Ryan
Music Director
Ryan is the music director at the School of Rock in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania. He previously worked at the School of Rock in Port Jefferson, NY where he was an instructor, show director, gear manager, live stream technician, and former General Manager. He also has a background in theatre as a music director.
Ryan started playing percussion at the age of 15 when he joined the Longwood High School Marching Band. He was inspired by his teacher Ed Walsh to pursue a career in music education. Ryan earned his bachelor's degree and master's degree in music education from Hofstra University.
Ryan taught general music at the Riverhead Charter School and the Roosevelt Children's Academy Charter School. He also taught musical theater at the Longwood Youth Theater Experience and Theatrics Performing Arts. Ryan often performs with his ska band Crisis Crayons around the Tri-State area.
Sammy
Drum Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Sammy is a multi-instrumentalist, producer, and songwriter from Lake Charles, LA. His musical journey began at the age of 8 when he received his first drum set for Christmas and started taking lessons soon after. While listening to many artists including The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, and Rush, he had the desire to be like those artists and perform on stage. After watching the Foo Fighters documentary, Back and Forth, he was inspired by Dave Grohl to start playing other instruments and taught himself to play guitar and bass. Throughout his middle school and high school years he participated in his local after school music program, Young Band Nation run by SWLA Studios, and had the opportunity to play shows in his local scene including landing a spot at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. When he turned 18 he moved to Boston, MA, where he was enrolled at Berklee College of Music under scholarship and graduated in Spring 2022 with a bachelor's degree in Professional Music with concentrations in Music In Special Education and Recording and Production for Musicians. Sammy has played around the Boston area with many bands and has toured across the northeast with emo-punk band, Villain of the War, as well as his own solo project, Chair Umpire. He now resides in Philadelphia, PA, still playing as well as helping put on DIY shows in the Philly scene. He also enjoys his time in the recording studio whether it’s playing or recording someone else. Sammy’s main goal in teaching is to show his true passion and love for music and how to have fun, especially seeing kids have that same passion that he had when he was young.
Rhiannon
Vocal Teacher
Rhiannon is a classically-trained Soprano and alumna of Westminster Choir College. She hails from Upper Chichester, PA but currently lives near by in Ambler.
Rhiannon has studied classical voice for over a decade. She made her operatic debut as Queen of the Fairies in Iolanthe, sang Alto II in the Grammy-nominated Williamson Voices, and currently works at Act II Playhouse.
Rhiannon enjoys bringing her classical training and experience to all genres of music, from Puccini to Paramore. She focuses on making lessons lots of fun while preserving vocal health. Most importantly, she encourages singers at School of Rock Fort Washington to make each song their own and provides a safe space to grow their self confidence and skill.
Dylan
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Dylan is a multi-instrumental musician and producer in the Philadelphia area. Having begun his musical journey at 8, Dylan maintained singing and playing guitar on stage throughout his childhood. He was heavily influenced by many artists including AC/DC, Sublime, Avenged Sevenfold, Queen, CSNY, Good Charlotte, the Doobie Brothers, Dream Theatre, Tom Petty, Paul Gilbert, Linkin Park, 50 Cent, Johnny Cash, and Bob Marley. He has played in various musical projects from rap, rock, reggae, country, metal, and bluegrass while expanding his instrumentation into drums, piano, bass, banjo, mandolin, and dobro.
Dylan's band, Hepner’s Rebellion, has performed at local venues and private events in the Philadelphia area since 2013.
Dylan has a deep passion for all things musical and enjoys creating an environment for everyone to find harmony. He encourages each student to challenge themselves with an open ear and a positive attitude.
Patrick
Vocals Teacher
Patrick is a singer, keyboardist, songwriter/producer, occasional guitarist, and goofball from Cheltenham, PA.
Patrick's first musical love at just six years old was the piano; but his greatest love is singing, which he discovered upon joining the Keystone State Boychoir at ten. Ever since, he's found every excuse to sing, whether that be rock, pop, musical theatre, choral music, or opera.
