Mark Biondi Executive Director
The award winning New Jersey born drummer/producer has toured extensively since 1994. Mark has shared the stage with such national acts as Third Eye Blind, Living Colour, Eve 6, Vertical Horizon, and Sugar Ray. He maintained an active musical career with the band Automatic Black (Arista Records)until 2006. Mark is a sought after session drummer recently recording and receiving a platinum record award for his work with Grammy Award Winner John Legend (Sony/BMG/Columbia) and a gold record for his work with Nas (Def Jam Records)
Mark has also had his music featured on MTV’s Advanced Warning. Along with the drums, Mark is also an accomplished producer, guitar and bass player. "I am looking forward to translating my years of touring experience into a real rock and roll education for these kids". Mark is currently touring with indie phenom Eric Hutchinson.
Michael Paul Abrose Keys, Guitar, Bass, Vocals
Michael Ambrose began his musical education on the piano and organ at age six, to be followed at age nine with the saxophone. Through
high-school he was a member and section leader of the award-winning Immaculata High School Spartan Marching Band. Though he picked up several different instruments through the years, not the least of which being guitar and bass, he always found himself gravitating back to his piano roots. Although his musical studies continued through college, Michael attributes most of his ability to the dark, smokey classrooms of the clubs and stages he played touring the country in various bands.
Having cut his teeth gigging and touring extensively with New Jersey powerhouses such as Hub City Stompers and Bigger Thomas while doing session work with soul legends Don Gardner and The Mighty Hannibal, he went on to back ska and reggae phenoms Lynval Golding (The Specials, Fun Boy Three) and Pauline Black (The Selecter) and to tour nationally with Dave Wakeling and his English Beat, where he shared the stage with such performers, The Dap-Kings, Steel Pulse, Jackson Browne, Steve Miller, Soul Asylum (featuring Tommy Stinson of The Replacements), Particle, Bad Manners, and The Gin Blossoms. He has performed at some of the most significant venues and national festivals in the US and Canada, including headlining at both Bumbershoot and The Bamboozle.
An avid R&B, Soul, and Rocksteady/Reggae organist and pianist, Michael currently plays the Farfisa Organ and sings for his own reggae-soul sound machine Steadfast United while tickling the ivories as part of the Chuck Lambert band, and can occasionally be found firing up his hammond chops for modern ska and reggae bands like Inspecter 7 an The Pietasters. He truly looks forward to having the opportunity to share his experience with the next generation of wailers and ivory-ticklers.
PAUL GIATA Guitar/Bass/Vocals
At the age of 25, Paul has been playing bass more than half of his life. His real musical journey began when he started studying music with accomplished bassist/composer Ryan Thompson. Ryan brought a whole new meaning of music into Paul's life that transformed him into a man with a mission...to make his life music. Paul has become well versed in many styles including Jazz, Improvisation, Funk, Rock and many more. In the studio Paul has been called upon to record for pop artists to drum and bass and house music artists. He is currently playing with Juggling Suns a Jersey based Jam Band and has shared the stage with many great musicians including Rodney Holmes, Keller Williams, and Jim Weider from 'The Band.'
Rob Groden
This New Jersey native began playing guitar 25 years ago at the age of 10. Rob performed in concert, marching and jazz band all throughout school, playing clarinet, saxophone and bass guitar. He also spent many years singing in chorus and placed in District Chorus his senior year of high school. Rob has a long background in musical theater and attended West Chester University majoring in Music Education.
In 1994, he broke into the Philly Cover scene with the band Mr. Greengenes; he has since provided lead guitar and vocals for Steamroller Picnic and Monkey Bus, who he still currently plays with. Throughout the years Rob has shared the stage with national acts such as The Commitments, Great White, Joan Jett, the Toadies, Goldfinger, Frente, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Fuel and Dee Snyder of Twisted Sister. In 1999, he recorded a CD with the original band Lefty Lucy.
Rob is very excited to be involved with the School of Rock and looks forward to sharing his experience with the students.
CHRIS GUICE BASS/GUITAR/DRUMS/VOICE
Ever since his mom set up a pots & pans drumset in the kitchen at age 3, music has been an integral part of Chris’ life. Then there were broomstick air-guitars and ironing board pianos; Halloweens spent in KISS makeup and school talent show lip-sync routines to the doors, Rolling Stones and The Monkees.
In high school, with a real bass guitar, he performed with 2 groups in a battle of the bands. The second of which won an audition for the Nickelodeon TV show Don’t Just Sit There. He spent the next two years writing and performing original music on the children’s variety show weekly to a national viewing audience and had the chance to accompany singers Davy Jones and Debbie Gibson; All before graduating high school…
After college, his band Lizard Music recorded 3 CDs for California based record label World Domination and toured the United States, England and Scotland. In the meantime, Chris honed his skills as a songwriter/composer and learned the guitar, drums and trumpet, which he utilized in writing music for other two Nickelodeon shows and several independent films.
As a member of Asbury Park based Latin Rock Band deSoL, Chris has toured the United States extensively over the past 5 years performing over 500 shows and supporting REM, The Legendary Wailers, Widespread Panic and Los Lonely Boys. They recently spent a month in the Persian Gulf entertaining our troops. He is currently at work on a new deSoL CD and thrilled to be introducing a new generation of rockers to the magic of The Beatles…
Andy Letke Keys, Guitar, Bass, Vocals
Andy started with classical piano at the age of 7. The layout of the piano made it easy for Andy to adapt to multiple instruments. He
continued his studies in college (Indiana University) where he minored in music...focusing on jazz and classical theory, composition, and performance.
Wanting to get out of the corn fields of Indiana, Andy moved to Jersey in
1999 to be closer to the NYC scene. Since then he's been composing and recording songs for many styles: rock, jazz, blues, Latin, symphonic(orchestral, piano), pop, avant guard, folk, etc.
Andy has been playing piano, organ and singing background vocals for Jersey based band deSoL since 2001. Having 2 songs on the charts,
including "Karma" #5 and "Little Drummer Boy" at #3, has enabled the band to tour the U.S. extensively. deSoL has been on the road with Los Lonely Boys, Widespread Panic, Blues Traveler, The Legendary Wailers, opened for
R.E.M. in Mexico City, performed at Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits, performed for a Miami Dolphins/Jets half-time show at Pro Player Stadium in Miami.
deSoL went to the Persian Gulf in October of 2006 to entertain our Troops in Kuwait, Djibouti Africa, Bahrain, Qatar, Dubai, and had the opportunity to visit Baghdad.
Andy is very excited to share his skills with the budding rockers and work with such an excellent roster of instructors.
Deseree Spinks
Deseree is pleased as punch to be the vocal/performance teacher at the school of rock. Hailing from Jackson, New Jersey, Deseree holds an AA.LA from OCC with a focus in vocal music and English, and has been seen in several local theater productions. Having played in some 20 productions, some of her favorite credits include Jesus Christ Superstar with American Idol’s Constantine Maroulis, Hair at the Count Basie Theater, Almost Queen’s Rock Choir for Hire, and a Hair documentary produced by Blinding Light Inc. She has been seen on the Discovery Channel’s To Catch a Thief and can be heard on the Dave Simmons album Disintegration Principle. Deseree has been singing rock vocals since she was in diapers and is so happy now she can pass on her trade to young singers.