David Ireland
Owner
School of Rock Conroe is owned and operated by David Ireland. When he came home after serving in the military, he was looking for an extracurricular activity for his kids. He was introduced to School of Rock and that’s when he fell in love with the business. After he finished his MBA, he decided to leave his job in corporate America to purchase a School of Rock franchise. David is passionate about his community and eager to provide opportunities for students to further their music education.
Lex Parker
Assistant General Manager
In 2011, Lex started taking guitar and bass guitar lessons at School of Rock The Woodlands, helping to instruct some of the Rock 101 classes. Lex studied marine biology in college, starting a career in equine and small animal veterinary medicine and moving to Florida to live on a sailboat.
After one too many cat scratches and dog bites, Lex decided to change paths and found School of Rock Coral Springs, where she started out as a Studio Coordinator and worked her way up to Studio Manager. Two awesome years passed in Florida, but Lex's heart was still in Texas - so she packed up the sailboat and moved back to help with her parent's property and animals, joining School of Rock Conroe as their Assistant General Manager.
Lulu
Music Director, Vocal Teacher, Drum Teacher
A child of the 80s, Lulu was raised on metal, punk, and new wave: rounding out their education with a side of classic rock, blues, and jazz. As a drummer, guitarist, and vocalist, Lulu never met an instrument they didn't like. Lulu's musical journey has taken them all over and allowed them to play alongside musicians from all walks of life and tiers of talent.
Originally starting at School of Rock in 2015, Lulu has seen how the simple act of making music helps students find their confidence and sense of self which enabled them to pursue their passions and achieve their goals. Whether said goal is a garage band with friends or getting signed, recording albums, and touring the U.S. and Europe, Lulu is proud to walk that path with each and every student at School of Rock Conroe and have had the privilege to watch the full spectrum of those visions come to fruition.
As Nietzsche succinctly put it : "Without music, life would be a mistake."
Izzy Ireland
Studio Coordinator
Izzy just graduated high school. She is going to major in mechanical engineering in the fall at Texas A&M Corpus Christi. She has dabbled in piano and singing but was always meant for the court. She played volleyball and ran track her first three years of high school. After college, she wants to work on the F1 race tracks in Europe and be a Mechanic at Porsche. When Izzy is not working at School of Rock Conroe, she loves to go out and try different coffee shops, go relax on the beach, and travel.
Joey Scale
Drum Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Joey Scale is a highly accomplished musician and educator with over 18 years of experience, bringing a dynamic and expert approach to rock music education. For over a decade, Joey has been a driving force at School of Rock, building on eight years of dedicated teaching as a middle school band director. This extensive background provides him with a unique perspective on nurturing musical talent from foundational skills to advanced rock performance. He’s proficient across a wide array of instruments, including drums, percussion, piano, keys, bass guitar, and guitar, giving him a comprehensive understanding of the full band experience.
Joey's impact is evident in the remarkable achievements of his students. Many of his former School of Rock students have earned the prestigious School of Rock AllStars recognition, showcasing their exceptional talent and dedication. Beyond the School of Rock stage, Joey's students have gone on to achieve significant regional and national success, including signing with national record labels like Universal Records and Columbia Records, and winning national music competitions such as the 2019 High School Rock-Off at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. This success extends to higher education, with several of his former students pursuing advanced studies at top music colleges and conservatories across the nation.
Professionally, Joey's career is as impressive as it is diverse. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Percussion Performance with a Jazz Emphasis from Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory and a Master of Science in Entertainment Business from Full Sail University, providing a strong academic foundation for his practical expertise. He has shared the stage with some of the world's most renowned musicians, including Krzysztof Penderecki (known for his work in Stanley Kubrick's The Shining) and Pulitzer Prize and Grammy award-winning composer William Bolcom, alongside numerous other nationally-acclaimed rock, pop, and jazz artists. Joey is deeply passionate about helping his students at School of Rock Conroe develop a love for music, especially rock, and guiding them to reach their full potential in a supportive and positive learning environment.
Jon Wechter
Drums Teacher
Jon was born in Cleveland, Ohio and always remembered music being around the house growing up, specifically remembering the Beatles played. At an early age he learned classic violin and played for nine years. After high school, Jon walked on and wrestled at The University of Central Oklahoma where he was a member of a national championship wrestling team and graduated with a Bachelors and Minor.
