Bill Galatis Music Director
Composer/Guitarist/Vocalist
A Boston native, Bill has been a constantly active live and studio musician/composer for over 10 years. Currently, he's the guitarist/vocalist of the original hard rock band, Sleeprunner, which includes School of Rock teachers Chris Cleveland and Mike Scrima. Outside of this quartet, his energy is directed toward his personal project, WCG. As of the summer of '07, Bill has been playing bass in the band, Audible Crayons, brainchild of School of Rock teacher and band mate, Mike Scrima.
Bill has toured the New England music scene as a guitarist/vocalist, lead and rhythm guitarist, and bassist for the bands Shaman, The Straight Down, and The Rise Park as well as being a part of numerous other live/studio bands and projects in and around Boston. In between his original music endeavors, he was the guitarist for the Faith No More Tribute band, Ugly in the Morning.
A college graduate, majoring in Art, he also studied music theory, music industry, and music therapy. Although he likes to consider himself a self-taught guitarist, he has taken some formal instruction under John Hurtado, as well as classical composer/performer, Robert Ward. Bill has been privileged to have shared the stage with such Major and Indie label artists such as Mike Keneally, Cave In, Suicide City, 24-7 Spyz, Long Distance Runner, Cancer Conspiracy and Pray for the Soul of Betty, featuring Constantine Maroulis from that world renown pop singer TV show with the English guy, one of the Jacksons, and the lady who used to dance with an animated cat.
www.sleeprunner.com
www.myspace.com/sleeprunner
www.myspace.com/audiblecrayons
Anderson Mar General Manager
Involved in various aspects of the music industry since the tender age of 17, Anderson Mar holds a B.A. from the University of Maine at Fort Kent and a Certificate of Ordination from WCM (with a focus on youth work).
Mar spent 11 years in the radio broadcast industry as an on-air personality and technical producer; co-produced the New England Punk, Goth, & Metal Festival (2005-2007); served as the entertainment manager at The Skybar in Somerville, MA (2004-2007); was a founding member of classical theatre troupe The Swan Stage Company (2003) and has owned and operated her own artist management and booking agency, Dark Sky Productions, since 1993, and produces 4-6 events monthly at various venues.
Performance experience includes: vocalist for Solace (1993-1994); Gallows Hill (1998-2001); currently fronting Sans Nomenclature (2009-present), a Boston-based band which is described as "The Dresden Dolls mated with The Misfits".
http://www.myspace.com/Othniel77
Joe Pessia Guitar/Bass Instructor
Boston native Joe Pessia began playing in his early teens originally inspired by the music of The Beatles, Queen, AC/DC, Aerosmith and early Kiss. He later attended The Berklee College of Music where he earned a Degree in Professional Music.
As a member of the band 'DRAMAGODS' (featuring Nuno Bettencourt from 'Extreme'), Joe toured the US, Europe, Asia, and Australia , opened for artists such as The Pretenders, Carlos Santana, and Jeff Beck, performed on stage with such artists as Michael Anthony (Van Halen) Warren DiMartini (Ratt) George Lynch (Dokken, Lynch Mob) Perry Ferrell (Janes Addiction), and Extreme, performed on national TV (The Late Late with Craig Furguson, ESPN2) , has written music for ESPN, and collaborated on various albums as a guitarist, bassist and co-writer.
Currently Joe plays guitar in the band 'TANTRIC' which also features former 'FUEL' drummer Kevin Miller. The band recently finished recording a cd titled 'The End Begins' produced by Toby Wright. (Alice in Chains)
Additionally Joe plays in the Boston based band 'HURTSMILE' which features vocalist Gary Cherone (Extreme, Van Halen)
Links:
www.myspace.com/joepessia
www.myspace.com/tantric
www.myspace.com/dramagods
www.myspace.com/hurtsmile
www.myspace.com/joepessia
Michael Scrima Keyboard/Vocal/Drum Instructor
Mike's musical beginnings can be traced back to The Boston Boy Choir School (http://www.bostonboychoir.org) where he graduated after receiving 4 years of voice and piano instruction. There he was able to perform under the conduction of classical greats such as John Williams, Sarah Caldwell, and Seiji Ozawa. He also shared the stage with a list of performers that include Reba McIntyre, Roberta Flack, and Andy Williams. Along with a choir school classmate, Mike started his first rock
band as a keyboardist and vocalist.
