting teachers and students alike. As a lifelong student himself, he continues to learn and study music theory under the tutelage of famed bassist, John Ferrara. In his spare time, he enjoys working in his garden and painting.
Natasha Pascetta Guitar Teacher, Bass Teacher
Natasha Pascetta
Guitar Teacher, Bass Teacher
Natasha has been a student of School of Rock for almost half her life. At 14, she started taking guitar lessons and participating in group performances at the very first School of Rock in Philadelphia, PA. When she moved to Texas, she joined the adult program at School of Rock Southlake where she continued her musical journey and met a ton of friends! Natasha’s favorite artist is Alice Cooper, and some of her musical influences include Nita Strauss, Dio, The Beatles, and Meatloaf. She loves all things spooky including scary movies, and even ran her own haunted house! She currently teaches beginner and intermediate guitar/bass and plays bass in the band Party of Darkness.
Drum Teacher Daniel White
Daniel White
Drum Teacher
Daniel White is a second-generation drummer who discovered his passion for drums at the age of 8. Since his beginnings playing drums in his father’s church as a kid, Daniel has had over two decades of experience in music. From playing major festivals, engineering sound and lights for international acts, or being involved in the local music scene, he has always managed to learn and thrive while gainfully employed in the music industry. An eclectic and enthusiastic musician, Daniel isn’t one to turn down an opportunity to work on either side of the curtain. He has played drums in country, metal, rock, folk, and Christian contemporary bands, and applied his experience in endeavors in music production, sound, lighting, and working as a stagehand.

When he was in middle school, Daniel attended his first concert to see Pantera and Black Sabbath, and prolific double bass drummers such as Joey Jordison, Chris Adler, and Bill Ward were musical influences that motivated him early on. Daniel has opened for acts such as Dr. Acula, The Dillinger Escape Plan, The Acacia Strain, Aaron Watson, Jason Boland, and Foxy Shazam. He has also run lights at Gas Monkey Live ad sound engineered at Filthy McNasty’s and the Oasis, further forming him into the musician he is today. As an ardent student of all the music industry has to offer, Daniel looks forward to teaching the next generation of musicians.
Drum Teacher Graham Abernathy
Graham Abernathy
Drum Teacher
Graham was born in Grapevine and has lived in Keller his whole life. He has always had a passion for drumming—on old shoes, books, pans, and anything he could get his hands on. Graham got his first drum kit at 6 years old and has had a huge passion for drumming ever since.

Starting with the classics such as Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Dio, etc., Graham developed a passion for groove, thrash, death, and nu-metal. Once he reached the fifth grade, he was in the wind ensemble for percussion until high school. With over 15 years of experience, Graham specializes in double bass and heavier music but also has a strong connection to '70s classic rock.

Graham’s first time performing in front of a crowd was at his talent show in the fifth grade, where he performed a medley of death metal songs. He has had many projects, but his main band is a metal band called KÜDÜ. They perform all over the DFW area. Graham enjoys spreading his love of drumming to a new generation of musicians.
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Vocal Teacher Daniel Salgado
Daniel Salgado
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Vocal Teacher
Daniel was immersed in music for as long as he can remember. His first memory, at the age of 1, is playing rhythm alongside his family members at a New Year's celebration, keeping to the beat with a guiro as members of the family danced and sang to Latin jazz and cumbia. No stranger to the arts, Daniel performed in theater shows from the age of 3 through his high school graduation, played both trumpet and trombone in band, and sang in his church choir. But the most formative and impactful of all was the pursuit of playing and writing music.

Growing up in Bedford, TX, Daniel was a self-taught pianist by 12, learning by ear some of his favorite tunes by Coldplay, Radiohead, or the Beatles. At 13, picking up the guitar brought the passion to a new height. Connecting with friends, Daniel wrote two EPs and two full-length albums with the groups Tastes Like Victory and The Galaxy Atlas, a pop-punk group and a progressive metal project, respectively. Along with his time pursuing various arts, Daniel has regularly involved his time with teaching others; having taught vocalists proper technique and guitarists the basics and to play their own music.

He is ecstatic about joining the School of Rock team in Southlake to teach music regularly.
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Reviews

The experience makes the kids care.

The 3-hour weekly practices give the kids a chance to work together as a band, and it gives them the opportunity to form lasting friendships. The end of season showcases are incredible, and the experience gained is invaluable!

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