Aidan Curran
Music Director
Aidan Curran is a veteran of the professional music scene in Ireland for over 20 years. With a wealth of experience in live performance and recording, Aidan has performed all over the world and worked with some of the finest musicians and composers.
Since 2012, Music Education has become a primary focus in Aidan’s career. He has previously held a position as Vice Chair on the Board of Directors for Access Music Project; a charitable organisation providing accredited education, support, & professional development for unemployed musicians. With qualifications in Teaching, Music Performance, Music Theory, Sound Engineering, & Ethnomusicology, Aidan has pioneered his own version of the School of Rock Method based in Galway City. We are delighted to announce him as the Music Director to establish our flagship School of Rock Venue in Ireland.
Aidan has most recently been employed as Musician Educator with Music Generation and has devised and rolled out many of the Music Education Programmes currently being delivered in Galway City and County. Aidan also provides workshops in various music disciplines at several 3rd Level Educational Institutes, while continuing to perform and record with Ireland’s top artists.
Lucy Lennox
General Manager
Meet our General Manager, Lucy!
Since she picked up her first guitar at 9 years of age, music has always been at the heart of her life. Lucy has performed music to a high level, completing her Bachelor of Music majoring in classical guitar and then continued studying completing a Masters of Primary and Secondary Teaching degree. Lucy was recipient of the Top Music Educator award for her University. After graduating, Lucy worked as the head Classroom Music Teacher in a Primary School in Melbourne, Australia. She taught a classroom music programme to over 800 students where she ran choral groups and was involved in many productions and performances including directing an annual theatre production.
Lucy was nominated to become a board member of the Australian Society of Music Educators (ASME) Victoria and was elected as Deputy Chairperson in 2020. Her work in ASME involved the advocacy and support of music education programmes across the state and she presented many workshops. More recently, Lucy was co-author of a published music education journal article about teaching music throughout the pandemic.
Since moving to Ireland, Lucy has since been working as Musician Educator with Music Generation Galway and Music Generation Dublin City planning and delivering music programmes in national school settings.
Bríd Lyons
Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Vocal Teacher
Bríd Lyons is a graduate of BIMM Institute Dublin, where she honed her craft as a songwriter and musician. She is an accomplished performer, having gigged at many prestigious venues throughout Ireland with the band Syrens, and continues to perform in a solo capacity.
Bríd has been singing for as long as she can remember. Her love of music and performance began at an early age when she was introduced to the piano. She then discovered guitar in her mid-teens and has loved it ever since. Bríd is excited for the opportunity to share that passion and pass her skills on to her students.
Ryan McClelland
Drum Teacher
Since graduating from BIMM in 2021, Ryan has been performing as a session musician alongside a wealth of Irish talent. Session Credits include Tolu Makay, David Keenan, Sorcha Richardson, HamSandwich, Amy Michelle, Efe, Zaska, & Siights to name a few.
His extensive work on the live circuit has allowed him to grace some fantastic venues in the past year - these include Musgrave Park in Cork, Karlovo Nametsia Park in Prague, Dublin's Fairview Park, Vicar Street & Olympia Theatre, as well as all major Irish festivals. Recently, he has further cast the net into the world of theatre, and has just finished a run with ThisIsPopBaby’s “WAKE”- a multidisciplinary showcase that took place in Dublin’s National Stadium in March 2024.
Ryan is a firm believer in guiding a student down whatever musical path they are passionate about, strongly encouraging creativity and experimentation along the way - and most of all prioritising having fun!
Nigel Clark
Guitar Teacher
Nigel Clark was guitarist and arranger with Scottish chart band Hue & Cry. The band had four top 20 hits and opened for U2 at Glasgow SECC, Simply Red at the G-Mex Manchester, and Madonna at Wembley Stadium.
Nigel has toured the world and worked with Moya Brennan of Clannad, soul music superstar Gloria Gaynor, jazz diva Carol Kidd, the giants of European jazz guitar: Jan Akkerman and Philip Catherine, and American jazz icons Steve Swallow and Carla Bley. Nigel has also worked with multi-award-winning cinema composers Craig Armstrong and Brian Byrne.
