Helen Wilson General Manager
Helen was born and raised in Alabama, and began her Tennessee residence at University of the South in Sewanee. After graduating in 2018 with a B.S. in Natural Resources & the Environment, she made her move to Nashville.
Helen took music lessons in her youth and music continues to surround her daily, in and outside of School of Rock! Some of her favorite bands and artists include The Revivalists, The Beatles and Van Morrison. Outside of the school, Helen likes to draw, hang out with her dog Akela, watch horror movies and go out to see her musician friends’ play shows around town.
Being the Assistant General Manager, she loves to see the students have fun playing in bands together and making friends, especially playing music that she loved as a kid!
Karlie Bartholomew Studio Coordinator
Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, Karlie Bartholomew has always had a passion for music. While shy as a child, she was able to use music to find her voice. She started writing her own songs at a young age, participating in every talent show she could beginning in elementary school. Following in her father’s musical footsteps, Karlie taught herself to play guitar on his old acoustic while she was in high school.
Karlie graduated from Berklee College of Music in May 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in professional music, focusing in contemporary writing & production and performance. She moved to Nashville a few months after graduation to pursue music.
Outside of School of Rock, you can find Karlie performing at local venues and writing songs. She released her debut EP titled "A Way to Start" in December 2021. Other hobbies she enjoys are reading, hiking, and taking care of her plants.
Sarah Bryant Regional Director
Sarah is a Nashville native and attended Belmont University, graduating in 2012 with a Bachelor’s degree in Commercial Music with a Vocal Performance focus, with an emphasis in Music Business. Sarah was exposed to rock music by her father at a young age, and she has been very passionate about music throughout her life. She began taking classical vocal and piano lessons in school and proceeded to take lessons throughout her college career. Sarah's main genre of vocals is rock, and she is also trained in and greatly enjoys jazz, pop and musical theater.
Music continues to surround Sarah outside of School of Rock with songwriting and producing for fun. She also frequents many concerts and music festivals with her friends and family around the country. Aside from music, Sarah loves cooking, hiking, and playing video games.
Sarah serves as our Regional Manager at School of Rock Franklin, Nashville, and our upcoming Mt. Juliet location, continuing six years as part of the School of Rock family. Sarah’s top priority is that students can call School of Rock their second home and family, while learning to be the best they can be.
Angie McCreight Owner
Angie has loved music her entire life. One of her earliest memories is listening to artists like Elvis Presley, Elton John and more with her parents as a toddler. Angie started singing at the age of five, joining her church choir at the age of eight. In middle school, Angie was a member of the Ketron Singers who performed at the World's Fair in Knoxville, TN and continued to develop her vocal skills with private lessons. Angie continued to perform in high school with her jazz band and performed in the Tennessee All-State Choir, as well as at the Tennessee Governor's School for the Arts.
Angie continued her vocal training in college and participated in activities that allowed her to continue to perform. She went on to earn a Bachelor's degree in Medical Technology and worked in pharmaceutical research for over 20 years. In 2011, after leaving her career in the pharmaceutical industry, she and her husband Kelly decided to open the first School of Rock in Tennessee in the Franklin/Cool Springs area and opened the Nashville location two years later. Angie is very passionate about providing this outlet for young musicians and has also seen her own children participate in the program and become School of Rock AllStars. Every day is a gift when she sees the students get excited about their music and performing in live music venues, even when they get excited about just being in the building.
Steve Rossi Music Director
Steve Rossi brings many years of experience to the Franklin School of Rock as a seasoned performer. Steve has performed on stage with Rock legend and guitar virtuoso, Peter Frampton on his North American tours, as well as other well-known artists such as vocalist extraordinaire Taylor Dayne, 80s rock legends Cinderella (North American tours), 60s rock n' roll pioneer Gary U.S. Bonds, and many other high profile bands and artists across several continents. He has appeared on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," "The Arsenio Hall Show" and NBC's "A 70s Celebration" with Taylor Dayne. Steve has also appeared with headliners The Bee Gees and other notable 70s artists. Other appearances include Solid Gold with Gary U.S. Bonds and on MTV's "The Grind." Steve's album credits include Stevie Wonder, John Kay, Steppenwolf and various other artists. He is an independent composer/producer of music for television multimedia. Clients include ABC/Disney, AE, Discovery Channel, Nickelodeon Networks and The Travel Channel, as well as various other corporate and independent clients. Steve scored two seasons of "Surprise by Design," hit home improvement series on Discovery Channel, and is currently composing and producing original, in-program music for "Good Morning America." He is a guitar teacher, bass guitar teacher and piano teacher at School of Rock Franklin.
