Wilbur
General Manager
Wilbur has always had a love for guitar-focused music. When he was young, he gravitated towards hard rock from the '80s, '90s, and early 2000s. In his early teens, Wilbur was fascinated with pop punk and metal and decided to pick up the guitar as a result. Immersed in music theory, he sought out more challenging theoretical and technical music, ultimately leading him to metal songwriting. By the age of 16, he had become a core songwriter for his first metalcore band, and was playing in various towns across his home state of Alaska.
After high school, Wilbur pursued higher education at Willamette University, where he studied jazz and classical guitar. He went on to graduate with honors from Berklee College of Music with a bachelor's degree in Composition. Wilbur has led metal bands in the Boston scene and is always working on new music. He believes that music is the purest form of self-expression and that talent can always be taught, as long as you practice!
Paz
Music Director
For as long as he can remember, music has been an integral part of Paz's life. By age 7 he was playing piano and studying classical voice and by age 14 he was performing all across Romania as a bassist in rock bands and classical ensembles. Music wasn't just a hobby for him, it was a refuge. At 18, he was awarded a scholarship to study at Berklee College of Music where he graduated with a Bachelor’s in Music Composition, under the tutelage of bassist and Grammy nominated artist Victor Bailey. Paz has toured both nationally and internationally and is actively involved in the Boston local music scene. He also collaborates with multidisciplinary artists across the country as a session musician, multi-instrumentalist and Music Director. Paz specializes in bass, as well as guitar, keyboards, music theory and composition.
Neil
Studio Coordinator
Music and performance have been a part of Neil's life from the very beginning. From dance to theater to singing and instruments, Neil did just about anything he could involving music and performance as a young kid—he was even fascinated in the music of the video games he played. Neil first began learning guitar at 7 years old and by age 11 he was involved in the local School of Rock in Fairfield, CT, where it quickly became a core part of his life.
With six years at School of Rock and 17 performance programs under his belt by the time he graduated high school, Neil went on to earn a degree in Music Technology at Northeastern University, writing a capstone project on the psychology of repetition in video game music. Video game music is still a huge passion of his, as is music production and the overlap between fashion and music. Neil hopes to help make School of Rock Watertown the same supportive place for kids to express themselves that he had in his youth.
Sam
Studio Coordinator
Sam is a singer-songwriter based in Boston, MA. Growing up playing piano and singing in choirs, he taught himself guitar at the age of 12 for the purpose of writing songs. Sam studied theology and music at Belmont University and spent eight years doing church music, conducting choirs, and writing congregational music. His influences include folk, indie rock, R&B, pop, and soul.
Currently, you can find Sam performing children's music enrichment programming around Boston and playing the occasional open mic. He is a proud member of the Boston Gay Men's Chorus and is passionate about inspiring a love of music in all the students he engages with. He is happy to be part of the School of Rock community and you can usually find him at the front desk or dancing during a particularly funky set in the performance space.
Matt
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Matt started playing guitar at the age of 12 and quickly made a name for himself by receiving the Louis Armstrong Award for Jazz Improvisation. After high school, he attended the Musicians Institute, a private college of contemporary music in Los Angeles. He's had the pleasure of studying with instructors like Danny Gill, Scott Henderson and Joe Diorio, and has attended seminars with Joe Diorio, Al DiMeola, Paul Gilbert and Steve Vai. Since graduating, he's taught music in Massachusetts for 25 years. He's done session work, international touring and plenty of local gigs, including the Ultrasonic Rock Orchestra. Matt has taught at School of Rock Watertown for the last 5 years and specializes in Rock, Blues, Funk and Jazz.