Born in Scotland, Nigel began his professional career at the age of 18 in London. He now lives in Dublin, Ireland and we are very proud to have him teach our guitar students of intermediate and advanced ability levels.
Charlie McCarthy
Bass Guitar Teacher, Guitar Teacher
Charlie McCarthy is a BIMM Dublin Bass Guitar graduate who has been working as a full-time music teacher and bass player/producer since 2021. Playing with various artists such as EFÉ, Amy Michelle, and Gurriers, Charlie has performed at various music festivals, such as Glastonbury, Musgrave Park, and Best Kept Secret, amongst many others.
Having self-taught until entering music college, Charlie’s teaching style consists of following a student’s interests as far as it will take them. A key part of this is supplying them with the information and tools necessary for their own musical journey, essentially guiding them where they want to go. Charlie’s key areas of focus are bass, production, and guitar lessons, with a particular leaning towards heavy rock music.
Kevin Maxwell
Guitar Teacher
Kevin Maxwell is an experienced guitarist and teacher from Dublin. Kevin has been playing guitar for over 15 years and has been working in the music industry since 2016.
Kevin has toured Ireland extensively with numerous event and agency bands along with working as a session musician for various acts, taking the stage with artists such as Craig Cooney, Saibh Skelly, Shollah, Aaron J, Micah and the Lighthouse Church house band.
Kevin has a BA honours degree in commercial modern music from BIMM Dublin. He is currently working towards his Teaching Diploma from LCME. With his extensive industry knowledge, Kevin aims to show his students the essential techniques from complete beginner, all the way up to coaching college level musicians.
Colm Geraghty
Drum Teacher, Guitar Teacher
Colm is a drummer from Perrystown, Dublin. Having been self-taught from the age of 5, Colm began taking lessons with Liam O'Driscoll of the Irish Army Number 1 band at the age of 13, learning multiple percussion instruments in a brass band setting.
After completing his formal grades with Trinity College London, Colm began forming his own bands while still in school. Highlights include gigs in Barcelona, Slane, and The Grand Social in Dublin. Colm is currently studying for a B.A. in Commercial Modern Music and regularly performs with several different artists in the Dublin live scene.
Colm believes in an individual-based approach to teaching, tailoring each lesson to the individual student. With an overall goal of inspiring his students to be confident and creative, lessons focus on learning through musical application.
Stephen Davis
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Stephen is a BIMM Dublin Guitar graduate and a veteran of the live music scene for over 20 years. He has played over a thousand shows across Ireland and the UK with his own bands and as a musician-for-hire and is well-versed in musicianship.
Stephen is a fan of many genres but is predominantly a rock guitarist who has studied advanced guitar techniques employed in genres like Neo-Classical and Progressive Metal.
Stephen’s teaching approach is entirely student-focused. Their goals, well-being, enjoyment, and musical tastes are of paramount importance. His ethos in teaching and learning is that a relaxed, safe, encouraging, and happy learning environment is key to ensuring each student realises their full potential.
Adam Nealon
Drum Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Adam is a professional drummer and BIMM Dublin graduate from Mayo. He began gigging around the country with his band almost as soon as he picked up the drumsticks and has since performed with other notable acts such as Pixie Cut Rhythm Orchestra and Babylamb.
Surrounded by rock and metal music from an early age, Adam naturally leaned toward these styles but his time at BIMM broadened his influences to include Latin and EDM in his original projects.
Adam’s teaching ethos centres around three points:
1. Nurturing good technique to create a solid foundation.
2. Cultivating and drawing from the student's taste in music.
3. And finally, the philosophy that “there are no mistakes in music.” In other words, the only errors are the ones you acknowledge to be. Some of the greatest moments in musical history were total accidents, so if it sounds good anyway, it’s not a mistake, it’s music.
