Ethan Semone Musical Director

Ethan Semone was eleven years old when he first picked up the guitar. A professional guitarist, music educator and composer for most of his life, he has yet to put it down.

As the lead guitarist for The Maids and a founding member of the Mojo Filter Kings, Semone toured the Southeast through the early to mid nineties, playing up to 200 gigs a year and leaving behind the original recordings Henry, Mojo Filter Kings, and Caught on Too Late.

He later worked as a sideman and session musician in Austin, TX before moving to Chicago in 1998, where he continued to perform frequently. While playing in a variety of groups on guitar, lap steel, and mandolin, Semone operated his own Hear Diagonally Records, releasing and distributing albums by Justin Roberts, Frisbie, The Autumn Defense, and Oh My God.

Having studied music theory and jazz improvisation in college, Semone began teaching private guitar and bass lessons in 1993. He has taught consistently in the Chicago area since 2000, seeing as many as 40 students per week.

As a performer he has played venues large and small including festivals like Lillith Fair and SxSW. He has shared the stage with Los Lobos, Sheryl Crow, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, The Smashing Pumpkins, Robert Earl Keane, Govt. Mule, Sara McLachlan, Web Wilder and the Nashvegans, and many more.

http://www.myspace.com/esemone

Tamar Berk Keyboard Instructor

Tamar Berk has been a fixture in the Chicago music scene since 1996. Her first band Starball gained recognition throughout the midwest sharing the stage with The Cranberries, Local H, Uncle Kracker, Kristen Hersh, Kelly Deal, The Donnas, Kill Hannah, Chevelle to name a few. Starball self-released two full lengths, one EP and one 7 inch on Thick Records. Currently she is singer, songwriter, guitarist, in the electro punk band The Countdown with her husband. The Countdown has released one EP on local Chicago label INVISIBLE RECORDS.

They have has shared the stage with Queens Of The Stone Age, Interpol, Sneaker Pimps, The Locust, We Are Scientists, The Postal Service and is currently playing around the city.

Tamar also writes songs for TV and movie placement and some of her songs have been heard on ABC Family's show KNOCK FIRST and WILDFIRE, the WB's show THE BEDFORD DIARIES, MTV's series FANATIC and several independent films. Most recently two of THE COUNTDOWN's songs can be heard in the video game PREY. Tamar also has a home studio where she writes and records many of her songs.

Zebulun Barnow Percussion Instructor, Assistant Musical Director

Zebulun was born in Marquette, MI in 1970. He spent his youth in Evanston, IL and Oak Park, IL. He has been playing gigs in Chicago since 1985. Currently he performs with B1g T1me, Jeff Freling & the Rock Squad and the Blue Man Group.

Andy Levenberg Guitar Instructor

Andy Levenberg is a Chicago-based musician and songwriter. A founding member of renowned local band Old No. Eight, he has recorded four albums and performed more than 500 shows around the country. Andy's songs have received airplay on many radio stations nationwide, including NPR and WXRT, and his new band Chemtrails rocks, in a sci-fi sort of way.

Joel Masters Bass & Drum Instructor

Joel Masters is a highly experienced and motivated local talent. He's been playing bass for 11 years and has been involved in numerous bands and projects. He recently graduated from the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University with a degree in jazz studies. You can find Joel performing at area clubs 3-4 nights a week. Joel belives music is a powerful creative outlet, "Music keeps me focused, having fun and in tune with the world around me." More than anything, Joel wants to teach young musicians that dedication leads to results and he looks forward to helping unlock the potential of anyone with the drive to be a rockstar.

Keith Daproza Drum Instructor

Keith DaProza is the primary drummer for Think Floyd USA the American Pink Floyd show. Since 2003 he has toured extensively with
TFUSA throughout the midwestern region, performing on over 200 shows to date. Key perfromances include Summerfest 4 consecutive years, Shwagstock 4 consecutive years, Redstone Room, Surf Ball Room, The Val Aire, Kinetic Playground. Harley Davidson Dealer Convention, and the Bolingbrook PAC.
Keith has played with a wide variety of local talent from punk, blues, classic, and folk rock. He is an active participant of the Rogers Park music scene, and is also the primary for local punk act ROUNDEYE.
Keith can be found as performing resident at Redline Tap Monday and Wednesday nights through the remainder of the 07 summer, with various local talent.

