Jim Sellers
Owner, Music Director
With a music career spanning more than three decades, pianist Jim Sellers has performed with many of today’s jazz luminaries, including trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, saxophonists Frank Catalano and Richie Cole, and bassist Bill Yancey. Chicago Jazz Magazine says, "Sellers uses his virtuosity and eclectic knowledge to excellent effect…[with] novel approaches and notable musical surprises." The Jazz Institute of Chicago has praised Jim's “…unambiguous attack of the piano and witty arrangements.”
Prior to School of Rock, he taught at the Bloom School of Jazz (17 years), St Barbara High School, and Oak Brook Academy of Music and Art. Also an accomplished guitarist, bassist, composer, Sellers earned a Bachelor's degree in music from Northern Illinois University, and a Master's Degree in Jazz Studies and Composition from DePaul University.
Luke Dupuis
Music Director, Show Director, Guitar Teacher, Singing Teacher
Luke Dupuis is a guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter who mainly performs and creates in the genre of progressive rock and metal. He has been playing guitar for nearly two decades, and since his start, he has built and refined skills as both a technical lead and rhythm player. Luke fronts his own band, The Untold, on lead vocals and guitar. He also writes most of the music for the band which has been releasing songs and playing shows since 2017.
In 2018, Luke graduated from Columbia College Chicago with a bachelor’s degree in contemporary, urban, and popular music, with a focus on guitar performance. Even though Luke is mostly a rock and metal player, he has experience studying and playing in various genres of music including jazz, fusion, r&b, funk, acoustic finger-style, blues, and more. Luke is always pushing himself and constantly honing his sound, technique, and songwriting. Becoming a better musician is a lifelong and joyous process, and there is nothing he would rather be dedicating his life to.
Manuel Miller
Assistant Music Director, Show Director, Guitar Teacher, Singing Teacher
Manuel Miller is a guitarist and vocalist born and raised in Chicago. He has performed in multiple original and cover bands over the course of the past decade, playing shows at places like Double Door, Lincoln Hall, Bottom Lounge, and House of Blues, and touring the midwest. Manuel started learning guitar at the age of 13, alongside learning saxophone as part of his education, and dabbled in other instruments like keyboards, bass, and any other instrument lying around with strings on it. While mostly focused on performing rock and indie music, Manuel has experience playing many genres of music, including soul, funk, and jazz, winning the Berklee College of Music's Judge's Choice Award in 2011. He has also recorded with Sean O'Keefe and has recorded and mixed original music. Currently, he leads a cover band and an original project called j a b o b o.
Felipe Fiorini
Drum Teacher
Felipe Fiorini is a Brazilian drummer from Rio de Janeiro, based in Chicago since 2017. With over 20 years of experience playing drums and performing live, he started at age 11 in the Afro-Brazilian percussion ensemble, Bloco d'O Passo. Later on, he moved to the drum kit and joined a few Punk, Metal and Rock groups, touring around as the headliner or the opening act for bands like Ignite, Truckfighters, La Dispute, Silverstein, No Fun At All, Jake Bugg, and many others. Once in Chicago, he studied music performance at Columbia College Chicago, where he dedicated his time to learn new genres and had the opportunity to study and perform with artists like Darryl Jones, Nick Tremullis, Woody Goss, Bernard Purdie, and Donny McCaslin. Now Felipe is a drum instructor for School Of Rock Andersonville and performs around town.
Rachel Anthony
Drums Teacher
Rachel “Chop Suey” Anthony is a professional drummer and live performance teacher who believes that rhythm and music is an extension of who we all are in the world. She is a working musician who studied performing arts throughout high school, and studied for her BA in Music Performance and Music Education at Detroit Institute of Music Education, with a personal interest in music therapy and music psychology. Rachel strives to make an impact through nurturing musical development in a supportive, inclusive and most positive way.