Vitória Campos
Rookies Teacher
Vitória is a tutor in our Rookies program. She also teaches beginner keyboard, guitar, and ukulele.
Born on the beautiful island of Florianópolis, Brazil, Vitória comes from a very music-oriented background. Her entire family is made up of musicians who play a variety of instruments, with one jamming session after another!
Vitória is self-taught on the guitar, ukulele, and piano. When she moved to Ireland, Vitória decided to further her music knowledge and skills resulting in her receiving a Diploma in Professional Musicianship specialising in Vocals.
Vitória has worked in Primary schools teaching music to children of all age groups.
She has also performed for large audiences for over seven years in a church community in Dublin and pubs too.
At the moment, Vitória is working on her first album.
Michael Cleary
Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Michael began playing the piano at 8 years of age, playing by ear. He then worked with a teacher whose teaching ethos made lessons very enjoyable. With his teacher moving away, Michael attended another music school, which was very heavily focused on theory. He gave up lessons because of this when he was 11, as there was no fun element to his lessons now.
Michael continued to play throughout secondary school. It was around the age of 15 he decided to teach himself guitar as he took a liking to more rock and indie types of music. He played for 3 years until he had his first guitar lesson in BIMM, where he studied. Here he experienced real professional scenarios such as, working within studios, playing for venues such as Wheelan's, the Button Factory and Sín é, as well as worked for BIMM as a house band musician for student exams. Michael now currently works within the wedding industry both as a solo act and as an instrumentalist in a band.
Today Michael enjoys teaching all ages, but particularly beginners. His experience of having to teach himself for the majority of his music life drives him to help students learn in a way where it is both enjoyable and effective.
Phoebe Dunning
Assistant General Manager, Vocal Teacher
Phoebe has a B.A. Honours Degree in Commercial Modern Music and a Diploma in Professional Musicianship from BIMM Dublin. She has been singing and performing from a young age. She has performed at numerous venues across Dublin in solo work, choirs, and musical theater.
Phoebe's teaching philosophy is that singing is rooted in fun and is all self-expression. She covers all genres of singing from rock to soul to blues. She believes in creating a space where singers can advance technically and confidently by setting goals they can aspire to and where they can also discover the absolute joy and release of singing.
Phoebe will help you get the key vocal techniques and concepts down while creating a fun space that focuses on students’ own interests and desires.
Patrick Clarke
Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Patrick has been playing the guitar and performing in bands from an early age. Growing up in County Down, Patrick moved to Dublin in 2018 to attend BIMM Dublin and pursue a career as a musician.
After graduating from BIMM with an honours degree, Patrick continues to work as a session guitarist with a wide range of solo musicians and cover bands with whom he has played venues such as Vicar Street, The Grand Social, The Button Factory, The Academy, and has appeared on RTE multiple times. He also has a keen interest in music theory and composition and plans to go on to study for a master's in Music Education.
Patrick feels that learning an instrument should never feel like a chore therefore he likes to implement student-based learning where basic and advanced skills can be taught with the student’s interests in mind. This could mean focusing teaching around a genre the student likes or teaching techniques based on a student’s favourite song.
Patrick has a background in Blues and Rock music although his current interests lie in Jazz and Orchestral music. He also enjoys playing and teaching Pop and Funk guitar.
Patrick also teaches Bass, Ukulele, and Beginner Piano.
Ingrid Kelehan
Vocal Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Rookies Teacher
Ingrid is our vocals, beginner keys, and rookies tutor from Dublin. Growing up, she had a keen interest in music and singing, picking up the guitar to accompany herself and singing in various choirs and choral groups. She graduated with an honours degree from BIMM Dublin, specialising in vocals in 2021, and has since gone on to pick up piano and has interned in the “Music for Me” early years music programme at the Waltons New School of Music. She also gigs regularly as part of a cover duo and as a backing vocalist for Irish artist Réylta.
“My favourite thing about working in music is that I always feel like I’m evolving, and kept on my toes whilst also getting to create.”