Jennifer Malone Voice Instructor

Jennifer is thrilled to join the staff of the Paul Green School of Rock Music. She is formally trained in the performing arts and holds an M.Phil in Irish Theatre Studies from Trinity College Dublin (Ireland) and a BFA in Acting from Kent State University. Eschewing the staid theater scene, Jennifer forged a career playing and singing in bands, recording, and “jobbing” in show orchestras. She has also taught youth acting, arts education and worked as a full-time nanny. For the past several years, Jennifer has moonlighted as “Eva Destruction”, the chanteuse of all things punk, which has kept her busy gigging in Chicago, Cleveland and NYC (CBGB). She is a frequent musical guest on WLUW’s “Razor and Die Show” and has been heard on WXRT’s “Sound Opinions”, with Greg Kot and Jim DeRogatis. Synthesizing her work with music and young people is something she’s very excited about. Beyond voice training, Jennifer focuses on stage presence, style and song interpretation as well as mic technique and professional aspects.

Anthony Rubino Guitar/Bass Instructor

Edward Yeo Guitar Instructor

Ed Yeo is the newest addition to the Chicago School of Rock. He has a great deal of education and experience covering anything from independent jazz guitar and music theory to rock, blues and ragtime. Ed has been in two major original rock bands, Animal Instinct and Mental Insect, that have recorded and played area venues. He has plenty of experience playing with bands since the early eighties and has studied music theory and song writing with Lee Armentrout, George Allen, and Rob Curtis. He has also played and composed guitar parts for commercial demos with Mike Rawnsley of Iron Carrot Music. You can see Ed play at various venues around town.

Alan Bailey Keyboard Instructor

Alan Bailey has a long history of playing piano and keyboards.
Trained in classical music from childhood through high school, and
after playing in jazz bands in high school and college, Alan only
joined his first proper rock band at the ripe old age of 23 in
Madison, WI. After touring the state of Wisconsin for a year, he knew
it wasn't for him, and left to live overseas for a year. Since being
back in Chicago, Alan has now a number of projects and
accomplishments. He started and is still leading Bended And Folded: A
Ben Folds Five Tribute Band, to properly tribute the undeclared king
of 90s piano rock. In addition, three months of 2007 were spent on a
cruise ship playing as part of the show band. December of 2007 saw
the debut of the Alan-Bailey Continuum, to showcase his own
songwriting and arranging. He also works at ComedySportz of Chicago
as a musical director. Alan prefers a real piano to anything
synthetic.

Dallas Thomas Guitar Instructor

Dallas Thomas has more than enough experience playing rock! He attended The 2002 Guitar Craft Course in Sassoferrato, Italy conducted by Robert Fripp of King Crimson. In addition, he has taken lessons from Duane Denison (Tomahawk, Jesus Lizard) and John Pell (Professor @ Belmont University in Nashville,TN) He taught Guitar at the Southern Girls Rock-n-Roll camp in Murfreesboro,TN (2003, 2004, 2005)Dallas has at least 16 years of experience playing in Rock/Metal/Punk/Prog Bands. His most recent gig was playing guitar in the Heavy Metal Band Asschapel.

Andrew Scott Young Bass Instructor

Andrew Scott Young is from Columbia, Missouri where he began studying the double bass at the age of 10. During high school he studied with Sue Stubbs at the University of Missouri and began teaching younger students guitar and bass guitar. In 2004 Andrew received a jazz bass scholarship from the University of North Texas which he attended until 2007. Andrew moved to Chicago in August of 2008 and has been teaching, playing, and recording music in many varied contexts since his arrival. He hopes to continue to do so.