Patrick graduated with honors from the University of Michigan in 2019 with a degree in Classical Voice and Opera, and immediately made the *hard* pivot to rock & contemporary styles– now, in addition to playing keys (and singing backup) for multiple bands (including a Taylor Swift tribute band, Jexxa & The Antiheroes;) he also sings lead vocals in a Rock/Top-40 cover band that has played everywhere from Key West, FL to upstate New York.
Thanks to this breadth of knowledge and experience, Patrick prides himself on being able to teach all vocal styles: from Mozart to Freddie Mercury. Patrick makes a point to make lessons at School of Rock Fort Washington FUN, and to really focus on the joy (and profound silliness) of making and performing music. Because really, what's more fun than that?
Stephen
Guitar Teacher
Stephen operates at the crossroads of creativity and education. Currently, he collaborates with many different musicians, writers, producers, and engineers of all styles of music. His versatile career spans roles as a live performer with bands like Beth Arnold Gilbert and Neisha Grace, a creative producer shaping the sounds of emerging talents, and a crafty engineer as well as a member of the Philadelphia Folk Fest Production staff. Beyond his impressive studio work, Stephen's musical footprint resonates on the airwaves, on streaming platforms, in commercials, and even on the theatrical stage. He has even contributed to reference tracks for well-known artists and graced the Red Carpet at the 57th Grammy Awards.
Complementing his creative career, Stephen brings 18 years of dedication to music education. With an associate's degree in Music from Montgomery County Community College and mentorship from various experts like Allen Krantz (Temple Univ.) in classical guitar and Ben O'Neill (U of Arts) in jazz guitar, Stephen offers a wealth of knowledge. His commitment to continuous growth, love for diverse musical styles, and vibrant teaching style make him an ideal mentor for students of all ages, embodying the perfect harmony between musical passion and pedagogical excellence.
Bill
Drum Teacher
In the rhythmic tapestry of Bill's life, the beat began at the age of 6 with an unlikely inspiration: the uncontrollable Animal from the Muppet Show pounding away on the drums. From that moment, a passion
for percussion was ignited in Bill.
Bill embraced the world of music during his formative years in grade school. The allure of the drums beckoned, and Bill found a home in both the concert band and marching band, where the precision and power of percussion became second nature.
During high school and college, Bill honed his skills in local bands. The journey through local music scenes exposed him to diverse genres, fostering a versatile and dynamic musical style. The desire to create
original music led Bill and his bandmates to the studio, where they passionately recorded several original DIY EPs.
Bill’s primary influences are Foo Fighters, Fleetwood Mac, Soundgarden, Faith No More, and Tool.
Beyond the beats and rhythms, Bill remains a dedicated and humble artist, always seeking new ways to evolve and innovate within the realm of music. He currently plays in a local cover band, The Eighty
Six, and enjoys writing original music, and recording and editing his movie podcast. With each performance, Bill not only showcases proficiency but also an unwavering love for the art form that first captured his heart with the wild drumming antics of Animal.
From grade school percussionist to the local music scene, Bill’s journey is a testament to the power of passion, dedication, and the transformative magic of music.
Matthew
Drum Teacher
Matthew is a drummer and drum teacher from Philadelphia who is passionate about music for many reasons. Matt was inspired by his dad's wedding band who would practice on week nights in the living room. He is primarily a self-taught drummer involved in multiple music projects with experience playing live music.
Matt's musical inspirations include some of the rock and pop legends from the 1960s-1970s, and contemporary pop culture. He intends to create a safe, fun, learning environment for students and aspiring artists.
Mark
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Drum Teacher
Mark started early in his life with music. At age six, he was playing drums along to all his favorite albums. As a teen, he taught himself guitar along with bass, mandolin, and piano. After years of touring as a multi-instrumentalist, Mark took the knowledge he gained and focused it on teaching all the tricks, secrets, and fundamentals of music he has picked up over the years.
Mark has been influenced by many different genres and bands. Ranging from the classics like Pink Floyd, Genesis, and Yes to the more obscure acts like Magma, This Heat, and Talk Talk. He has taken his love for all things experimental and put that into over 20 original albums written, produced, and recorded by himself. Mark brings his eclectic experiences to School of Rock Fort Washington.
