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.
Emily McCreight
Regional Manager
Emily McCreight is a Franklin, TN native and graduated from Belmont University in May 2021, earning her degree in Entertainment Industry Studies and Public Relations. She is the Regional Manager for the School of Rock locations in Franklin, Nashville, and Mt. Juliet.
Emily is a former School of Rock student, which included being a 4-time School of Rock AllStar. She also had the opportunity to open for Night Ranger, play on multiple cruise lines, share the stage with several internationally recognized artists, and perform at multiple Nashville Predators games. Some of her biggest inspirations are John Paul Jones, Laura Lee, and The Main Squeeze.
Now, Emily finds success with her up-and-coming band, Juke of June. The band won the Tennessee Titans Battle of the Bands and has performed at the Tennessee Titans’ halftime show and multiple games, as well as opened for Moon Taxi. During her off days, she loves adding to her photography portfolio, Siren Studio.
Brittany Vissers
Studio Coordinator
Originally from Northeast Wisconsin, Brittany has always immersed herself in the music industry. After being a guitarist and a vocalist for over 13 years, Brittany grew up surrounded by ’70s and ’80s rock with bands like the Eagles and Pink Floyd, as well as jam bands like Dave Matthews Band and Grateful Dead. With seven years of show experience primarily in Wisconsin, Brittany has been featured on local television and radio stations and has played various festivals in the Midwest.
Brittany moved to Nashville in 2020 to expand her knowledge and career in the music industry. With her BBA in Music Business and Production from Belmont University, she has had the opportunity to work in booking, A&R, marketing, producing, and assisting artists at festivals like CMA Fest. Brittany strives to continue to immerse herself and grow within the music industry.
Steve Rossi
Regional 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.
Abby Davis
Vocal Teacher, Guitar Teacher
Abby Davis has been singing and playing guitar for longer than she can remember. From starring in Berklee shows to playing music festivals, her folk/rock roots shine through with her acoustic guitar in hand.
Abby graduated from Berklee College of Music in 2023 with an undergraduate degree in Songwriting and has done private tutoring for her peers in subjects such as ear training, guitar, and voice. Abby is thrilled to be a part of the team at the School of Rock in Franklin, TN!
Alex Fansel
Music Director, Drum Teacher, Keyboard + Piano 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.
Alex Merrill
Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Vocal Teacher
Alex Merrill is a musician, producer, and instrumentalist from Nashville, TN. He grew up in St. Petersburg, FL, and became interested in music when he started learning how to play the piano at 8 years old. Over the years, Alex has also learned to play guitar, bass, and drums. Some of his favorite genres of music include yacht rock, funk, R&B, soul, and disco, but he's comfortable working within any genre!
Alex writes, mixes, and masters his own music, as well as produces for other musicians all while being a music teacher, touring musician, and session musician!
Chris Coburn
Drum Teacher, Keyboard Teacher
Chris was born in Los Angeles and moved to Nashville when he was four years old. Now at 21, he is passionate about teaching piano, and being a freelance producer, composer, multi-instrumentalist, animator, filmmaker, and audio engineer in his professional home recording studio in Franklin, TN. Chris attended School of Rock in Nashville in middle school. He is a Blackbird Academy audio engineering graduate and attended Lipscomb University, studying music production and animation. He was awarded a scholarship to Berklee School of Music for songwriting and was a member of the Curb Youth Symphony and MTSU Honors Orchestra for many years. Having had his own band and having been a member of multiple bands, Cris developed a great skill for performance and bringing the best sound to the stage.
James Weiss
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
James Weiss is a musician, guitarist, performer, composer, and educator from the DMV area. His playing and teaching experience span jazz, blues, rock, folk, metal, and musical theater. He graduated summa cum laude from George Mason University with a bachelor's degree in Jazz Studies in December 2021.
Following his graduation, James taught and performed locally throughout the DMV area for two years before moving to Nashville in September 2023. During his time in the DMV, he performed with cover bands, blues bands, jazz bands, rock bands, and musical theatre companies. His goal as an instructor is to inspire within his students the creativity, self-expression, and joy that music has given him.
Jason Powers
Guitar Teacher
Jason began playing guitar at the age of 15 after seeing a solo by Eddie Van Halen. That was and is the catalyst that has inspired his pursuit of the instrument to this day. At the age of 21, Jason attended the Atlanta Institute of Music with an emphasis on performance and theory. After school, he performed and taught guitar full-time for years. Most of his experience was as a studio musician where he was blessed to have worked with many notable artists in the R&B, Jazz, Rap, and Christian industries in Atlanta at that time. After years of studio work, Jason decided to pursue engineering, mixing, and production. He was blessed to have worked in many of Atlanta's flagship studios during that venture. Jason's passion now is to continue to press on to become the best musician he can and to invest himself in others to help them to fulfill their musical goals.
Joe Thomason
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Drum Teacher
Joe Thomason has had a passion for music since he first picked up a guitar in a music class in the seventh grade. Throughout his over 15 years of playing, Joe has prided himself on exploring as many different genres as he can. Starting as a huge Metallica fan, he began exploring every corner of the world of metal. He eventually fell in love with in genre of progressive metal, creating multiple bands and projects that challenged his playing and his understanding of what music could be.