Michael
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
In attending School of Rock himself, Michael discovered a passion for music and art that helped him find his path in life. Writing and performing around Chicago led him to attending Berklee College of Music in 2017 and graduating magna cum laude with a degree in contemporary writing and production, with guitar as his primary instrument. Though fundamentally a Rock musician, Michael has experience playing, writing, and producing in multiple styles including Punk, Ska, Electronic, Funk, Orchestral, and Progressive Rock. He has a strong understanding of music theory and an exceptional ear for production, and he deeply values experimentation, independence, and the power of art to make a positive impact in the world. He shares these things with his students through a belief in practical application and helping others find themselves through music the way School of Rock helped him.
David
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Born right here in Boston Massachusetts, David played music from a very early age but was called to pursue music seriously in high school after seeing bands like Dead and Company and Phish in concert. Pursuing this interest in live music, David started and joined multiple bands which got him recognition in the Boston music scene. He now regularly plays over 100 gigs a year in Boston and in neighboring states in the Northeast and New york. With some of these bands, David has taken on the role of producer and engineer. This, along with an interest in expanding his general knowledge of music, led him to pursue a bachelor's degree in Music Production and Engineering from Berklee College of Music which he is expected to finish in December 2022. During his time at Berklee, David has studied guitar with Nir Felder (Esperanza Spalding, Blood Sweat and Tears), Lyle Brewer (Neighbor, Ryan Montbleu Band), and Marty Walsh (SuperTramp, Dolly Parton, Neil Diamond). With his multi-faceted education and open-minded approach, David's interested in helping students live up to their full potential whatever that means to them.
Shai
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Drum Teacher
Shai has been exposed to music since the womb. It’s been the focal point of his life for as long as he can remember. Shai is a 21 year old musician born and raised in Northern New Jersey. Being raised by broadway dancers, he was naturally exposed to great genres of music like classic rock, blues, R&B/Funk, gospel, and jazz. At age 5 his parents gifted him a Beatles 1 complication disc. He fell in love with the band and by age 6, he started learning drums. He studied classical percussion, and the art of jazz drums at institutions like the “Special Music School” and “Jazz at Lincoln Center”. At age 12, he watched the movie “School of Rock” for the first time. Seeing those kids his age playing rock inspired him to start learning guitar. Fast forward to 2019, he auditioned and got accepted to Berklee College of Music, where he now studies Guitar Performance.
Shiva
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Shiva cycled through several instruments before he settled on guitar at age 10. Over time he developed his musicianship exploring different styles and slowly became a working musician regularly performing and doing recording sessions with different groups of many genres, including jazz, fusion, rock, r&b, funk, neo-soul, and pop. He was offered a scholarship to Berklee College of Music and graduated with a BA in professional music with concentrations in contemporary writing/production and jazz composition. He has worked with artists around the U.S and abroad, but is most active in the Boston music scene. He has regularly performed, collaborated with, and/or recorded with artists like Rilla Force, Billy Dean Thomas, and Teamarrr, and has played shows opening for H.E.R, Ja Rule, Moon Hooch, Sammy Rae, and others. Shiva specializes primarily in guitar as well as bass, and believes in helping students bring out their own unique voice while learning at their own pace and keeping in touch with their love for music.
Anna
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Anna is a guitarist based in Brighton, Massachusetts. A significant amount of her experience with the instrument has extended to studying at the Berklee College of Music under the guidance of renowned musicians specializing in experimental techniques and contemporary classical approaches; within that setting, she has participated in the Interdisciplinary Institute as a creator and performer.
Outside of the academic setting, Anna has also independently released music, involved with all aspects of the creative process: from production and design to presentation. Anna is most familiar with sharing rock, metal, and classical-oriented approaches to playing but she is ready to get excited about any musical style with students. She hopes to cultivate an appreciation for fundamentals and fun in the learning environment. Her focus is to present new approaches when needed. These instances may involve utilizing ideas from other disciplines, in order to foster a student’s comprehensive understanding of certain concepts in relation to music theory or technique.
In addition, Anna is a full-time college student, in parallel maintaining and developing a cross-disciplinary body of work.