Andie Williams
Singing Teacher, Little Wing/Rookies Teacher
Andie Williams (she/her) is a Jazz and Blues inspired songwriter and vocalist. She has been involved in Chicago’s music scene for over five years, having attended Columbia College Chicago for her Bachelor’s in Contemporary Music, meanwhile playing at venues all across the city. Whether accompanying herself on electric guitar, singing as a part of a Jazz duo, or leading a full band, Andie's sense of expression and vulnerability shines through.
Isabella Andries
Keyboard Teacher
Isabella Andries is a pianist and songwriter native to the Chicago area. As a former School of Rock student, she is no stranger to the joy of performing with an ensemble and bringing the works of legendary bands to life. During her time there, she was a keyboardist in the house band, and performed at Summerfest and the Rave in Milwaukee. Her fondest memories include playing a Frank Zappa tribute show and music by the Big 4 of Thrash Metal.
Isabella is a recent graduate of Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin, where she earned her Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance. Her speciality is contemporary classical music and works for piano and electronics. An active collaborative performer, she has a wide breadth of experience in solo, duo and chamber music. She has performed as a pit musician for musical theatre productions at Lawrence and in the greater Chicago area. Her studies have brought her to the InterHarmony International Music Festival in Italy and the Yarn/Wire Institute at Stony Brook University in New York. A performer with a passion for teaching, her pedagogy training has informed everything she does with her students.
When she is not teaching, Izzie can be found writing and producing music under her stage name, Ar1adn3.
Quinn McGuire
Guitar Teacher
Quinn McGuire is a Chicago based guitarist and educator specializing in jazz, funk, blues, R&B, and rock. Following resistance to piano lessons, Quinn’s parents bought him a guitar for his ninth birthday, and he started guitar lessons. Early on, he studied privately with Larry Baker and Duke Tumatoe. Throughout highschool Quinn played in the jazz band, getting to meet Emmet Cohen and Bob Mintzer as clinicians. Along with this he gigged in a cover band with other students from his school.
Quinn recently completed his bachelor's degree in jazz studies at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music studying under Dave Stryker. In his time at the Jacobs School of Music, Quinn performed in ensembles led by Sean Dobbins, John Raymond, Brent Wallarab, Wayne Wallace, and Tom Walsh.
Walker Wilson
Drum Teacher
Walker Wilson has been teaching drums at SoR since 2019, having taught at the Libertyville and Chicago locations as well as Andersonville. He’s a seasoned musician, with concert/marching band experience, and he’s been playing drum set in local bands since 2016. Musical opportunities have taken him to Nashville, Disney World, New York City, and even Germany, where he toured for 2 weeks with his school band. His current bands, We Weren’t Invited and Isn’t It Strange, are taking the Chicago scene by storm with their high-energy live shows and genre-bending music. Walker believes there are no bad musicians, only those who haven’t practiced enough yet.
Michaela Thurston
Singing Teacher, Keyboard Teacher, Drum Teacher
Michaela is a Chicago native and is the product of a double lineage of musicians and singers—a true third-generation catalyst! Her soft and sultry vocal style has gained positive attention in music arenas all over this country and the West Indies. She began honing her gifts (singing, drums, bass guitar, piano, and music composition) at the tender age of seven.
Michaela began her music career playing drums as she traveled the country with her parents and later became the musical director for their ministry. Those gifts developed and became the catapult for her to move into directing choirs and eventually expand as a recording artist, musician, producer, and songwriter. She has had the opportunity to share stages with and for many artists like The Legendary Rudy Love (Grandfather) & the Love Family, Michael & Gina Thurston (her parents), the Clark Sisters, Kim Burrell, Kierra Sheard, Tye Tribbett, and many more!
Michaela is currently working on her solo album and a few other entrepreneurial endeavors. Her ultimate goal is to remain true to herself and God while touching and inspiring all who cross her path one smile and song at a time.
Jade Gray
Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Singing Teacher
Jade Gray is a writer, actor, and voice teacher located in Chicago, IL. While her background is in musical theatre, Jade is excited to teach rock music. She hopes to encourage her students to become well-rounded musicians who understand the fundamentals of vocal technique and music theory.