Through these experiences and his time working at School of Rock, Joe's musical interests began to expand toward genres that challenged him including jazz, funk, prog rock, fusion, experimental rock, and improvisation. Joe began moving into the world of music production in 2017; after getting certified, he has made it a hobby to mix, produce, and master his own work and others' music.
Joe's teaching style revolves around simplifying music theory while applying it to the instrument and learning improvisation. He believes that those skills in addition to the songs learned in the School of Rock program can help students find a unique way to express themselves through music. Joe has been based in Chicago for most of his musical career but recently moved to the Nashville area. He is excited to see what new musical journeys and challenges await him!
Laney Lebovitz
Songwriting Director, Vocal Teacher
Laney Lebovitz is a lifelong vocalist and performer with a long history at School of Rock. Laney is a former School of Rock student who spent a decade taking lessons and participating in performance programs until her high school graduation. She spent many years in her school's House Band and was a four-time AllStar, which had a huge impact on Laney’s stage presence and performance philosophy. She graduated from Berklee College of Music in 2023 with a degree in Songwriting.
Laney’s influences span a variety of genres, from rock greats like Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath to Motown/soul artists like Chaka Khan, Aretha Franklin, and Stevie Wonder. She is game for any song that requires belting it out, although her songwriting influences take a departure from the loud, energetic style she loves singing. As a self-proclaimed “songwriting nerd,” Laney prefers to emulate artists with a softer tone like Fiona Apple, Hozier, Sufjan Stevens, or Kacey Musgraves, with an emphasis on lyrics and melody.
Laney can’t wait to impart what she learned from her time at School of Rock and beyond with her students. She is hopeful that she can extend her love for music and writing to the next generation.
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.
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.
William O'Rourke
Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Vocal Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Ukulele Teacher
William is originally from the PNW in Oregon. He has accrued several instruments over the years since he joined his school band at age 10. William fell in love with the guitar at the age of 13 and spent his teen years learning his favorite songs on the instrument. By the time he was 17, he formed a rock band with his friends with William taking on the role of lead vocalist and rhythm guitar. William studied Audio Engineering at Lane Community College and applied the skills he learned to help produce/engineer his band's first record. He also recorded a solo LP where he sang, played all the instruments, and mixed the record himself.
After years of musical experience, William entered the education field in 2021 while living in Portland, OR, and worked at Happy Valley Arts Academy. In pursuit of continuing a career in live music performance as well as education, William decided to take a leap and move to Nashville in July 2023. He plans on continuing his education here as well as teaching all while diving deeper into the Nashville music scene!
Ashton Eller
Guitar Teacher, Vocal Teacher
Ashton Eller is a Lexington, NC native and a 2018 graduate of Catawba College in Salisbury, NC where he received his BA degree in Popular Music and Music Business. While in college, Ashton studied under Adrian Crutchfield who is the saxophone player for Lionel Ritchie, CeeLo Green, Bette Midler, and the Late Prince. He also studied under Dolph Ramseur, who is the manager for the Grammy Award-winning group The Avett Brothers and founder of Ramseur Records.
Ashton has been teaching music professionally for quite some time and has a passion for helping students reach their highest potential through music. Outside of School of Rock, he is a singer/songwriter and performer and currently fronts and plays lead guitar for his own band. While Ashton teaches multiple instruments, he also plays mandolin and banjo and has experience in audio engineering. Ashton takes influence from an array of influential artists including The Beatles, John Mayer, and The Eagles. Ashton has written and performed many styles of music and has songs out on Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Music.
Andy Wazz
Vocal Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Andy is a long-time School of Rock alum who has been honing his skills in vocals and bass for over ten years! After first joining School of Rock in 2012, Andy has dedicated his life to music; exploring influences in funk, rock, fusion, and gospel!
After attending Berklee College Of Music, Andy relocated to Nashville and is ready to share his passion for music with his students at the School of Rock in Franklin, TN!
Steve Rubio
Drum Teacher
Steve Rubio has been playing drums for most of his life and has been teaching music for the past 15 years. He's been in over 30 bands and performed at over 100 venues throughout the world. In addition to being a Musicians Institute grad, Steve also specializes in music production & recording.
His lessons are fun, challenging, and appropriate for any skill level. You'll learn many styles of music while focusing on playing songs you love. You'll also develop coordination, timing, and technique while learning deeper skills of patience, control, and confidence.
Logan Kehle
Drum Teacher
Originally from Chicago, Logan began his journey behind the drumkit at his hometown School Of Rock at the age of nine years old. As a firm believer in the idea that there will always be more to learn about drumming and music, he started taking influence from drummers like Mitch Mitchell of The Jimi Hendrix Experience and Bill Ward of Black Sabbath eventually taking influence from Matt Halpern of Periphery and Two of Sleep Token. In hopes of pursuing his music career, Logan moved to Nashville. Not only does he teach here, but he built his own modern metal outfit from the ground up. He has quickly gained experience through this group playing popular venues such as the Cobra and even Festivals.