Olivia
Bass Guitar Teacher
Olivia is a bassist and multi-instrumentalist hailing from Long Island, New York. She graduated from School of Rock Huntington in 2019, which led her to Berklee College of Music where she currently studies music education. Primarily a rock musician, she plays in rock, folk, and pop groups around Boston, Rhode Island, and New York. Olivia has shared the stage with acts such as Electric Light Orchestra and Foreigner and has played notable venues such as Paul Colby’s The Bitter End and The Tillies Center. She has a passion for education and is very big on instilling confidence in her students as well as a strong foundation in music theory and history.
Robert
Drum Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Robert is a Boston-based multi-instrumentalist and music educator with experience playing bass, guitar, drums, and keyboards in a wide variety of genres and ensembles. Robert attended the Walnut Hill School for The Arts where he received training in Jazz and Classical music before attending The New England Conservatory where he studied Contemporary Improvisation.
Robert studied with various professors from the New England and New York music scene, such as Anthony Coleman, Joe Morris, and Ted Reichman, while attending The New England Conservatory. Rock, R&B, Klezmer, and Pop are some of the genres he’s studied and performed, and Robert continues to play music, compose, and teach around the Boston area.
Rianna
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Having been raised in a military family, Rianna spent her youth traveling around the world until her family settled in Omaha, Nebraska when she was 11 years old. At the same age, Rianna fell in love with music and began her journey by learning to play guitar, piano, and violin. When she began guitar lessons at School of Rock Omaha at the age of 14, Rianna discovered her love for performance and rock music!
As her music career progressed she made great success performing with School of Rock at Summerfest and was selected as the only guitarist in the Nebraska All-State Jazz Band in 2019. Following this, Rianna auditioned for the Berklee College of Music and was selected as the 24th recipient of the Jimmy Lyons Scholarship, awarding her with a full ride.
Currently, she thrives as a guitar performance major with a minor in the theory of jazz and popular song. Rianna plays as the lead guitarist for various bands including Motherwise, an indie-rock band, and a rock band called Slumber Party. Rianna hopes to inspire the next generation of rockers to be themselves unapologetically and to become the representation they wish to see in the music industry.
Ava
Vocal Teacher, Drum Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Ava is a pop/rock vocalist and multi-instrumentalist from Marlboro, New Jersey. She is currently a student at Berklee College of Music studying Professional Music with concentrations in Performance and Stage Management.
She grew up learning soul music including artists like Aretha Franklin, James Brown, and Gladys Knight. She later discovered her love for classic rock and progressive rock music. She has been a part of several bands of her own writing and performing music with those genres. With these bands, she has been able to open for artists such as Gaten Materazzo, Living Colour, and Primus. In 2019, she began writing music under her own name, and has music released on all platforms.
Being a part of the School of Rock program herself for 12 years, she was able to play at venues all around the country as well as music festivals including MoPop, and Lollapalooza in 2015, 2017, and 2018. She also has experience as a Music Director for School of Rock East Brunswick, NJ.
Her goal is to make sure her students have a good time while learning technique and stage presence, as well as gain confidence in themselves.
Matt
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Matt is a seasoned musician with experience in a multitude of genres, particularly but not limited to jazz and heavy metal styles. In his mind music is all just rhythms and notes, and he is more than happy not just to play or to teach, but also to learn. Recently he has been most interested in songwriting and using that as a platform for full band improvisation.
Matt is a guitar teacher and bass guitar teacher at School of Rock Watertown.
Chris
Drum Teacher
Chris was born and raised in the Republic of Mauritius in East Africa. A self-taught drummer, Chris started playing drums at the age of 11 and has never looked back. After moving to the US in 2004, he attended UMass Boston for Finance before becoming a drum instructor and performance director at the School of Rock Watertown for the last 6 years. Chris plays with multiple bands, touring both nationally and internationally. Current groups he performs with include JazzFirst, Proplydz (EDM), JD-MadMartian (Hip Hop), Lord Almighty (Metal), Vinal (Jam Band). Chris is a true music love who’s passionate about the drums and is currently pursuing a Master’s in Music Business at Berklee School of Music.
