Jef Shaffer
Music Director, Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Drum Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Vocal Teacher, Rehearsal Director
Jef Shaffer is a live musician, recording artist, producer, and podcaster. An Ohio native, Jef moved from Cincinnati to Columbus when he was 13 years old and has been proud to call Central Ohio his home for over three decades. Additionally, Jef is a father to two amazing adult children.
Jef started singing and theater at a very early age, adding piano and trumpet to his musical repertoire at age 12. When he was 14, Jef began learning guitar and within a year, started a small rock band with school friends as the guitarist and lead singer. He has never lost his passion and excitement for live performing since.
Jef is multi-instrumental, proficient with every instrument offered by School of Rock, which can be evidenced by his 2020 EP solo release, "Ghosts," for which he performed all instruments/vocals in addition to engineering and production of the album.
Notable accomplishments include performing on The Buckeye Cruise for Cancer (2015-2020), performing the national anthem for the Columbus Blue Jackets, Crew, and Clippers, as well as appearances on Good Day Columbus and the Wags & Elliott Show.
As Music Director, Jef brings a passion for both music and instruction to School of Rock, always striving to challenge and motivate his students with structured lessons, clear expectations, positive and constructive feedback, and just the right amount of fun.
Jillian Jenkins
Assistant General Manager, Studio Coordinator
Jillian has worked at the School of Rock Gahanna in Columbus, Ohio since August 2021. Her daughter has been a student here since late 2019! Jillian can be found in the front office or at the front desk either managing the day-to-day tasks or helping a family with the schedule.
Although she does not teach any instruments, Jillian did take piano lessons for two years as a teenager and has taken a couple of bass guitar lessons since working here. She enjoys being crafty, going to concerts (especially ones that her daughter is participating in), hanging out with friends, or traveling to see her granddaughter when she can.
Adam Amici
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Drum Teacher, Little Wing Teacher, Rookies Teacher, Rehearsal Director, Studio Coordinator
Adam is a multi-instrumentalist and co-founder of the band NvrLnd. He has played drums since the age of three and has been performing live with various groups since the age of 12. Originally from Columbus, Ohio, Adam has since lived in Mexico and Spain but will always call Ohio his home. He continues to love to travel and experience other cultures and styles of music. Music has led Adam around the world and opened doors to connections and friendships that never would have been possible any other way.
Adam loves writing, recording and playing music live any chance he gets. Fluent in English and Spanish, Adam can give music instruction in both languages depending on whichever language students at School of Rock Gahanna prefer.
Glen Siggers
Drum Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Vocal Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Glen Siggers was born in Frankfurt, Germany but was raised in Mobile, Alabama. He began his musical journey at the age of 16. Throughout his musical career, Glen has played with a plethora of seasoned musicians and opened for B.B. King, George Clinton, Three Dog Night, The Wailer, Mitch Rider, Flock of Seagulls, and Herbie Hancock just to name a few. Glen was also the touring drummer for Frankie Goes To Hollywood for 15 years. After moving to Columbus, Ohio, he played with Clutterhouse, Za Unitt, The Angry Men, and The Lovebenders. While with The Lovebenders, they were the feature band of The Buckeye Cruise for Cancer pediatric cancer organization. Glen is now starting a new journey with acoustic performances.
Augustus Gabriel
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Rehearsal Director
Augustus is a music nerd who won his first guitar from an arcade and hasn’t been without one since. Initially scouring every song he came across for a guitar part he could learn, Augustus has now taken a deeper focus on music theory and song structure.
Today, Augustus finds the same joy in expanding his musical knowledge as he does in sharing his understanding with others.
Sara Smith
Bass Guitar Teacher, Vocal Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Rehearsal Director
Sara has been playing music since about five years old. On keyboard + piano, French horn, cello, trombone, and bass guitar, she has been performing for the better part of two decades. Sara began teaching her junior year of high school as the last graduating French horn player, wanting to maintain the section.
Having lived in Columbus since 2015, Sara freelances throughout the city on bass guitar and cello and has worked on various albums in studios and playing live. Outside of Columbus, she’s played on cruise ships that travel all over the world, usually performing six to seven days a week, two to four sets a day.
With a focus on bass guitar, keyboard + piano, and vocals, her main goal as a teacher is to give her students at School of Rock Gahanna the ability to get closer and closer to playing whatever genre or style they want both in lessons and onstage by building a strong understanding of that instrument. Main topics will include ear training, learning how to read music, and working toward the right tone on a given instrument.
Drew Burgess
Drums Teacher, Rock 101 Rehearsal Director
September 3, 1964, was the birth date of Drew’s passion for music - the day Drew and his siblings saw “The Beatles” at the Indiana State Fair grounds. Drew was 6years old. After that show, Drew’s older brother Duane, who played guitar said “You need to learn how to play drums so we can start our band”. That’s when Drew’s musical journey began.
Drew took drum lessons for six months and played drums in his school band in Centerville, Ohio. He was urged by his instructor to move from playing the snare drum to taking on a full kit. He did, and at 11 years old he joined a traveling group called “Singout Kettering” - a branch of the national touring group “Up With People”.
Since then, Drew has continued his musical career alongside his professional career as an architect. He discovered commonalities between the two that have continued to shape his journey. Drew focuses on fundamentals and establishing a strong foundation for shaping and playing rhythm. He puts the utmost importance on keeping time, which is the number one role of a drummer in a band. He also emphasizes discipline and simplicity as the keys to successful education and performance.
A Dayton, Ohio native, Drew moved to Columbus with his wife, Helen in 1992, and together they have a daughter Samantha and grandson Jack James. Drew’s passion for music has continued to grow through participation in a number of cover bands as well as recording and performance of original material. He has recently become more involved with engineering and production as he spends more time in the studio. Drew draws on all of his past experiences as a Rock 101 teacher at School of Rock Gahanna, where he endeavors to create a focused environment, encouraging exploration, hard work, and fun as the recipe for success.
Miles Harris
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Vocal Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Drum Teacher, Rehearsal Director
Miles has worked as a professional musician for over a decade and has traveled the world playing music festivals, walking for fashion week, and meeting so many amazing people.
Miles is proficient in guitar, keyboard + piano, vocals, drums, and bass guitar, and has a passion for teaching the next generation of rock stars at School of Rock Gahanna how to turn emotion and thoughts into something to share with the world.
“In a world full of bitterness and tragedy, sing your heart out, kid.”