“I believe that music can provide a creative outlet for people of any age whilst also harnessing self-discipline and teamwork. I am passionate about vocal science and music theory and putting them into the context of music that a student enjoys to really help them grow as musicians.“
Ben Roe
Drum Teacher
Ben is a drum tutor at the School of Rock in Dublin, Ireland. Ben has been playing drums since the age of 12 and has played in a variety of rock and metal bands. After teaching one-on-one lessons, Ben realised his passion for teaching and went on to study Commercial Modern Music at BIMM.
After graduating from BIMM, Ben played with more original bands and wedding bands. He also expanded on his teaching experience and began teaching at a large music school in Dublin. A highlight of Ben’s career was playing a residency in the USA for over two years, where he played to audiences five or six times a week.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Ben kept busy with online recording and when things reopened, he was straight back into full-time gigging. Ben plays with the Hit Machine Drummers—Ireland's most popular and in-demand drumming group.
Hannah Worrall
Vocal Teacher, Guitar Teacher
Hannah is a vocals and beginner guitar tutor originally from Lille, France. Born into a family of passionate instrumentalists, music has always been at the core of everything she does. From joining choirs at school to picking up the guitar and writing songs of her own.
During her time studying vocals at BIMM Dublin, Hannah started her first collaborative project called Toygirl where she gained valuable experience writing, recording, and performing with others. She graduated with honors in 2021.
She is currently producing under a new alias, SPOOKLET, an electronic solo project that she started in August of 2022. She believes that music is ever-evolving which is why she finds it so fascinating.
“Music grows alongside you and can teach you so much about yourself as an individual.”
“To be creative is to throw perfection out of the window and open yourself up to exploration and self-discovery. There is no such thing as a mistake when being creative, once you understand that, the world is your oyster!”
Sam Martin
Drum Teacher
Sam's professional background is deeply ingrained in the performing arts, a passion cultivated from a young age in a musically inclined household. His journey began when he inherited his father's drumsticks at the age of 10. During his school years, he collaborated with Aimee and later co-founded Odd Morris, a band that had success touring Europe. Sam's musical career continues to flourish as he performs with Naked Lungs, The Roadhouse Doors, and other bands across Ireland.
Complementing his practical experience, Sam holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Media Production Management, demonstrating his comprehensive understanding of the industry. He also obtained an HND in Music Management & Event Organisation and another HND in Contemporary Music Performance. It was during college that Sam realized teaching was a significant part of his life. He furthered his studies in Special Needs Assisting and works in a secondary school as well as at School of Rock.
Benjamin Becerra
Bass Guitar Teacher, Guitar Teacher
Benjamin is a talented Venezuelan musician based in Dublin, Ireland since 2014. He earned a bachelor's degree in Music Teaching in Venezuela.
Benjamin was born and raised in a very musical family. His passion for music started at a very young age and he learned the first steps in music from his mother, brothers, and personal tutors, playing in church and developing skills in all instruments: recorder, piano, cuatro (Venezuelan instrument), drums, guitar, and bass. He started teaching music at the age of 14, finding it very rewarding as a musician.
Benjamin's versatility and talent have made him both a session musician and a live performer throughout the years, in both the Venezuelan and Irish scenes. He has had the privilege of performing for celebrities such as Bono Vox and for the President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins in several opportunities. He has contributed to the recording of albums for prominent artists and participated in successful projects spanning genres such as Latin, rock, pop, blues, and jazz.
Currently, Benjamin is collaborating with renowned bands and artists such as Baile An Salsa, Havana Club Trio, Miguel Siso, and more, highlighting the Latin musical culture all over the world. His experience as an educator is characterized by his innovation and creativity in teaching, as well as inspiring musical exploration and encouraging his students to practice and have fun with music.
Ethan Crossen
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Ethan is a Dublin-based musician originally from Roscommon. He is self-taught on guitar and bass and has been playing for over 10 years. His passion for music led to founding and playing in multiple bands and gigging throughout the country, including two consecutive performances at Electric Picnic in 2022 and 2023.