Ian
Drum Teacher, Keyboard Teacher
Ian fell in love with music in the womb. Starting on drums and percussion at 4 years old, Ian gradually added formal music theory and songwriting to his studies, alongside the piano. After graduating high school early, he spent time building a music career in his hometown, Asheville, NC, before pursuing his education further. In 2018, Ian received a scholarship to the Berklee College of Music, studying songwriting and piano. Ian has shared the stage with The Accidentals, BJ Leiderman, The Blind Boys of Alabama, and Third Eye Blind and has presented at TEDx twice. While primarily performing on piano, drums remain Ian’s true love, and rhythm guides his every note. Ian's focus is on helping kids find joy through music and their creative pursuits.
Jake
Drum Teacher
Jake is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist, cross-disciplinary musician, and audio engineer specializing in drumset. He's been featured on the BBC World Service, NME Magazine, and both live and in the studio for a myriad of artists. Most proficient in Rock/Heavy Metal, he has also played Jazz, Fusion, Hip-Hop, Pop-Punk, Classical, and Progressive Rock on a professional level and his passion for creating has only increased. During his time at Berklee he started a recording studio called Sawmill Recordings and has successfully helped a number of artists realize their dream of getting their music out to the world. When not playing, performing, or recording, Jake entertains a number of hobbies including Bushcraft, Martial Arts, Cooking, and the study of Naval History.
Tanner
Drum Teacher
Tanner began playing drums at 5 years old and was inspired by his father, who was a metal drummer in the 1980s. With roots in rock and metal, he has since expanded his palette to include many genres from around the world, including jazz, fusion, Latin, R&B, and Mandopop. Tanner attends Berklee College of Music with a scholarship majoring in drum set performance and a minor in recording and production. He draws influences from many forms of percussion, including marching band tenors, orchestral percussion, and playing in a theater pit orchestra. Tanner hopes to pass on to students his passion for music, and inspire them to find their own voice on their instrument while learning to think outside the box.
Joshua
Drum Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Music has always been an essential part of Joshua’s identity since childhood. Born in Kentucky but raised in Singapore, he is now back in the United States to pursue his undergraduate studies under a scholarship at Berklee College of Music. Joshua grew up learning classical music and theory with piano and violin, before finding new voices in drums and percussion at his high school Symphonic Band.
Joshua has a wealth of experience in performance, composition, conducting, teaching, leadership, and volunteering, and has been blessed with many opportunities to find different forms of expression. He advocates for the exploration and experimentation in the arts and is an eclectic musician who seeks to venture into new artistic terrain through collaboration with a diverse, multifaceted music community. As a firm believer in music education, Joshua strives to actively spread the fun and joy of music to those around him.
Jacob
Drum Teacher
Jacob started his musical journey in Cincinnati, Ohio at the age of 6, when he began playing cello and piano. When he turned 10, he discovered his true passion after picking up his first set of drumsticks. That was the start of his life-long career writing, performing, and recording music.
After graduating from Berklee College of Music in 2019, Jacob founded his own music production company, Tiny Raven Studio, and has been helping musicians around the world record and produce their music ever since. Over the years, Jacob has performed and recorded with a number of musical acts including How to Drown a Fish, Don't Worry About It, The Hollow Stones, The Ophelias, Boyish, Victor Wooten, and many others. Jacob hopes to share the enthusiasm and excitement for music that he has with his students!
Luke
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Drum Teacher
Luke was raised in Bergen County, New Jersey, and played guitar starting in his early teenage years. His first musical job was in recording hold music. He would have to do ten or more in a weekend, giving him much experience in recording at a comparatively young age compared to his peers.
