Henry Beradelli
Drum Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Henry teaches guitar and bass for beginners, and drums for all levels. He is a former School of Rock student and is active in the South East Michigan music scene. Henry has played shows all around the area and is currently working on an album with his band.
Henry also graduated from Western Michigan University with a bachelor’s degree in multimedia arts & technology. He hopes to make a career out of recording bands and artists. Henry loves listening, playing, and teaching all types of music and specializes in alternative/punk genres.
Bradley Birkle
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Vocal Teacher, Drum Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Bradley is a multi-instrumentalist from Lapeer, Michigan. He first picked up bass in 2012 and a year later he took to guitar seriously. Brad has played in a wide variety of settings such as rock, big band, orchestra bass, and solo classical guitar.
Bradley earned his bachelor's degree in Guitar Performance from Eastern Michigan University in 2021. Currently, he writes, performs, and records music with his band Social Meteor where he plays guitar and bass and sings. Additionally, Brad is experienced with drums, piano, and baroque lute.
Caden Cox
Guitar Teacher, Vocal Teacher
Caden is a vocal and guitar teacher at School of Rock Canton. He is a former student of School of Rock Canton and was a part of our House Band before graduating from the program.
As a child, Caden gained vocal experience through classical training and performing musicals on stage. In his teens, he took an interest in playing guitar and began learning to play. Caden listens to and enjoys just about everything, but especially loves alternative rock and grunge music.
Lorelei Gabriel
Vocal Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Drum Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Lorelei Gabriel is a musician from Northville, Michigan. She has an Associate of Science degree in Sound Recording Technology from Schoolcraft Community College and is currently attending Eastern Michigan University.
Lorelei is currently the lead singer and guitarist in her band, as well as the guitarist for another. She taught dance to kids from 2011 to 2017 and has been teaching guitar for several years.
Kymiah Glass
Vocal Teacher
Kymiah Glass is a sophomore at Eastern Michigan University, majoring in Music Performance with a vocal concentration. She has performed at a Detroit Pistons game, sings every Sunday at her church, and is the lead vocalist for her band, Crowd Ctrl.
In addition to her vocal talents, Kymiah plays six instruments, with trumpet as her primary. She is a National Semi-Finalist in classical vocal performance and an active member of the EMU Choir. Kymiah brings passion, versatility, and a wealth of experience to every stage she steps on, including at School of Rock Canton.
James Miller
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
James Miller is a passionate guitarist and performer with over 17 years of experience. He was first introduced to music through the blues, learning to play alongside his father—a foundation that sparked a lifelong love for the guitar.
Throughout his education at Cranbrook, James was a key member of the jazz band, and he further honed his skills with the Wayne State Jazz Youth Ensemble. Today, he stays active in the Detroit music scene, performing regularly with R&B and Hip-Hop artists and fronting his own band, The Hail Saints.
James brings real-world experience and a love for diverse musical styles into his teaching. He’s committed to helping students at School of Rock Canton build their skills, find their sound, and discover the same passion for music that’s guided his journey.
Gayelynn McKinney
Drum Teacher
Gayelynn McKinney began playing the drums at the age of two. Although she received much of her musical training in the Detroit Jazz scene, she also
obtained her Bachelor of Music degree from Oakland University. Gayelynn has recorded projects with the group Straight Ahead, (of which she is a cofounder) Ralph Armstrong and Marcus Belgrave just to name a few. She has recently recorded solo projects called “It's About Time,” “McKinFolk The New Beginning,”and “Zoot Suit Funk.” Gayelynn McKinney's many awards include: 2014 Kresge Artist Fellows recipient, with the Group Straight Ahead and McKinFolk, a Grammy Nomination, Detroit Black Music Award recipient, and Detroit Music Awards for best jazz composer. Gayelynn McKinney has had the opportunity to travel extensively and play at many famous jazz festivals including Montreux-Jazz Fest, Lionel Hampton Jazz Fest, New Orleans Jazz Fest, Essence Festival, Olympics, and the Kennedy Center. She has also performed as a side musician with such notables as Benny Golson, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Diane Shure, Jason Marsalis, Freda Payne, Roy Ayers, Geri Allen, Marcus Belgrave, Chaka Khan, Roy Hargrove, Randy Brecker, Rick Margitza, Larry Coryell, Ralphe Armstrong, Steve Turre, Kevin Mahogany, James Carter, Tim Ries, (The Rolling Stones Music director) and “Speech” of “Arrested Development.” Gayelynn is also the last drummer to tour with Aretha Franklin. While performing with Aretha Franklin, Gayelynn had the distinct honor to play for presidential hopeful, Hilary Clinton. She also performed at Tribeca Film Fest featuring a tribute to Clive Davis.