Elijah
Guitar Teacher
Elijah is a multi-instrumentalist from New York City with a specialty playing guitar, bass guitar, and drums. With a background in jazz performances since childhood and throughout schooling, Elijah has experience playing in professional settings and in group ensembles believing in the importance of improvisation as well as studying the theory behind music.
Currently, Elijah is a performer in the Philadelphia music scene as a drummer and a guitarist. As a teacher at School of Rock Fort Washington, Elijah believes in the importance of understanding how to create music for enjoyment and love the art, as well as understanding the techniques to make your learning experience an enjoyable one.
Clay
Drums Teacher
Music has been part of Clay’s life for as long as he can remember. Some of his first memories are of parading around his childhood apartment with his plastic guitar, pretending to play and sing to Elvis, Willie Nelson, and the Eagles. Clay started his musical journey playing violin in third grade. He switched to percussion in fifth grade when he started taking private drum lessons. He continued with percussion throughout high school, playing in concert and symphonic bands and snare drum in the high school marching band.
In middle and high school, Clay played in bands with his friends and eventually played shows in northern Virginia, Richmond, and Washington D.C. Clay continued to play in bands, recording singles and albums, and playing shows for fifteen years after high school. Clay has been composing songs and releasing music on his own since 2009. His solo projects include Music from the Veil and, most recently, The Resonant. Clay continues to write, record, and produce music, in addition to teaching at School of Rock Fort Washington.
Clay’s primary instrument is percussion, but he also creates sounds on the bass guitar, guitar, keyboard + piano, and anything else that produces sound. Clay’s musical influences include Tom Petty, Sonic Youth, Yes, Soundgarden, Miles Davis, Max Roach, Art Blakey, John Coltrane, and Philip Glass, to name a few.
Eli
Bass Guitar Teacher
Eli Pace is a recent graduate of the Temple University Jazz Studies program. With a wide array of performance and teaching experience spanning multiple genres of music, Eli maintains a busy schedule as a sideman and bandleader in the greater Philadelphia area. Eli began his musical studies on the upright bass in fifth grade and quickly took up the electric bass guitar as well. Soon after, at the age of 15, Eli began to increase his performance schedule in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio. After years of honing his skills on local gigs, Eli was awarded the opportunity to go on a 16-show tour with guitarist and singer Erin Coburn in 2022, which culminated in a performance at the Chicago Blues Festival.
Since moving to Philadelphia in 2023, Eli has played and led hundreds of performances in the Philadelphia area at venues such as Chris’ Jazz Cafe, Bob and Barbara’s Lounge, 118 North, World Cafe Live, and the Notsolatin Concert Series. Eli greatly looks forward to sharing what he has learned over his years of performance experience with the students at School of Rock Fort Washington.
Tyler
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Tyler is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer. He first picked up the guitar at the age of nine, and played in many bands throughout high school. In addition to teaching at School of Rock Fort Washington, Tyler is now a student at Berklee College of Music, studying contemporary writing and production.
Tyler has written, produced, and released many albums with several different bands in various styles. He has many different influences ranging from bands such as Meshuggah, Loathe, and Sleep Token, to Genesis, Porcupine Tree, and Quadeca, as well as many other artists.
Melissa
General Manager
Melissa has a degree in Graphic Design and spent 15 years in the design industry before life took a new creative turn. When her daughter began taking lessons at School of Rock, Melissa instantly fell in love with the energy, the people, and the mission — and before long, she was invited to join the team at School of Rock Fort Washington. She believes deeply that School of Rock is “More Than a Music School” and strives to create a space where students not only learn to play music, but also grow in confidence, creativity, and community.
Emily
Studio Coordinator
Emily studied English and participated in the color guard with the marching band at West Chester University. She loves to spend her spare time reading and writing. She is a huge fan of Taylor Swift, Bon Jovi, Carole King, Metallica, and ABBA.