David Joseph
Owner and Chief Rock & Roller
David Joseph is passionate about rock and roll. It’s been that way forever. His favorite teenage memories involve playing the drums with his bandmates. Almost 20 years ago he made Chapel Hill his family home. He loves the community and its vibrant musical scene. Opening a School of Rock in Chapel Hill is more than a business opportunity for him. It's a musical mission to give back.
School of Rock Chapel Hill is here to share the joy and passion of rock and roll music with our friends and neighbors! We hope to see you here soon.
Mary Clayton Liles
General Manager, School Operations
Mary Clayton is from the bustling metropolis of Siler City, NC. She started playing piano in third grade and attended Appalachian State University to major in music education. While there, she focused on the French horn as her primary instrument but enjoyed learning the basics of several other instruments as well.
After eighteen years of teaching elementary and middle school general music and chorus with Chatham County Schools, Mary Clayton embarked on a fabulous new adventure with School of Rock Chapel Hill. She can't wait to meet all of the budding rock stars in the Chapel Hill area and to support them in their awesomeness however she can!
Mary Clayton listens to a little bit of everything, from bluegrass to hip-hop to opera, but her heart will always beat loudest for rock n' roll. She believes that self-expression is a basic human right and that music is nourishment for the soul. She also loves dogs, traveling, fried okra, bright colors, and her Nintendo Switch.
Grace Perkins
Studio Coordinator
Grace was born and raised in Denver, Colorado, and began taking music lessons at age 6. She is pursuing a double major in psychology and medical anthropology with a minor in neuroscience at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Grace enrolled as a student at the School of Rock in Denver in 2017 as a bassist and transitioned to vocals during her time in the House Band. She graduated from the school in 2023 after four years in House Band and began working as the Studio Coordinator in Denver over the summer.
Grace is a fan of anything alt-rock, ’90s, or grunge. A fun fact about Grace is she is named after Jeff Buckley’s album “Grace”!
Coltrane Ivester
Studio Coordinator, Drum Teacher
Coltrane Ivester was born into the vibrant music scene of Chapel Hill, NC, where his musical journey began at the age of four with the violin. His curiosity for sound led him to explore a diverse array of instruments, including the clarinet, kit and classical percussion, bass guitar, and most recently, the art of singing.
As a former student and House Band member at the School of Rock Chapel Hill, Cole was inspired by his experiences here, prompting him to return as a staff member. He started his journey with School of Rock as a jazz drummer, but he has opened his ears to a broad spectrum of musical influences, from the intricate rhythms of TOOL to the eclectic jams of King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard. He enjoys experimenting with odd meters and heavier grooves, especially as he takes steps to join the Chapel Hill music scene, immersing himself in personal bands & projects and looking for various gigs wherever they might present themselves.
Cole's passion for drumming is nothing short of infectious. He is committed to igniting that same spark in the next generation of musicians at School of Rock Chapel Hill, dedicating his time and energy to nurturing their creativity and love for music.
As Studio Coordinator, Cole is glad to provide daily operational and customer service support to ensure that the school runs smoothly and everybody feels welcomed and informed. With his unique blend of experience and enthusiasm, Cole is eager to inspire students to find their own musical voices and explore the limitless possibilities that music offers.
Georgia Hertz
Music Director, Bass Guitar Teacher, Vocal Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Saxophone Teacher
Georgia hails from Clemmons, NC, and spent most of her time as a child playing piano and catching critters outside. Her father taught her how to play the 12-bar blues at age 4, and there was no going back. She moved on to alto saxophone when she was 11 years old and by 13 she had her first guitar. When it came time to graduate high school, Georgia turned in an acoustic demo CD of original music recorded in a small Winston-Salem studio as her senior project. Much to her parents' amusement, she and her brother formed a short-lived band called Crash where she played rhythm guitar and sang harmonies.
She moved to South Carolina to continue her education at the College of Charleston in 2011 where she became involved in the school's pep band and wind ensembles with alto sax. She also picked up bass guitar and ukulele at this time, joined a folk-punk band called Rigours, and toured South Carolina and North Carolina throughout her college career. Upon graduating with a BA in History, she attempted to be a historic tour guide but music wouldn't let her be. She went on to join folk singer Avi Jacob as a bassist when he toured the Southeast in 2015.