Michael further built his musical education
at the University of Massachusetts in Lowell where he enrolled in several courses in the music business program.
With his band, Audible Crayons
(http://www.myspace.com/audiblecrayons), he recorded a full-length album and toured for 3 weeks across the U.S. playing at clubs in Los Angeles, Hollywood, and Denver.
Mike met music director Bill Galatis when he joined the Faith No More tribute band Ugly In The Morning as keyboardist. Since that band, they have gone on to work together in numerous original projects including March of Sound, Sleeprunner, and now even Audible Crayons.
Aside from being in bands, Mike also writes and
records for his self-titled solo project in which he not only plays keyboard and sings, but also plays drums, an instrument that he picked up along the years with no formal training. He is also beginning to produce/engineer on his own with this project.
Rob Compa Guitar Instructor
Rob Compa began playing the guitar at the age of 12 after years of hearing his father play acoustic guitar. He spent the next few years studying with numerous local instructors and listening to many of his now favorite artists such as the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Eric Clapton, Phish, Stevie Ray Vaughan, etc. At the age of 16, Rob began gigging around his hometown of Rochester, NY and spent the next few years playing with various blues, jamband, funk, and classic rock groups around the area. After graduating from high school, Rob began studying music at a local community college, where he got his first exposure to jazz, music theory, and different improvisational concepts. He stayed there for 2 years until May of 2006, when he moved to Boston to study at the Berklee College of Music, where he is still currently a student.
Rob has had the honor of playing with numerous respected musicians such as world renowned session drummer Steve Gadd, Macy Gray drummer Chaun Horton, Spyro Gyra guitarist Chet Catallo, and pedal steel master Calvin Cooke. Since moving to Boston, Rob has played with and continues to play with many gospel, R&B, jamband, and funk groups around the area. He is also currently playing with his own band, Dear Havanah, and working on another improvisation-based project with fellow School of Rock guitar instructor Cliff Dill called Osmosis Prime.
Bassam Habal Guitar/Bass Instructor
Bassam Habal has been playing bass since he was 14. He was inspired to pick up the bass by the legendary bass work of John Paul Jones on the Zeppelin classic "Ramble on". About 3 years later after asking his bass teacher to show him the rhythm guitar part to Van Morrison's "Domino", Bassam switched to guitar and has been playing guitar ever. He has been a founding member of many bands over the years including the Grateful Dead cover band Electric Hummus(now known as Playin' Dead), The Psychedelic Conspiracy and most recently the Chicken Slacks Soul Revue, whom he played with for 6 years. He comes to the School of Rock as a fan as well as teacher having traveled to New York to see the School of Rock All-Stars several times before joining the School. Bassam was a dj for 10+ years doing a 60s/70s show called "The Lost and Found" on wmbr radio 88.10 here is Cambridge. You can still find him there doing fill in slots once and a while. On the air he is known as "Mighty Slim" do to his svelte physique. Having a love for the music of the "classic rock" era, he feels its important to share its importance and ongoing relevance to aspiring players today.
Joe Kowalski Bass Instructor
Joe Kowalski has been making music for as long as he can remember. He
started piano lessons at a young age and taught himself bass, guitar and
drums by high school. Through all this he was writing his own songs,
playing in various bands and making attempts to record everything with
whatever gear he could put together. He produced his first album in the
5th grade along with his younger brother and sister, receiving rave
reviews throughout the house, and in 9th grade he was bouncing tracks
from tape deck to tape deck in order to overdub.
Joe immersed himself in theory, songwriting, composition, world music
and technology at the Berklee College of Music, where he graduated with
a degree in Music Synthesis in 1993. He went back to Berklee to teach
in the Music Synthesis department from 2001 to 2003.
