Our Experienced Music Teachers
All of School of Rock Hendersonville’s music teachers are experienced musicians devoted to helping students attain musical proficiency. Our instructors guide students one-on-one to personalize learning, inspire confidence and build social skills.
Patrick Oakes
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Patrick Oakes is a Cincinnati native and now a Nashville-based guitarist, bassist, keyboardist, and composer. He started playing the guitar at age 13 inspired by the sounds of alternative and classic rock. He played viola and upright bass in school orchestras and became a guitar student at School of Rock Mason, where he was exposed to improvisation and music theory.
Patrick then attended the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music, where he received his Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies and had the opportunity to spend time studying music theory, composition, improvisation, Brazilian music, bluegrass, and the lineage of creative American music.
Patrick has been playing professionally since he was 16 years old. Now, in addition to playing in his own bands around Nashville, you can hear him as a member of The Wonderlands with whom he has had the opportunity to play across the eastern U.S. and record several albums of original music. He loves School of Rock for its ability to connect people through music and its ability to expand what many students think is possible through art and collaboration.
Dan Fuson
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Vocal Teacher
Dan Fuson is an Indiana native and now a Nashville-based guitarist and songwriter. After picking up the guitar at 12 years old, Dan started writing and performing his own songs and playing in bands of various genres throughout the Midwest. After graduating from Butler University with a degree in recording industry studies in 2016, Dan moved to Nashville to continue his music career.
Now, in addition to writing and recording music under his own name, Dan is the lead guitarist of Nashville-based punk rock band Winona Fighter. The band is currently signed to RISE Records and has toured across the country opening for bands like Incubus, The Offspring, Sublime, Taking Back Sunday, and more. He is also a guitar, bass, and vocal teacher at the School of Rock in Hendersonville.
Matt Bover
Drums Teacher, Guitar Teacher
Matt Bover is a drummer and educator originally from the Woodstock, NY area. After high school, he moved to Barcelona, Spain, where he studied jazz and Latin styles at the internationally renowned Conservatori del Liceu. While maintaining a perfect GPA and balancing a demanding schedule of full-time classes and 15-hour daily practice sessions, Matt immersed himself in Barcelona’s vibrant international music scene—connecting with thousands of musicians from around the world and performing across Europe.
Following his time in Spain, Matt returned to the U.S. and relocated to Boston, Massachusetts to continue his studies at Berklee College of Music. There, he was awarded a full performance scholarship and quickly became part of a dynamic community of top-tier musicians, collaborating and recording with some of Berklee’s finest talent.
A passionate educator, Matt dedicates much of his time to teaching, gigging, and leading clinics, always seeking to inspire the next generation of musicians at School of Rock Hendersonville.
Rachel Pederson
Bass Guitar Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Vocals Teacher
Rachel Pedersen is vocalist and instrumentalist specialist based in Nashville, TN. Her biggest musical achievements include opening up for Sammy Hagar at the Wildhorse Saloon, opening up for Miranda Lambert at the Fontanel Mansion, and writing and performing an original song for WBEC South (Women’s Business Enterprise Council). Rachel currently works on writing and performing with her band The Olys as well as playing various solo gigs.
Rachel graduated from Austin Peay State University and obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Vocal and General Music Education. Since college, she also became a music teacher in the Metropolitan Nashville Area, showcasing her love of music to kids daily. She has taught Songwriting, Piano I, General Music, and a total of 4 different levels of Choir.
When not at School of Rock Hendersonville, she enjoys spending time with her fiancé, making origami, and writing songs.
School of Rock is where music and learning come together
For over twenty years, our amazing instructors have transformed hundreds of thousands of students across the world into skilled musicians. Become a musician at School of Rock.