After moving to Boston to attend Suffolk University, Luke auditioned for Berklee College of Music, not expecting to get in. Upon acceptance, he took every opportunity to play he could, even taking up the bass and starting several funk projects. Now he works in wedding bands playing guitar and bass.
Jonny
Vocal Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Drum Teacher
Jonny’s musical pursuits probably began while running around his parent’s house singing into a tape recorder at an early age. He pursued the Alto saxophone at age 8 and eventually learned the clarinet, guitar, bass, drums, and piano; he even formed several bands and performed his own music in local clubs before he headed to Boston to attend Berklee College of Music.
Since then, Jonny has become not just an accomplished performer, writer, arranger, synthesist, and producer, but also a dedicated teacher with over two decades of experience helping children of all ages find their passion for music.
"All music is joy and music should be fun. If there is no fun, then there is no joy. Who would want that?"
Dacey
Vocal Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Dacey (she/her) is an indie and R&B fusion singer-songwriter, producer, engineer, and performer dedicated to creating music to enlighten and entertain. Dacey began her musical journey by taking piano lessons at the age of 6, then taking vocal lessons at the age of 9 at School of Rock in Baltimore, MD. She successfully auditioned for the School of Rock Baltimore House Band at age 13 and participated in School of Rock’s AllStars program.
While studying contemporary technique at School of Rock, Dacey studied classical vocal technique and pedagogy at the Baltimore School for the Arts. Dacey graduated from Berklee College of Music in 2023 as a Professional Music Major with concentrations in Songwriting, Music Business, and Music Production. Aside from performing her own music, Dacey performs covers in a wedding band. Dacey's unique background in both classical and contemporary and harsh vocal styles makes her a flexible teacher whose ideology centers around teaching and bridging the healthy control of anatomy and the confidence needed for great stage performances.
Malaina
Vocal Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Malaina was born and raised in Marin County, California, and has been passionate about singing from an early age. At just 9 years old, Malaina began taking private voice lessons and quickly became involved in vocal competitions, choirs, and musicals. Her dedication to her craft led her to attend the Marin School of the Arts in high school, where she developed her skills as a jazz vocalist and was a member of the award-winning a cappella group, Til Dawn. Malaina's love for music continued to grow as she participated in various jazz ensembles and rock bands.
Currently, Malaina is pursuing her bachelor's degree in Screen Scoring as a vocal principal at Berklee College of Music. When she is not instructing students, she is the lead singer of her own rock band, Slumber Party, and performs and emcees at various events. With her versatile background in jazz, rock, pop, and R&B, Malaina is an experienced working musician who loves songwriting and composing for various ensembles.
Felicity
Vocal Teacher, Guitar Teacher
Felicity has used music as her creative escape going back to when she sang backup in a blues band in Saigon, Vietnam at 15 years old. She worked her way up in the expatriate music community, eventually touring the country of Vietnam as a lead singer in The Horizon Band, playing at high-class hotels until her move to the States. She now writes and performs in an indie folk duo while attending Berklee College of Music as a vocal principal.
Felicity's love for teaching began when she started a music workshop for toddlers called Singing Monkeys. She hosted this class for three years and spent time teaching at Guitar Center as well as private tutoring. She loves working with young children, helping them develop a passion for music in a way that is approachable and takes the kids where they want to go.
As someone who has grown up internationally, Felicity believes strongly in inclusion and wants to work to make pop music more culturally diverse by utilizing techniques and instruments from all over the world.
Maddi Bradford
Vocal Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Maddi has had a passion for music since before she was born. From growing up in a musical family that fostered her love of singing, to later finding more of herself by baring her heart through her own compositions. Maddi started songwriting at a very young age, inspired by artists like Adele and Sara Bareilles, and performed in many musical showcases over the years. She played and sang in bands and ensembles in college, and today, she writes and performs in a folk duo called the SOL Project. Maddi loves inspiring young children through music and is thrilled that the School of Rock allows her to combine her love of playing and sharing the power of music with children.