He has rocked the stage with All the Queen's Men, Larry Banilow, [munk],
The World's Greatest Sinners, Project Eno, Gato Malo and many, many more
in the U.S. and Europe, mostly on bass but also on keyboards. As a
songwriter, producer, and musician, Joe has been behind a number of
albums by onlyone, Fünf, The Elderly, Larry Banilow and others, and
he's been a contributing musician, remixer or sound designer on even
more. Joe's music has provided the score for a couple of independent
films.
Joe is passionate about all aspects of music and is thrilled to share
this with his students. He also wishes there was a School of Rock when
he was a kid.
Mark Sexton Drum Instructor
Mark Sexton grew up in Arlington, Massachusetts and started playing drums at age three. For years, he thought he was eight when he
started, but one day he found a picture of himself when he was really small and his parents cleared everything up. Throughout his public
school education, he found solace in participating in as many musical
endeavors as possible. Along the way, he played and marched in the Menotomy Minutemen Fife and Drum Group, the Middlesex Concert Band, and various school symphonic bands, orchestras, and the jazz band. Before touring with an actual band, he got to tour Italy with the
Honors Orchestra of Arlington High School as the only drummer, upon request by the director. At heart, though, he always wanted to ROCK.
Throughout his childhood he was willing & able on many occasions to start a band with anyone who owned an instrument besides a drum kit... this is still the case.
During attendance and upon graduating from Berklee College of Music in 2004, Mark wanted nothing more than to go on the road. He
hypothesized that in order to get there he would need to play in as many bands as possible. From 2000 until 2007, Mark found himself juggling day jobs and practicing like it was going out of style. Once earning his degree he was responsible for
an average of 30 private students a week, and the drummer duties of four bands and the Northeast Suburban Community Youth Orchestra's
(CYO) "professional" drummer.
As fun as all of that was, Mark was still aching to go on the road. He took some old friends from Arlington up on an offer to live with
them in Colorado and tour his tail off. In a little over a year he played well over 100 shows in Colorado, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona,
New Mexico, Indiana, Kansas, Chicago, St. Paul, Kansas City and St. Louis.
Currently he is playing in Audible Crayons, of Bill Galatis and Mike Scrima fame, Sleeprunner (same fame) Gnorfy (the G is silent) and his
new band with some old friends called 3D and the Greaseballs.
He also wants everyone to know that shoveling snow is NEVER going to bother him again, because while he was living in the Rocky Mountains,
the winds were at least 30 mph and the snow was angry and more than plentiful, like a middle school peanut butter stash. That's what he learned from living on the continental divide at 9,000
feet.
Mike Woods Guitar/Bass Instructor
Mike Woods is a guitarist/songwriter/producer currently living in Boston, MA. Woods recently wrote and co-produced the critically acclaimed and commercially successful album “Out Here All Night” (Island/Def Jam), as well as the follow up record "Roll The Dice" for the band Damone. He has also worked with a variety of successful artists including Bleu, The Damn Personals and Lucy Walsh. In addition to touring with Damone and writing for a number of his own projects, he is currently collaborating with upcoming and established bands and musicians as a songwriter and producer
Woods describes his early years in music as “being surrounded by a very talented group of people, in a strange suburban environment.” He started his first band at the age of 12 with two other kids from the neighborhood. For obvious reasons this trio didn’t go very far, but Mike continued playing through high school and eventually linked up with the New Haven outfit, J.C. Superska, - a band whose members have all gone on to successful careers in the music industry. Greg DiCrosta is a producer/engineer, Pete Wasilewski, now referred to as JR, is in the band Less Than Jake, Anthony Rossomando is guitarist for the British band Dirty Pretty Things (as well as replacement guitarist in the Libertines), Jim Oblon has worked with Dick Oatts and Edie Brickell, Chris Rhoades is with the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Matt Wachter was the original bassist for 30 Seconds To Mars, and currently plays with Angeles and Airwaves, and Ken Cook, the main songwriter and vocalist for the Damn Personals. It’s extremely unusual for such a small group of friends to branch out into so many areas of the musical community.