In the fall of 2019, Georgia released her self-titled EP, where she sang and played all the instruments under the name Georgia Moon. She is keen on songwriting and lyricism, and understands that sometimes musical passion must be paired with patience to manifest the best!
Jake Waits
Assistant Music Director - Drum, Piano, Guitar, Bass Guitar and Vocal Teacher
Back in the 1990s Jake Waits started playing drums on his older cousin's kit by sneaking into the basement during holiday visits and stealthily learning how to beat Queen's "We Will Rock You" with brushes. Unconvinced there existed a worthier pursuit than music, he began to study percussion in his sixth grade concert band. His studies have since forayed into styles and techniques like rock, jazz, funk, folk, blues, metal, various hand-drumming, rudimental marching percussion, classical percussion and musical theater. Jake has had the good fortune to study and work under the tutelage of Matt Savage, Alan Keown, Lynn Glassock, Dr. Juan Álamo and Cameron Britt. In addition to teaching, Jake currently helps out at Schoolkids Records in Chapel Hill and plays drums for music projects Happy Abandon and the Tan and Sober Gentlemen. He is a guitar teacher, bass guitar teacher, drum teacher, piano teacher and vocal instructor at School of Rock Chapel Hill.
Danlee Gildersleeve
Assistant Music Director, Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Danlee Gildersleeve was born and raised right around the corner in Hillsborough, North Carolina. He grew up surrounded by music, his father having been a prominent guitarist in the 70s and 80s, playing alongside such greats as Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry. Such immersion was impossible to resist, and for the last eleven years, Danlee has been dedicated to the guitar and all its wonders, traveling all the way out to LA and back with his six string at his side. His inspirations are many and varied, from Eddie Hazel of Funkadelic to Masayoshi Takanaka, from Claudio Sanchez of Coheed and Cambria to Ben McClod of All Them Witches. Jazz, funk, blues, good ol rock and roll, he loves it all, taking a little from a lot to make new sounds thus unexplored.
As a teacher, Danlee hopes to pass on the excitement and true, simple beauty that lies in playing music with others. There exists a connectedness with something greater than ourselves in sharing those moments with the musicians around us, and he firmly believes everyone can benefit from experiencing it at least once. When not teaching at School of Rock Chapel Hill, he can be found reading, listening to records, or enjoying some quality time with his wonderful cat, Penelope.
Anna Cobb
Vocal Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Anna (she/they) lives in Hillsborough, NC, but spent the majority of her childhood right here in Chapel Hill. She was drawn to music at a young age, and this passion was encouraged by her dad’s musical talents as a singer and guitarist. Anna grew up listening to lots of symphonic metal and punk, but their singing is influenced by Coheed and Cambria and Paramore, and maybe even a little Meat Loaf.
Anna’s first vocal lesson was as a sophomore in high school, and she followed that path to St. Olaf College in Minnesota, and then to UNC-Chapel Hill as a transfer student, majoring in sociology and minoring in music. To date, she has sung in a variety of shows and choral programs including the Cantorai Choir at St. Olaf, as well as several local choirs during middle and high school. In their free time, Anna likes to travel to Renaissance festivals up and down the East Coast and spend time with family and friends.
Asher de la Torre
Guitar Teacher and Bass Guitar Teacher
Asher de la Torre moved around a lot as a kid but spent the most time in Brevard, North Carolina, where he began his musical journey with old-time and bluegrass music on the acoustic guitar. His love of music led him to pick up more instruments and join the school band. He studied classical archaeology at UNCG, but that didn’t stop him from sneaking a music minor in there. Throughout high school and college, he played in jazz bands, pep bands, sax quartets, and wind ensemble. He plays and listens to all different kinds of music, from metal to Broadway show tunes. He has a passion for education in any form, having worked in the outdoor education industry. Asher is excited to teach, listen, and continue to grow here at the School of Rock in Chapel Hill.