Ethan is always trying to build on his experience, playing with various acts from rock to hip-hop and more, never trying to box himself in. He believes music is all about enjoying the experience of playing and learning.
Ethan brings this attitude to teaching at the School of Rock in Dublin, Ireland, believing everyone has their own unique voice and style that have to be encouraged in young musicians. This is done by catering the lesson to the needs of each student and playing to their strengths to get the best experience for them.
Clodagh Ryan
Vocal Teacher
With over 15 years in the music industry, Clodagh Ryan is a seasoned vocalist who has performed on some of Ireland's largest stages with some of the country's top musicians. Currently active in the music scene, she continues to perform and contribute her expertise across various venues nationwide.
Specialising in performance and stagecraft, Clodagh’s broad experience also encompasses booking, musical direction, and backing vocals, providing her with a well-rounded perspective on the music business. Her deep knowledge in these areas makes her an exceptional mentor for aspiring singers.
Whether leading a band, supporting other artists, or working behind the scenes, Clodagh combines dedication, enthusiasm, and professionalism in every role, making her an excellent resource for those pursuing a music career.
Kathryne Del Sesto
Vocal Teacher
Born into a long line of musicians and music teachers in the Midwestern United States, Kathryne started her professional life singing for weddings and funerals at age 13. The money she earned went towards a summer at a music camp. Kathryne hasn’t stopped singing since, and over the years she has put her classical training to use performing as a soloist and in ensembles, in many styles and venues in New York, London, and Dublin.
Kathryne’s training and experience have taught her two bedrock truths: singing should feel good, and making music should be fun. In her teaching, she encourages young artists to find their unique voices (literally and figuratively), ensuring each student gains the technical skills to freely and joyfully sing the songs that mean the most to them.
Evan Butler
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Hailing from County Tipperary, Evan Butler is a dynamic musician with a passion for crafting melodies. Evan boasts an impressive array of accomplishments in the music industry, including an Honors Bachelor Degree in music, gigging around the country and most recently performing on the main stage at the Fleadh Ceoil 2024.
For the past decade, Evan has devoted himself to songwriting, drawing inspiration from a diverse range of influences including iconic bands and artists such as The Beatles, Nirvana, and Elliott Smith.
In addition to his songwriting, Evan is a proficient multi-instrumentalist, showcasing his talents on guitar, bass, drums, and piano. He is currently a member of the band "The Fifth Kind," where he contributes not only as a guitarist but also as a vocalist. Evan is dedicated to nurturing the next generation of musicians as he shares his knowledge and love of music with students, inspiring them to explore their creative potential.
Johanna Sharon
Advanced Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Johanna is a passionate keyboard tutor with a diverse background in performance and teaching. Starting her musical journey at a young age, Johanna has since expanded her expertise through teaching, performing, and exploring various musical genres. She has worked with students of all ages, focusing on helping them build confidence while developing their technical abilities.
After gaining valuable teaching experience at the Jubilant School of Music, Johanna continued to nurture her passion for music education by teaching keyboard and music theory to students in group and one-on-one settings. She has also been involved in several performance projects, from concerts to collaborative music events, which have enriched her understanding of how to inspire her students to reach their full potential.
Johanna’s teaching approach centers around making music a joyful and rewarding experience, helping students achieve their goals while exploring their creativity. She is dedicated to creating an enjoyable, supportive learning environment where each student can thrive and discover their unique musical voice.
Tommy Gray
Drum Teacher
Since graduating from the prestigious Newpark Music Centre in 2010, Tommy Gray has been a prominent figure in the Irish music community playing drums with emerging artists like Denise Chaila, Zaska, and BARQ, as well as long-established artists like Honour Heffernan, Phil Ware, and Richie and Hugh Buckley.
Tommy has toured nationally and internationally and has recorded in some of Ireland's most acclaimed studios such as Grouse Lodge and Windmill Lane. He has also been a teacher at BIMM Dublin and other reputable music schools.