Jon started drumming late, finally deciding he was tired of telling himself he was going to learn drums. He started studying under Grammy Award winner Brent Berry in Edmond Oklahoma, and what he thought was going to be a hobby became an obsession. Over the years, Jon has continued to learn under Brent as well as Craig LeMay, Matt Smith and even under one of School of Rock's Music Directors, Joey. His favorite bands are The Beatles and The Foo Fighters, and while he has many favorite drummers, he always goes back to these six drummers when studying: Dave Grohl, Ringo Starr, John Bonham, Todd Sucherman, Jimmy Chamberlin, and Neil Peart. When not at School of Rock Conroe, he plays in a local cover band in North Houston and has recorded drum parts of a local folk band as well.
Jobe Seeberger
Bass Guitar Teacher
Jobe is a musician with over 30 years of experience in playing the electric bass guitar who began playing in junior high. Jobe was self-taught until in 2000. He attended South Plains College in Levelland, TX and earned an Associate in Arts for Commercial Music two years later. Since that time, Jobe has played live shows with many bands of varying genres, recorded on albums for independent artists, and has been a perpetual student of the instrument with a drive to always improve his skill set. Jobe is proficient on both a four and five string bass and really enjoys playing funky and strange music for the most part. Jobe has an eclectic musical taste but his heart and chops were forged out of the 90’s alternative rock era.
James Owen
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Born and raised in Houston and Montgomery, Texas, James was surrounded by music throughout his youth. His parents exposed him to everything from country and western to Motown and rock & roll. James received his first guitar at the age of six and started plucking away for hours and days, starting formal type of training at the age of 11 when his dad gave him some Mel Bay method books.
When James was 16, he began sitting in with his stepdad's band and honing his improv and stage presence. He formed his first band, later to become Painted Black, and started playing all around the local area. During this time, James also realized his passion for modifying and upgrading his instruments, another skill he learned from his dad who had been a TV repair man that owned his own repair business in the '80s.
James put music on the back burner in the mid-'90s and settled into a job in the petrochemical field building valve testing equipment, all the while playing in several more bands. Upon leaving that line of work, he dove right back into his true love, music. James went to work for a major musical instrument chain and began repairing guitars and stringed instruments. He then acquired silver certificates for repair technician of Fender acoustic and electric guitars and began his own repair business. Now, he brings his knowledge and love of music to the School of Rock Conroe community in the hopes of giving the next generation of musicians what so many have shared with and given to him.
LeAnne Sides
Vocal Instructor, Keyboard + Piano Instructor
Born and raised in the Houston area, LeAnne’s love of music stems from a childhood where music was a part of everyday life. At the age of five, she taped the names of the notes onto her mom’s piano keys and intently started teaching herself to play “Fur Elise”. In elementary school, she was part of her school choir and district honor choir, performing at the Houston Zoo Lights and the Cy-Fair Berry Center.
LeAnne began learning percussion in middle school, and was invited to join the high school band as an 8th grader. Her specialty was mallet instruments, particularly the vibraphone. LeAnne was the front ensemble section leader from 9th through 12th grade. LeAnne also performed as a vocalist in her church’s praise team, including singing as a soloist at holiday events and weddings.
Outside of teaching at School of Rock Conroe, LeAnne is pursuing a degree in music and aspires to be a band director.
Michael Barnhart
Vocal Teacher
Michael Barnhart is a classically-trained bass-baritone who studied theater at Stephen F Austin University and Vocal Performance at Kilgore College. He has sung for notable artists and performers, including Broadway conductor Gerald Steichen and vocal group, The Celtic Tenors. He sang the National Anthem with the Kilgore College Camerata Choir at the 2008 New Year's Day Cotton Bowl. In the world of Rock, he has been lead singer for Public Conspiracy, PlainlyStated, Id and the Superego, Vehicle Envy, and Mistress Miasma.
Some of his favorite roles include Nick Bottom in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Charlie Brown in You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown, Sarastro in The Magic Flute, The Big Bad Wolf in the children's opera Little Red Riding Hood, Motel in Fiddler on the Roof, Callahan in Legally Blonde, and the voice of Audrey II in Little Shop of Horrors. When not onstage singing for a band, in an opera, in a musical, or teaching at School of Rock Conroe, you can hear him as soloist/bass section leader every Sunday at Northwoods Presbyterian Church in Houston. Michael would like to thank his partner Justine for all of her amazing love and support.