Josh Dubin General Manager
JOSH DUBIN has been managing the School of Rock in Downingtown since October of 2006. A graduate of The University of Pennsylvania and near-obsessive audiophile, Josh is only too happy to discuss and debate your latest musical fixation, whether it be a classic rock staple, underground hip hop album, indie buzz band, obscure Italian eletronica compilation, or even that latest Kelly Clarkson single. When he's not at the School of Rock, Josh can be found publishing BadmintonStamps, Philadelphia's most widely-read music blog, as well as independently booking and promoting concerts at city venues such as The Khyber, North Star Bar, and World Café Live.
Tom McKee Music Director, Keyboard & Voice Instructor
TOM McKEE is a piano teacher and the music director at the Downingtown School of Rock. Tom has been performing with Brothers Past since graduating from Cabrini College in 1998. Tom plays keyboards and sings and has spent much of the past nine years touring, practicing and recording. As one of the band’s two primary songwriters, Tom has contributed music for Brothers Past’s four official releases, which includes two studio releases, one live record and a five-song EP. In 2005, Brothers Past released This Feeling’s Called Goodbye on Sci-Fidelity Records, gaining critical acclaim for its unique fusion of indie rock and electronic music. The band has toured the nation several times, appearing in more than 40 states and much of Canada. In 2006, Tom performed with Brothers Past at the Bonnaroo Music Festival, alongside Radiohead, Beck, Tom Petty and Elvis Costello. He has been a longtime supporter of the School of Rock program and is happy to finally be a part of the school of rock family. Check out some of Tom’s music on his band's Myspace page.
http://www.myspace.com/brotherspastcomBrian Davis Guitar & Bass Instructor
BRIAN DAVIS is a jack of all trades. Since he began teaching at School of Rock in 2004, Brian has been teaching both guitar and bass, but he can also be found behind the drum kit or the microphone at show rehearsals. He's currently not performing as part of an active band, but is bouncing around with several different projects. He has performed in the past with Things Fall Apart (www.myspace.com/thingsfallapart) and J.J.Arms (www.myspace.com/jjarms.) He's directed several shows including Radiohead, U2, and Classic Metal. Check out Brian's latest offerings at the link below.
http://www.myspace.com/videoofpeopledyingJordan Del Rosario Guitar Instructor
JORDAN DEL ROSARIO is a Southern man from North Country. For the past three years he has taught guitar and worked as the school's head sound and lighting engineer. He has directed numerous shows over the years, including Freedom Rock and the Beatles. As guitarist and vocalist for Cheers Elephant, Jordan has performed at WXPN's Exponential Festival and been recognized as a winner of the 2007 World Café Beta Hi Fi competition. Jordan also has performed with the infamous Zasz.
http://www.myspace.com/cheerselephantJon Braun Drum Instructor
JON BRAUN loves rock and roll. Since joining the staff in 2004, Jon has taught drums and directed several shows. John has toured nationally with the band he helped co-found, The Insidious Rays, and has shared the stage with G Love, Lake Trout and Project Object. The band has performed at some of the nicest venues in the country, including BB King's, The Electric Factory, Higher Ground and the Fox Theatre, and released four studio albums, one of which was produced by Andrew Weiss (Ween, Rollins Band, Butthole Surfers.) Jon has studied sax and drums privately for more than 15 years. Other acts that Jon has performed with include: Ike Willis and Napoleon Murphy Brock (Frank Zappa), Bernie Worrell (P-Funk, The Talking Heads), Project Object and members of Ween.
Coleman Gladis Keyboard Instructor
COLEMAN GLADIS first began playing piano at age five. Originally trained classically, Cole soon discovered the magic of blues and rock and roll and has evolved into a talented and progressive young songwriter. He has toured the East Coast as keyboardist and lead singer of his band, The Next Left, showcasing a blend of jazz fusion, reggae, and classic rock and roll. Cole has studied with jazz musician Steve Brown, and the renowned African percussionist Babatunde Olatunji. Since graduating from Ithaca College with a degree in Cinema Production, he has scored nearly a dozen films. Cole is currently working on an album that will be released next spring.
Tom Mitchell Guitar & Bass Instructor
Guitar and bass teacher THOMAS MITCHELL has been a big part of the Downingtown School of Rock since joining the staff in October 2005. He attended Bucknell University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music while minoring in Religion and Philosophy. Since graduating, Tom has been writing and playing with the band LoveGravy. In addition to having their songs played on the XPN Philly Local radio show and playing live on Ocean City, Maryland's 98.1 OCM, they have been featured on Comcast On Demand, as well as 102.9 MGK and have shared the stage with the likes of Robert Randolph and Ziggy Marley. LoveGravy has been performing throughout the Northeast, playing shows from Vermont to DC. The band is currently working on their first full-length album.
http://www.myspace.com/loveGravymusicMatt Rothstein Bass Instructor
MATT ROTHSTEIN's roots with the School of Rock run deep. Shortly after first picking up the bass at age 14, he joined the school as a student. He was in the first incarnation of the School of Rock All-Stars, featuring the music of Frank Zappa. With the All-Stars, Matt performed at the Zappanale Festival in Germany in front of thousands, and embarked on a three-week long West Coast tour, playing at some of the world's most famous music venues. After graduating high school, Matt enrolled in Drexel University's Music Industry Program to study recording. Matt has been teaching bass at the Downingtown School of Rock since 2004. He performs regularly in the Mid-Atlantic area with the band Cheers Elephant, winners of the 2007 World Café Beta Hi Fi competition. Matt has performed in venues like the Grape Street Pub, the Khyber, North Star Bar, the Mercury Lounge, World Café Live, and many others. Matt also performs a weekly acoustic residency at the Race Street Café in Philadelphia.
CJ Tywoniak Guitar Instructor
CJ TYWONIAK's resume becomes more impressive by the day. A senior at Downingtown East, CJ was one of Paul Green's original students, as shown in the documentary Rock School. CJ toured with the School of Rock All Stars for five years, and graduated from the program a year early in 2007. CJ has performed for thousands of music lovers all over the U.S. and abroad, including the Zappanale Festival in Germany. CJ has performed with John Anderson (Yes), Adrian Belew (King Crimson), Alice Cooper, Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam), Jeff "Skunk" Baxter (Steely Dan, The Doobie Brothers) and more. CJ will attend Berklee College of Music on a full scholarship beginning in Fall 2008. He is currently involved with The Shred Chamber, a group of three guitarists, a bassist, a drummer, and electric violinist, who play Vivaldi and Tchaikovsky with metal/rock arrangements, run by Chris Gordon, guitar teacher at the Wilmington School of Rock.
http://www.cjtywoniak.comTim Zimmerman Drum Instructor
TIM ZIMMERMAN has been playing drums for ten years and teaching them for five. He's been a teacher at the Downingtown School of Rock since March 2004. Tim has directed many shows over the years, including Steely Dan, the Rolling Stones, Roots of Rock, and David Bowie. Self-taught on the drum set, Tim has freelanced in rock, funk, jazz, latin, soul, gospel and fusion groups, and has recorded and toured with experimental metal band Dare I Say. Tim has also played snare drum in drumline for two years, specializing in use of rudiments and odd meters. He also plays piano and writes music on his computer using FL studio 7 music production software. He now composes and arranges music, records drums and provides lead vocals for progressive symphonic rock group, Zasz.
http://www.myspace.com/zaszrevolution