Jonathon Meyer
Vocal Teacher, Keyboard Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Jonathon Meyer is a guitarist, bassist, synthesizer/keyboard player, and songwriter from Canton, Michigan. He got started playing music while attending Salem High School through forming bands by playing guitar and bass with peers and by playing bass for the schools jazz band. In 2018 he graduated from Salem and in the same year, formed a band called Read the Sun. The band has currently completed two projects with Jonathon playing guitar and synthesizer titled "Music for Birds" and "Living Thru" as well as one tour in summer 2019 at the time of Living Thru's release. Jonathon is versed in playing the styles of Classic Rock, Grunge, alternative rock, Punk/Pop-Punk, Blues, Jazz, as well as psychedelic, progressive, and experimental rock.
Andrew Rice
Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Andrew is a keyboard + piano teacher at School of Rock who brings over a decade of piano and percussion experience to the stage and the classroom. He’s all about making music fun and helping students discover their own unique sound.
Andrew has performed at major events like the Michigan Youth Arts Festival (2017) and the Michigan Music Conference (2019). Beyond the stage, he loves jamming with friends and has been part of producing music for a variety of artists around Metro Detroit.
Currently, Andrew is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Music with a focus in Music Technology at Wayne State University, continuing to grow his passion for creating, performing, and sharing music. He’s excited to pass that same energy on to his students at School of Rock Canton!
DeMarcus Sumter
Drum Teacher, Vocal Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
DeMarcus Sumter comes to School of Rock Canton after traveling the world as a drummer and musician for various styles of music. He has worked as a studio musician across the United States and has been teaching drums and vocals for over 20 years.
When DeMarcus is not teaching, he is performing with multiple bands, including his own, all over Michigan and at festivals on the East Coast.
Bri Minghine
Studio Coordinator
As soon as Bri could speak, she used her voice to sing! Before becoming our Studio Coordinator at the School of Rock in Canton, Michigan, Bri was a School of Rock vocal student. Since joining the team and being surrounded by our very talented instructors, she has been inspired to learn how to play guitar and other instruments as well.
Bri loves many different genres of music and some of her favorite artists include The Beatles and Fleetwood Mac. She is also a big Taylor Swift fan! She loves working at School of Rock, meeting new students, and watching each of them grow as a musician. Bri is currently a college student pursuing a business degree.
Scott Burek
General Manager
Scott Burek has spent his life working with kids and helping them develop their full potential. Over the years, Scott has worked as a coach, summer camp instructor, high school teacher, and middle school principal. After more than 25 years working in public education, he decided it was time for a change and has come to School of Rock Canton as the General Manager. A music fan since he was a kid, Scott has always had a large music collection. He enjoys traveling, attending concerts and listening to all types of music.
Chris Marek
Owner
Chris Marek spent more than 26 years shaping young minds as a principal in the Plymouth-Canton and Wayne-Westland school districts—but his true passion was always music. A lifelong guitar player from Muskegon, MI, Chris picked up the instrument at age 11. After being forced to sight-read “Hot Cross Buns” when he just wanted to play Led Zeppelin, he ditched lessons and learned the hard way how important it is to keep music fun and inspiring.
That’s why Chris fell in love with School of Rock’s Song First approach, where students learn the music they’re excited about and build reading, theory, and technique along the way. In 2019, after retiring from education, Chris turned his dream into reality by opening School of Rock Canton. Two years later he expanded with School of Rock Farmington, and in 2026 he’ll launch his third location: School of Rock Troy.
Today, Chris is proud to own and operate three thriving schools, giving kids, teens, and adults the chance to unlock their inner rock star in a supportive, high-energy environment.