Rob DiMauro
Drum Teacher
Described by many local musicians as “a chameleon” for his ability to adapt to almost any musical situation, Rob was born on the west end of Montreal, Quebec and raised in Chapel Hill, NC. He knew at age 10 and a half that he wanted to be a drummer after seeing the film “That Thing You Do!” when it was released in theaters. Learning under the tutelage of local drum teacher Larry Duckworth and Rob’s middle and high school band programs, Rob had a solid local foundation and drive that set him on the path to doing what he loved to do. Later specializing in Modern Rock, Jazz, and Funk, Rob is also an aficionado of Motown and Classic Rock….and sometimes Star Wars. In his pre-teens (and later as a guest instructor) he got to attend the prestigious Soundwall Music Camp in Southern California, where he learned from some of the best Bay Area session players in the industry, including John Xepoleas (Independent) and Jason Wall (touring drummer for the late great Louie Bellson, Independent). Through those experiences, he was taught how to truly open his ears and play as a pivotal part of any musical ensemble. Following those years, Rob has racked up over 4,000+ hours of session drumming experience, played and toured in over a dozen bands, opened for major label acts such as Citizen Cope and Eric Gales and co-hosted the infamous Monday Night Open Mic at The Station in Carrboro, NC.
Nate Gerard
Drum Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Banjo Teacher
Nate Gerard is from the Hudson Valley area of New York and has been passionate about music from a young age. In the fifth grade, he found an old acoustic guitar in the attic that belonged to his dad and was immediately drawn to it. Nate played in multiple bands from old-timey folk, to ska, to funk and punk rock, and currently plays drums in two Chapel Hill bands, Mystery Ranch and Server.
Nate can’t imagine his life without music in it. Music has always been a pillar that has upheld him and provided support, comfort, friendship, and happiness. His goal with his students is to inspire a similar passion for music and to connect them with performing and playing in a deep and meaningful way. He is a guitar teacher, bass guitar teacher, and drum teacher at School of Rock Chapel Hill.
Chip GrawOzburn
Guitar and Bass Guitar Teacher
Chip GrawOzburn is a guitarist and songwriter originally from the cold northern farm valleys around La Crosse, Wisconsin. He has lived in the Chapel Hill area with his wife and two children for over 11 years. He has taught various guitar students on a one-to-one basis over the last 20+ years. He is extremely excited to teach and share his love of the instrument with the School of Rock community and students.
Chip began playing guitar in 1986 as a freshman in high school and immediately began playing in jam bands. While working towards his Associate degree in communications and broadcasting after high school, he frequented the music scene around the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. Minneapolis gave him an opportunity to play a variety of styles from rock, reggae, and funk to acoustic styles. After broadcasting school, Chip built a recording studio (Citrus Productions) and worked with a writing partner writing songs and recording. He tightened up his guitar playing, learned to play some bass and became a studio rat, programming keyboards, drums and various other sounds.
Rafael Green
Guitar Teacher, Vocal Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Rafael was born in Essen, Germany to musician parents. He spent his early years in Wrasybury, England before moving to Tucson, Arizona where he started showing an interest in music and acquired his first guitar. After discovering a love of performing and writing songs in various bands throughout junior high and high school, Rafael attended Berklee College of Music to study arranging, production, songwriting, voice, and guitar.
After graduation, Rafael moved to Nashville, Tennessee where he formed a band called Little Raven. Rafael has performed extensively around the southeast with his band and as a solo artist. He works as a gigging guitar player and session musician with rock and pop groups in The Triangle area of North Carolina, and Nashville, and also freelances as an audio engineer and producer. Rafael now resides in Durham, NC.
Will Kitchin
Drum and Piano Teacher
Will grew up in Greenville, North Carolina where he got his start reading music by playing in a middle school band. Like many kids who grew up in suburban areas, he learned his rudiments and developed his reading through his high school drumline. Being immersed in 90s alternative music, a huge part of his adolescence was spent playing in original rock groups. Will attended East Carolina University in 1999, where he studied percussion under Jonathan Wacker. He participated in various ensembles including the ECU Wind, percussion and a few music theater productions. In 2000, he was also fortunate to play in the WGI group Carolina Thunder Percussion Ensemble, led by Scotty Cells. Ultimately, though, Will gravitated towards jazz as his primary focus for his music degree. His concentration in Jazz Performance gave him the opportunity to study and interact with many world class musicians such as Caroll Dashiell, Paul Tardif and Stephen Riley.