Sean McCreight Associate Music Director
Born and raised in the Nashville, TN area, Sean McCreight first picked up the guitar at age six but didn't become serious about playing the guitar until he was in sixth grade, when he started taking private lessons and learned about the band KISS. Sean's first guitar influence was Ace Frehley, which led to his first live performance in a KISS tribute band and other performances, including the Halloween KISS House right off of the square in Franklin, TN. To this day, Sean can still play every Ace Frehley solo. Eventually Sean became a student at School of Rock and quickly began to learn about more genres of music and develop a love of the blues, progressive rock, Motown, classic rock, jam bands and many more. As time went on Sean's influences grew to include Pink Floyd, The Allman Brothers, Derek Trucks, Gov't Mule, The Grateful Dead, The Aquarium Rescue Unit and his all time favorite, Widespread Panic. During his time at School of Rock, Sean was a member of the House Band for five years and was a three-time national AllStar. After graduating high school and School of Rock, Sean attended Belmont University and majored in Commercial Music - Guitar and quickly formed his band Sonic Voodoo, a seven-piece fusion rock band based in Nashville, TN. Sean's band has played many high-profile gigs, including playing at the Nashville Predators games and Plaza Parties, as well as opening for Echosmith. The band released their first EP on Spotify and iTunes in March of 2017. Sean is continuing his music education in the Segue 61 program in Nashville, TN and continues to record and perform live with Sonic Voodoo and other artists around town.
Matt Drummey Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Matt Drummey is a musician from Kingston, MA. A versatile player, Matt is equally comfortable as a bassist or guitarist. Years of performing and teaching make him an excellent resource for any aspiring musician. His playing style is an exciting blend of a wide range of influences. Over the course of his time playing Matt has studied blues, classic rock, jazz, neo-soul, bluegrass, funk and many more.
Matt received a degree in Professional Music from Berklee College of Music in 2011. During his time at Berklee he studied under master guitarist Tim Miller. His time at Berklee also led to him being one of the co-founders of Boston jam band Skyfoot. During his time with Skyfoot Matt performed over 200 shows, spanning over 20 states. Skyfoot released their debut album "Eternal Bend" in 2011. This album features Matt on both electric guitar and bass. His deep understanding of both instruments gives him a unique perspective on playing and teaching. In the spring of 2016 Matt relocated to Nashville to continue to pursue a career in music.
As an instructor Matt’s goal is to make lessons a fun and engaging environment for students. His sense of humor and approachability make him a great fit for all levels of students. Matt puts a strong emphasis on helping students learn their favorite songs and discover improvisation. Matt can teach music theory, reading, ear training, improvisation concepts, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, electric bass, fretless bass techniques, various musical genres, songwriting and more.
Alex Fansel Drum Teacher, Keyboard Teacher
Alex is a studio drummer, music producer/engineer, and orchestrator based in Nashville. With a passion for developing new music and young musicians, he’s spent the last several years teaching, recording, and writing music across the US, Canada, Korea, China, Taiwan, and Serbia. Outside of School of Rock, you can usually find him recording in the studio, or writing music for orchestras, world instruments, and choirs. In 2019, Alex graduated from Berklee College of Music with a dual degree in Contemporary Writing & Production and Music Production & Engineering.
Stacey Kelleher Singing Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Keyboard Teacher
Stacey Kelleher is a Nashville-based musician from Ossipee, New Hampshire. She graduated from Berklee College of Music in 2019 with a Bachelor’s degree in Songwriting. With a career in music spanning her entire life, Stacey is a vocalist and plays guitar, keys, bass and percussion. Stacey is passionate about music education and encourages creativity in folks of all ages. She is a vocal instructor at School of Rock Franklin.