Upon finishing high school, Mike moved to Boston to study at Berklee College of Music. It was there that Mike started playing with the band Bleu; it was also where he met Dustin Hengst, who later became Damone’s drummer, ultimately bringing woods into the band a few years later.
In 2003, Damone needed a new guitarist, but more importantly, a writer that could produce a successful follow-up to the debut CD, "From The Attic". (RCA Records). Dustin knew that Mike would be a great fit, and they quickly got things under way. Damone later showcased for Island/Def Jam records, and a very enthusiastic Rob Stevenson (The Killers, Fall Out Boy, Sum-41) along with L.A. Reid (Mariah Carey, Avril Lavigne, Usher, Rihanna, Kanye West) signed the band a few days after.
Mike’s success with Damone has led to personal endorsements by companies such as Budda, Gibson, First Act and Kahler. Woods is incredibly grounded despite his success, and appreciates every minute of it: "Whenever I'm worn out from months on the road, or feel frustrated in the studio, I think of the people who appreciate the music, and remind myself that I am very blessed to be able to do what I love to do. Whatever the hell that is. I live and die by it."
While continuing to write and tour with Damone, Mike has been taking on the role of producer as well. It is a natural progression for an artist with so much recording and writing experience. "I really love watching other artists as they develop their own sound", he says. And while he is unsure what the future holds for him exactly, Mike is sure to continue working in an industry that has been so supportive of his efforts.
www.mwoodsmusic.com
Jimi Zimmardi Vocal Instructor
Jimi Zimmardi was born in New York City and grew up in Lynbrook, NY. He attended the Manhattan School of Music Preparatory Division in New York City from age 15 to 17. He attended Berklee College of Music in Boston in 1978-1979 and then transferred to New England Conservatory of Music and received his Bachelor of Music in Improvisational Studies as a double major in Voice and Saxophone Studies.
Jimi plays a wide variety of instruments and is a songwriter, record producer, studio musician, promoter and talent scout. His company JAZ productions, has existed since 1991 and has produced many shows in the New England area since then. In 2002, Jimi expanded JAZ productions to a talent company called East Coast Music Talent.
Michaelangelo Carubba Drum Instructor
Michelangelo Carubba is a 24 year old drummer originally from Buffalo NY. Michelangelo now is living in Boston, MA after attending the Berklee College of Music. He currently tours with the funktronic dance party Dopapod, out of Boston. He also plays with Turkuaz, and 11 piece funkestra out of Brooklyn. His work has been featured in the national publication "Performer Magazine". He works as a session drummer for Mix One Studios in Boston. Michelangelo has been in backing bands for Soulive and Lettuce sax player Sam Kininger, and opened for India Arie, Maroon 5, O.A.R, Sam Kininger Band, Michael Franti & Spearhead, and more. Michelangelo studies with Joe Ruso from Further and the Benevento/Russo Duo. He's also studied with Harvery Mason, Kenwood Dennard, Mike Mangini, and Dave Cowan.
Links:
http://www.dopapod.com
http://www.myspace.com/michelangelocarubba424
http://www.myspace.com/turkuaznation
http://www.myspace.com/dopapod
http://www.myspace.com/michelangelocarubba424
Renee Solano Drum Instructor/Rock 101 Facilitator
Renee Solano grew up in northern California and relocated to the Boston area in 2009. She received her Associates Degree in Music in 2004, and her Bachelor's Degree in Social Science with a minor in Education in 2009. Renee plays many styles of music including jazz, funk, punk, classic to hard rock, folk rock, and blues. Renee is/has been a member of or subbed in many local bands in California and Massachusetts including By Ear, Talking Mule, LD and Blues Redemption, Sans Nomenclature, Emmy Cerra and Mongrel. Her teaching experience includes private drum lessons since 2003, and beginning guitar and bass lessons since 2009. She also spent one school year teaching music to K-3rd graders in a California elementary school, and has conducted ensemble rock classes in the Be In Your Own Band program since 2006 in both California and Massachusetts elementary and middle school after school programs. She is currently writing songs for and contributing to fellow bandmates' songwriting in the band Sans Nomenclature.
http://www.talkingmule.com