Upon graduation in 2005, Will taught privately in the Greenville area and performed/traveled in local funk groups Dystonic and Blount Harvey. In recent years, Will has worked on cruise ships. In that setting, he has accompanied a variety of singers and instrumentalists, all while traveling the world. He has also lived briefly in the NYC area, where he accompanied plays for the STC, an independent theater group. When not working on cruise ships, he has spent most of his time playing jazz gigs and writing/recording music for his art rock/indie project Angel Boy Cow. As a teacher, Will attempts to show that the best and most compelling drumming is often made up of simple musical phrases. Mostly, he tries to make learning drums fun and inspire creativity for students of any age bracket or experience level.
Ace McAteer
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Ace McAteer is a native of Burlington, NC, and has lived there his whole life. He has always been a fan of rock music, with early memories of listening to Tom Petty, KISS, and AC/DC with his dad.
A middle school teacher sparked his interest in guitar by introducing him to Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, the Allman Brothers, and Led Zeppelin. Ace still loves every single one of these artists and loves to play their music in his band.
Ace is a former School of Rock Chapel Hill student and participated in several Performance Program seasons. Blues musicians such as Robert Johnson, Son House, and Elmore James are huge inspirations for him, and he is very knowledgeable about their repertoire and styles.
He has studied guitar with an emphasis on blues and slide guitar, but he is excited to teach any genre that his students enjoy! Ace is currently a music student at Guilford Tech and is hoping to transfer to UNC for music performance.
When not working, Ace can be found practicing with his band, listening to the Allman Brothers or Derek Trucks, and listening to audiobooks about his favorite musicians and bands.
Libby Miller
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Performing arts has always been the center of Libby’s life. Growing up in New Jersey and playing guitar at the age of 7, Libby also took an interest in singing, competitive dance, and any opportunity to be on a stage. Her older brother (also a former School of Rock guitarist), mother, and father were a big inspiration to her musical taste, introducing her to bands that she still loves to this day like Led Zeppelin, Rush, Kansas, Metallica, and Pink Floyd.
Libby loves all musical genres including but not limited to rock, progressive metal, funk, jazz, pop, and indie. Libby was a former student at School of Rock Chapel Hill and was a guitarist in the School of Rock Chapel Hill House Band. Libby is currently being mentored by Tom Monda, the lead guitarist and founding member of Thank You Scientist, and she also continues to write, compose, and perform live music in the region as the lead guitarist in several bands. She foresees mastering many more instruments in the future in addition to vocals and bass!
Libby believes in the expression that music is a universal language that allows for joy to be spread throughout communities and brings people together. She is excited to continue her musical journey by sharing her knowledge with students who want to explore the depths of their instrument through technique, theory, and performance. Improvisation is a technique she utilizes frequently and is her favorite skill to perform with other musicians. Learning rock songs that are the soundtrack of her life never fails to give her joy and she looks forward to instructing guitar students who want to indulge more deeply into their favorite music while also introducing them to new music at School of Rock Chapel Hill.
Henry Pfeiffer
Vocal Teacher
Henry’s biopic would open with a 3-year-old Henry tenderly singing the Rolling Stones' "You Can’t Always Get What You Want" to other tiny tots having tantrums at his preschool. Henry was raised on a steady diet of Dwight Yoakam, show tunes, and SiriusXM Radio, and by the age of 12, he had cast aside his parent’s musical tastes and cultivated his own.
Henry has been actively involved with School of Rock Chapel Hill since 2018 and was a vocalist in the 2022-2023 House Band. He happily toured five states with the group in the summer of 2023 and continues to perform with several local bands.
Professionally, Henry has been a camp counselor, a roadie, and a certified lifeguard. He also spent a decade of summers writing and performing in original musicals under the auspices of musician and composer Creighton Irons.
Henry is a kinetic, magnetic performer who enjoys connecting with and entertaining a crowd. His favorite concert experience involved wandering away from the Sierra Ferrell show he was attending at Cat’s Cradle, and accidentally stumbling into a foggy, strobe-lit backroom where a DJ was blasting electronica and a motley crew of concert-goers danced like he had never seen before. He is a devoted listener of WXYC 89.3 FM.
