Eric Lonning
Owner
School of Rock Chesapeake is owned by Eric and Jennifer Lonning. Before opening the Chesapeake school, the Lonnings opened School of Rock Virginia Beach in 2015. Throughout his childhood, Eric took guitar and drum lessons, played in bands, and had success touring and recording with a great group of friends and bandmates. Later, Eric pursued a career in marketing before returning to music at School of Rock. Eric's mission is to create a music school where students will become outstanding musicians, but more importantly inspiring and amazing individuals. Eric attended Wake Forest University where he studied Communication and Religion.
Jennifer Lonning
Owner
Jennifer and Eric Lonning own School of Rock Virginia Beach and School of Rock Chesapeake. After graduating from Virginia Tech, Jennifer pursued a career in orthopedic sales. She loved working with doctors and patients throughout Hampton Roads, but she jumped at the chance to join School of Rock full-time in 2017. Jennifer focuses on community outreach, early childhood music programs, camps and overall school operations. When she's not at School of Rock, Jenn keeps busy with the Lonnings' three children, Max, Emily and Izzy.
Holly Milner
General Manager
Holly Milner was born and raised in Norfolk and was instilled with a love for music at a very early age. She began playing the piano at 3 and the violin at 10, and is a passionate collector of vinyl.
Holly has over 15 years of experience at School of Rock and now serves as the General Manager in Chesapeake. She is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the school, including scheduling, billing, student safety, and new member orientation. She feels lucky every day to have found an environment that combines her two favorite things: helping kids and rock music.
Roo O'Donnell
Drum Teacher, Assistant Music Director
Andrew "Roo" O'Donnell started drumming at 9 years old and was touring by the time he was 17. Roo has been giving lessons since he was in his early twenties.
After moving to New York in 2016, Roo found himself in dozens of bands and projects, thrust into the competitive but exhilarating session music scene. He has since relocated to Virginia and loves teaching the future rockers at the School of Rock in Chesapeake. In addition to supervising many of our group programs, Roo is also responsible for driving the usage of our proprietary Method App and overseeing our music teachers.
Joe Graves
Guitar Teacher
Joe is a local legend and popular guitar teacher at School of Rock Virginia Beach. Joe has been playing guitar for as long as he can remember and recorded and toured throughout the east coast with his band, TRUCK. A mainstay at School of Rock, you will find Joe teaching guitar lessons, coaching bands, and fixing whatever is broken.
Alex Juda
Guitar Teacher
Alex is a former School of Rock student who loves giving back to the next generation of School of Rock kids. A terrific vocalist and guitar player, Alex loves teaching private lessons and coaching bands in our Rock 101 and Performance Program. Alex is working on his degree and hopes to pursue a career in music therapy.
Koren Okpodu
Vocal Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Koren is a vocal and keyboard + piano teacher at School of Rock Chesapeake. She loves teaching students of all ages and also teaches our Rock 101 program. You can catch Koren performing around Hampton Roads and putting out new, original music regularly.
John Orengo
Guitar Teacher
John relocated to southeast Virginia after living in New York City for many years. John has over 15 years of experience giving guitar lessons, playing in bands, and working in a variety of companies. John loves to teach and help School of Rock students conquer the stage!
Maria Ramirez
Vocal Teacher
Maria Ramirez is a bilingual performer, producer, vocalist, and keyboardist who owns her own mixed media production company. Maria jumped into the world of musical theater and chorus as a high school student, before moving into music production and mentoring vocalists in the recording studio environment. She also has experience with music production including music engineering, mixing, and mastering. She has also toured with the American Electric Light Orchestra and has many years of building client relationships.
Maria is excited to be a part of School of Rock Chesapeake while she continues to pursue her dreams of recording original music and working on various creative projects.
Mike Morgan
Drum Teacher
Mike Morgan is a multi-instrumentalist with over 20 years of experience playing the drum set and other percussion including congas, bongos, and timbales. Mike also has significant experience with keyboard, bass, and guitar. Before joining School of Rock Chesapeake, Mike worked at the Norfolk location for over two years.
Mike officially began playing drums when he was around 10 years old on popcorn tubs covered with towels and large pots. He still uses the same white CB percussion drum set he got when he was 16 for recording and gigs. Mike drums for several local bands in the Hampton Roads area, including Mosquito Cabaret, Janks, Saving Daylight, and Ghost Town Union. He also records his own instruments and vocals for his one-man band project, Sundef.
Mike's drumming influences include Mitch Mitchell of The Jimi Hendrix Experience, jazz great Elvin Jones, Abe Cunningham of Deftones, Chico Hamilton, Poncho Sanchez, and Santana just to name a few.
Ross Ellis
Guitar Teacher
Ross is a dedicated and experienced instructor with years of teaching expertise. With a passion for the performing arts, Ross boasts more than seven years of performance experience, including an impressive three-year stint entertaining audiences at Busch Gardens. His extensive background in theater spans over eight years, and he brings a wealth of knowledge and practical insights to his teaching.
In addition to his work on stage, Ross has showcased his talents on cruise ships, contributing to his well-rounded and diverse performance background. Not only is Ross a skilled performer and instructor, but he is also fluent in Japanese, adding a unique cultural perspective to his teaching approach. With a commitment to fostering creativity and skill development, Ross is a valued teacher who brings a rich blend of performance and instructional experience to every class!
Morgan Hopkins
Vocal Teacher
Morgan is a highly accomplished singer/songwriter with a proven track record in the music industry. As the lead vocalist and band manager of the popular local band, Soft Plan, she has captivated audiences with her exceptional talent. Before her involvement with Soft Plan, Morgan showcased her skills as the singer/front woman for the band Candi and as a singer for The Michael Goldberg Band.
In addition to her musical achievements, Morgan has also demonstrated her versatility as a performer, both as a singer and actor. She showcased her talents in the production "Deja The Wall" at the prestigious Sandler Center.
Morgan's expertise extends beyond her own performances. She has received training from renowned institutions such as Starling Voice Studio and the William Esper Studio in New York. With a passion for exploring different vocal techniques, Morgan is dedicated to finding what works best for each vocalist. She believes in creating a comfortable and enjoyable environment that allows artists to grow and thrive. Morgan's love for her craft shines through in her commitment to providing a nurturing space for aspiring artists. She finds joy in guiding and supporting others on their artistic journey.
Matt Nichols
Bass Guitar Teacher
Matt is the lead bass instructor at the School of Rock in Chesapeake, Virginia. He has also taught at the Virginia Beach location and has made a name for himself as a great guitar and bass instructor.
When he's not teaching at School of Rock, Matt gigs with a live looping project called onemanbassband, where he loops bass parts to create the sound of a full band. Matt is a technical bass player who reads music and plays all styles.