Spencer Moore Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Drum Teacher, Keyboard Teacher
Spencer is a graduate of Belmont University in Nashville, TN, where he studied classical guitar and composition. He's a multi-instrumentalist with years of keyboard, percussion, guitar, and bass experience. He was a School of Rock student himself in the Philadelphia area where he developed a strong passion for music theory and an equally strong love of rock. Treating music as both a science and a beautifully robust language capable of infinite expression, Spencer dreams of a world where everybody plays an instrument, understands the music they create and hear, and strives to explore and experiment with the creation of music.
When he isn't playing guitar with Nashville-based psychedelic rock band, The Mango Furs, he is likely petting a cat or getting lost in a good video game with an inspiring soundtrack.
Adam King Drum Teacher
Adam King is a drummer and percussionist from Dayton, Ohio. He has studied with educators such as Dave Elitch, Carter McLean and more. He has performed for live audiences since the age of nine, toured the U.S. several times, and has recorded in multiple studios including Ocean Way Nashville. Adam has experience teaching private lessons to students of all ages and skill levels.
Joe Markferding Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Keyboard Teacher, Singing Teacher
Joseph Markferding is a songwriter, artist, and producer from the Philadelphia area currently residing in Nashville, TN. A former student of School of Rock, he graduated from Belmont University in 2020 with a B.A. in English Literature and a minor in Music Business. Joseph has also attended Florence University of the Arts in Florence, Italy to study music as well as Malvern Preparatory School in Pennsylvania. Since graduating, Joseph has produced and played on numerous releases for upcoming artists in the Nashville, NYC, Philadelphia, Denver, and LA areas, and has created and released numerous singles and an album of his own music as Joemarkk. Joseph is a dedicated student of music and life, and strives to share his passion and outlook through communication both musically and through teaching. Joseph teaches guitar, bass, keys, and singing at School of Rock in Franklin, TN, and has experience working with all types of individuals in all age groups teaching a range of musical skills.
Grace Merrill Singing Teacher, Keyboard Teacher
Grace Merrill recently graduated from Belmont University with a Bachelor’s in Music. Her degree focused on Performance and Songwriting, allowing her to spread her knowledge on the two fields to other aspiring musicians. Grace has also worked as a vocal instructor in the past in her hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma. In addition, Grace is also a multi-instrumentalist, adding piano and guitar to her talents. She recently released her debut single “Appetite” on all streaming platforms and plans on pursuing her solo career when she’s not teaching music.
Owen Szorc Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Guitarist and bassist, Owen Szorc graduated from Elmhurst College in Illinois as a double major with a degree in guitar performance in both classical and jazz and a degree in Music Business. He is an accomplished performer, arranger, and teacher. Over the years Owen has performed in many ensembles, including various rock bands, jazz, country, wedding bands, classical guitar, and solo performances. He has years of experience in teaching private lessons of all levels and all genres, with many of his students finding success in their own groups and moving onto top collegiate level programs. He takes pride on being able to play, study and teach many genres, but his main passion comes from pushing himself on the instrument and helping students push themselves on it.
Jon Butterworth Drum Teacher
Jon Butterworth is a Nashville-based drummer and music educator. Born and raised in Cape Elizabeth, ME, Jon started playing drums at the young age of 3. He moved to Boston to attend college at Boston University and the Berklee College of Music, where he earned undergraduate degrees in music education, and both drum set and classical performance while studying with world-class teachers. After college, Jon taught privately and at the
collegiate level while playing in a variety of bands and as a session drummer around the Boston area for 6 years before moving to LA in 2014.
In LA, Jon found extensive work as a drummer and performer for touring acts, theme parks, pit bands, corporate bands, and original projects. After 5 years there, Jon was called to move to Nashville, where he currently resides as a touring musician. As a drummer, he is extremely versatile in many genres including pop, rock, jazz, funk, country, ska, and Latin. He is also a strong reader and is proficient at running and creating tracks in Ableton Live. Jon is currently an endorsing artist of Snare Weight, Heartbeat Percussion, Socal Drum Gear, and Ultimate Ears.