Erin
General Manager
Music has always been a huge part of Erin’s life—she grew up surrounded by classical, jazz, and pop thanks to her family and friends, and she’s been playing in bands since she was ten years old! Her main instrument is the bassoon (she even went on to earn both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in bassoon performance), but she’s always loved singing too. You’ll sometimes catch her teaching voice lessons or rocking out with our Adult Band.
Erin joined School of Rock Kansas City in the fall of 2023 as the Studio Coordinator and is now proud to be the General Manager. True to the School of Rock spirit, she’s learning her first new instrument in years, bass guitar!
Erin's hobbies include reading, crafting, binging television shows, hanging out with her roommates and cats, and singing in the car. She looks forward to helping kids be passionate about music!
Kait
Music Director, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Drums Teacher, Vocals Teacher
Kait Anderson is a versatile multi-instrumentalist and educator with a strong foundation in both classical and contemporary music. She holds a Bachelor of Music Education with an instrumental focus from The College of New Jersey and a Master of Music in bassoon performance from the Conservatory of Dance and Music at the University of Missouri–Kansas City. In addition, she has pursued post-graduate coursework in instrumental pedagogy and music performance, further expanding her expertise as both a performer and teacher.
As an orchestral musician, Kait has extensive experience performing in professional and academic ensembles, with a focus on bassoon and classical percussion. Her performance background also extends into percussion ensembles and jazz bands, reflecting her deep versatility across genres. Currently, she continues her performance career as a member of both a cover band and a country band, blending her classical training with popular and contemporary styles.
At School of Rock Kansas City, Kait has spent the past five years developing her skills across all five core instruments offered by the program. She began as a keyboard + piano and vocals teacher, drawing on her strong foundation in music education, and quickly expanded to drums, thanks to her years of experience as both a classical percussionist and a jazz drum set player. Over time, she added guitar and bass guitar, building on childhood memories of living room jam sessions with her dad, where she first learned open chords on acoustic guitar and ukulele.
Kait is passionate about inspiring students of all ages to grow as musicians. Her background as an orchestral performer, combined with her wide-ranging experience in jazz, rock, and country, allows her to bring a unique and dynamic perspective to her teaching.
Liam
Drum Teacher
Liam has been playing the drums since the age of 10. Liam took private lessons, played in school bands, jazz band, percussion ensemble and orchestra, and finally started a rock band in high school, where he found his passion. Heading to college while the landscape of the music industry was changing, and aware of the role that business and visual art plays in music, he majored in Entrepreneurship and minored in Graphic Design at the University of Missouri - Kansas City.
After graduating in 2010, he joined and became a founding member of Not A Planet, and the band hit the road for an east coast tour two weeks later. The band continued to tour for several years on the Northeast coast, the Southeast Coast and in Austin, TX. The band played Music Week, Boulevardia and Summer Jam, was awarded Best Rock EP by the Independent Music Awards and Best Rock Band by the Pitch Music Awards, and received other nominations from both. They played with Stone Temple Pilots and The Dirty Heads, and toured with Blues Traveler. Today, Liam plays in Not A Planet, Kangaroo Knife Fight and Jaenki. He is a drum teacher at School of Rock Parkville.
Eli
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Drum Teacher, Vocal Teacher
Eli is a multi-instrumentalist musician who has been involved in the KC music scene for over seven years! Starting with tuba in band class, Eli quickly taught himself guitar, bass, and drums, along with vocal lessons, to start his journey as a singer/songwriter/producer.
Eli has performed on many of KC’s finest venue stages as well as others around the country, ranging in genres from rock to pop, metal to hip-hop, and so on. Eli has a focus on teaching kids how to have fun with music, the same fun that got him into music!
Corey
Vocals Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Corey Mann is a tenor originally from Kansas City, Kansas. A versatile performer, Corey has experience performing many different genres of solo vocal music including opera, musical theater, art song, and song cycles. Corey has performed in esteemed ensembles, including a performance of Fauré's Requiem under the baton of Simon Carrington at Carnegie Hall, as well as masterworks such as Craig Hella Johnson’s “Considering Matthew Shepard”, and has been involved in chorus work for several operas at Boston Conservatory at Berklee.
Corey received his Master's degree in Vocal Performance at Boston Conservatory at Berklee studying with David Small in May of 2024 and is now back in Kansas City performing with opera and musical theater companies while teaching voice lessons at School of Rock Kansas City!
Caleb
Drum Teacher
Caleb has been playing drums for 19 years and is just beginning his teaching journey. His love for music began as early as he can remember, and over the years he has learned to play six different instruments. He participated in both his school band and jazz band, gaining a well-rounded musical background. With 15 years of experience performing in bands, Caleb is excited to share his knowledge and passion with others at School of Rock Kansas City. A fun fact about him is that his favorite sport is racing, and he once spent a summer working on a race car.
Dennis Pearson
Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Dr. Dennis is a versatile multi-instrumentalist and educator whose career spans the worlds of indie-folk, classic rock, and elite classical performance. A founding member of The Lockpicks and the award-winning Northwood’s Band, he has graced major stages from the Winnipeg Folk Festival to the Kansas City Symphony.
Holding a DMA from UMKC, Dennis currently serves as the principal bassoonist for Lincoln’s Symphony Orchestra. His teaching at School of Rock Kansas City blends rigorous technical foundation with real-world groove and creativity, empowering students to excel in both contemporary and traditional settings.
Christian
Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Vocal Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Christian is a musician, composer, and producer with over 10 years of performance experience. Originally from Melbourne, Florida, he recently relocated to Kansas City and brings a lifelong passion for music and creativity.
He earned a Bachelor's degree in Music Production from Full Sail University in Orlando, where he honed his skills in composition, recording, and production. While there, he co-founded the funk cover band The Jaylbirds, performing regularly throughout the Orlando music scene.
Christian began playing piano at a young age and later studied trombone and piano in jazz band and wind ensemble. He also spent over six years performing weekly with his church worship band, singing and playing keyboards, bass, and guitar. In addition to songwriting, music production, and performing with local bands, he enjoys playing accordion and ukulele and draws inspiration from pop music and K-pop.
As an instructor, Christian is excited to help students at School of Rock Kansas City discover the joy of music, build confidence in their abilities, and develop a lifelong passion for learning and performing.
Sam
Drum Teacher
Sam is an emerging drummer of the Kansas City music scene. He has experience as a bandleader with his quartet and has been a sideman for various other bands in the area as well as being a member of the UMKC Mob pep band. He currently studies under Carl Allen at the University Missouri Kansas City pursuing a Bachelors of Jazz Studies. He specializes in jazz drum set, but has become a versatile force in rock as well as many other genres of music. Through his years of playing, Sam has recognized the importance of music and its impact on building community and strengthening relationships. At School of Rock Kansas City, he hopes to help students discover their passion for music and guide them in the next steps of their musical journey.