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.
Art Lima Music Director / General Manager
Art began his musical career playing trumpet at age 9. After a year, he began studying guitar as well, and continued to pursue both instruments until age 15, when he decided to concentrate entirely on guitar. Throughout his childhood, he participated in various ensembles including concert and jazz bands, which gave him the foundation for most of his knowledge of music theory that he applies to his guitar-playing today.
Attending the University of Connecticut he studied music and gained a lot of experience performing in front of larger crowds with various original band projects, Lazy Sunday, The Rhythm Method, and The Zone, a popular Philadelphia based cover band with a large following in the Northeast.
Along with performing at some of the most successful clubs, venues, and corporate event coordinators on the East Coast, Art has also shared the stage with such national acts as Jimmy Buffet and Fuel and has been featured on Philly's WMMR morning radio show.
Art is happy to be sharing his experience and musical knowledge with all the budding rock and rollers at the school of rock.
Pete Giannelli Guitar/Bass/Keys
Pete has been smiling ever since he strummed his first guitar. In high school he performed with his high school's "Jazz Band", the Montclair State Jazz Ensemble, and various original bands and artists. After high school, he wrote and toured with his original band "Penmanship in Plastic". Pete has shared the stage with "Firescape" ("Something Corporate" Side Project), "Emmanuel" (Vagrant Records), and "The Sleeping" (Victory Records). He was also given the honor to record with Jayson Dezuzio (Coheed and Cambria, My Chemical Romance). Recently, Pete earned a Bachelor's Degree in Music from the Ramapo College of New Jersey.
Pete is excited to be working with such amazing and talented musicians, and is looking forward to teaching these kids how to Rock and Roll.
Jamie Lima Vocals/Keys
Rockin out with a little twang. Hailing from Lexington, KY, Jamie began playing piano and singing in church at age 8. She later added the saxophone, and picked up a little guitar during college at the University of Kentucky. Go Cats!
Prized possession: her Taylor 30th Anniversary 414 acoustic. Resurrecting her dads classic rock albums growing up, combined with an inevitable country influence, her musical tastes embrace several genres of music.
Jamie writes, performs, and records her own originals. A lead vocalist with Whos Your Daddy, and former front person for Next to None, she's been featured on stage with bands The Zone, BitterX, and Della Valle. Jamie has also performed at The Cutting Room, Mexicali Blues, The Knitting Factory, and other venues in NYC, PA, MA, VT, NJ, and KY. Other projects include Ozone Baby, an original duo comprised of Jamie and her husband, Art Lima.
Favorite artists: System Of A Down, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Warren Haynes/Govt Mule, Johnny Cash, Ben Harper, Robert Earl Keen, Jimi Hendrix, PJ Harvey, Cowboy Junkies, Ozzy, Willie Nelson, Pink Floyd, and anything from Guitar Rock collection.
Matt Moliti Guitar/Bass
Matt has been playing guitar since he was 13. After high school, he attended the Berklee College of Music for two semesters, after which he returned back to his home on Long Island to continue his technical development on the instrument, as well as write his own original
music. Around this time, he started teaching as well. In 2006, Matt self-released the debut album of his then studio project, Dark Empire,
which garnered rave reviews in the underground metal press, and was voted #2 best independent release of 2006 in the North American magazine Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles. Matt has since taken Dark Empire out of the studio and onto the stage, performing at the 2007 Texas Madfest, with more shows sure to come in the next year in support of their sophomore release.
As a guitarist, Matt has received praise from musicians such as Rusty Cooley, Joe Stump, and Stephan Forte. Matt cites Michael Romeo, Allan Holdsworth, and Alexi Laiho to be among his primary influences as a player, and has a musical taste ranging from various styles of heavy metal, progressive rock, jazz/fusion, and classical music.
Matt is extremely happy to be a part of the School of Rock. He feels
the environment is an excellent place for students to grow as
musicians, as well has have a lot of fun learning to play in a rock
band.
Christian Benevento Guitar/Bass/Drums/Keys/Vocals
Christian is very excited to be a part of the School of Rock and is excited to be a positive influence on all of the kids he has the pleasure of meeting and playing music with. He attended the New School For Social Research in New York City and studied psychology. He hopes to complete a degree in social work and guidance counseling. For the last 8 years Christian has been the head music instructor at the SG Music School in Waldwick, NJ, before joining the Chatham School of Rock last spring.
Christian is also the singer, guitarist, songwriter, manager, producer and stuff doer for the super awesome successful rock band THE PROBLEM, who have had Top 10 radio play in every major city in the US and Canada, as well as positive press in fancy papers such as the New York Post and the Village Voice. The band is constantly gigging in NYC, NJ and all over the east coast. THE PROBLEM has recently released their first LP on the record label Disco Fuzz, which was started by Christian.
The success of both THE PROBLEM and Disco Fuzz is all very exciting, but Christians main passion is teaching music and working with kids, because he was once just like them, and he wants to help a brother out.
Christian likes baseball and sunsets, and dislikes homework and Mondays.
CHRIS GUICE Bass/Guitar/Drums/Vocals
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/Drums
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.
Gaurav Bali Guitar
Gaurav has been playing guitar for over 20 years and started teaching when he was 18. He has studied with many diverse teachers and eventually joined rock band "Eve to Adam".
In 2007, Eve To Adam released their third album,"Queens to Eden" (KDS Music/EMI), and toured the US extensively with Daughtry, Smile Empty Soul, the Exies, Crossfade, Tesla, Adema, and 12 Stones. Their single "151" was heard on rock radio stations all across the country.
Gaurav wants to continue growing as an artist and pass on his experiences to the students. He feels that the best way to learn is by teaching and is excited to be associated with PGSORM!