A 2023 graduate of Carrboro High School, Henry loves skateboarding, rock climbing, live music festivals, hanging with his cousins, swimming, Ultimate Frisbee, travel, Olympic-level charades, cooking, and helping young people find their voice and style, as well as unique stage presence, here at School of Rock in Chapel Hill.
Lavern Queen
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Drums Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Vocals Teacher
Lavern grew up in Asheboro, NC, and has been living and performing in Durham for the past three years. He got his start in music at age 12 after discovering his grandfather’s acoustic guitar, and quickly fell into vocals, drums, keyboard + piano, bass guitar, ukulele, and anything else that made sound. Over time, he also began tinkering with electronics, repairing and building his own instruments and effects to deepen his connection to the craft.
A graduate of Asheboro High School with an Associate of Science from Randolph Community College, Lavern combines a strong understanding of music theory with a love for writing and performing. His music spans a wide range of genres, often leaning into experimental and genre-bending territory. His first musical obsession was Pink Floyd, and his influences now include Ween, Mac DeMarco, Gorillaz, and Modest Mouse.
He performs regularly, both solo and in bands and is a familiar face at local open mics around Durham. When he’s not playing music or teaching at School of Rock Chapel Hill, Lavern enjoys hiking, fishing, and foraging.
Gabriel Reynolds
Piano, Vocal and Guitar Teacher
Gabriel Reynolds is a pianist and singer with over ten years of live performance experience. Since graduating from the University of North Carolina with a Bachelor of Arts in Music in 2013, he’s done a bit of everything in music, from working at recording studio BNB Audio to booking for Carrboro bar 2nd Wind to producing other artists’ work to playing in multiple bands. He loves collaborating and building artistic experiences together, with one of his proudest experiences being the White Album 50th Anniversary Concert he organized in 2018, where he organized a house band to help him and nine other local artists cover all 30 of the album’s songs (yes, even that song) to raise money for the Compass Center for Women and Families. He currently performs as Wake Moody and released his debut EP under that name in 2019; he’s also been a resident member of many bands including XOXOK, Matt Phillips, Emily Musolino, Morning Brigade, T0W3RS, and more. While Gabriel spent time focusing on jazz and classical music at UNC, his biggest genre loves are pop, rock and R&B/soul, with a particular passion for music theory, arrangement, and songwriting. Gabriel knows it’s a privilege and a joy to play music and is excited to pass that joy and empowerment along to others.
Chris Schramm
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Chris is a passionate musician and instructor at School of Rock Chapel Hill, bringing nearly two decades of guitar and bass experience to the table. Originally from New York, Chris recently relocated to Clayton, North Carolina to continue sharing a love for music through teaching and performance. With a strong musical foundation, he is excited to continue encouraging creativity and confidence on his students' musical journey.
Chris holds a degree in Music Business from SUNY Oneonta, where he combined a deep love of music with the practical knowledge of the industry. Whether working with beginners or more advanced players, Chris focuses on developing well-rounded musicianship through hands-on learning. Since his time as a student at School of Rock Port Jefferson, Chris has performed in multiple bands with genres spanning Blues, Punk, Folk and Metal. With roots in rock, he aims to inspire students to find their unique voice and have fun along the way.
Paula Vilches-Kugler
Vocals Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Paula is a singer-songwriter and musician who has been surrounded by music her whole life. To her, art is always valuable because it’s an expression of the soul. Making music isn’t just what she does—it’s who she is. Through her songs, she loves connecting with people and sharing beauty from her own perspective.
Born in Chile and now based in the United States, Paula studied opera and classical music in college before earning her bachelor’s degree in jazz and popular music. Still, it was rock that truly shaped her path—so much so that for years she literally sang opera by day and rock by night!
Paula has performed internationally, and has recorded several albums. Along the way, she has collaborated with musicians from a wide range of genres, including Steve Rothery (Marillion) and Patricio Portius (Star Wars Visions, OST). As a solo artist, Paula has released four records along with several music videos—one of them featuring Chilean ice-water swimmer and four-time Guinness World Record holder Bárbara Hernández, showing how her creative collaborations extend far beyond music. Paula brings her creativity and expertise to School of Rock Chapel Hill.
