Andrew Lubeck
Owner, General Manager, Guitar Teacher
Andrew Lubeck took over ownership of the School of Rock in Marlboro in March of 2021. His business background is in IT as a Systems Engineer working in enterprise computing, networking, and storage. Aside from being the Owner and General Manager, Andy keeps a few students because he loves helping guitar players learn and improve.
Andy grew up in North Brunswick, NJ, and has been playing guitar since he was about 14. He is a huge fan of a variety of music and has been since he was a little kid. When asked what kind of music he likes, he usually says, "Everything from Motown to Metal".
Andy has played mostly in cover bands over the years and has played everything from modern country and Southern rock to heavy metal. He now plays in a local cover band in the area and really enjoys the vibrant live music scene that we are fortunate to have here in New Jersey.
Nick DeFabritus
Music Director, Drum Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Songwriting Teacher
Nick has been playing music nearly his whole life and is proficient in every instrument taught at School of Rock, with his main focus in his own bands being guitar and drums. He has been playing in bands since the age of twelve and has been writing music since he was sixteen.
Nick has played in multiple bands that have toured the country. Now, he mainly plays with his group "All Under Heaven", where he sings and plays guitar. The group, which includes various staff members of the School of Rock in Marlboro, regularly plays the tristate area and tours often. He has written songs with millions of streams on Spotify and Apple Music and has gained thousands of views from his music on YouTube. Nick has been a core staff member at the School of Rock in Marlboro for over 5 years. He is the Music Director at the school and manages our House Band program, which includes the most advanced students at the school.
Vicky Fleisch
Vocal Teacher, Studio Coordinator, Show Director
Vicky Fleisch is a vocal instructor here at School of Rock Marlboro. She has a Bachelor's in Music from New York University, where she majored in Vocal Performance. At NYU, she studied all aspects of vocal pedagogy and voice science and focused on her own intensive training.
Vicky grew up in Manalapan, NJ, and knew she wanted to be a singer as soon as she could talk. She found a lot of joy doing musicals in school and joining every choir she could find. Later, she was a student in the Fine and Performing Arts magnet program at Howell High School where students receive musical and performing arts education as their curriculum. During these four years, she was a part of the Honors Chorus where she won the National Choral Award with New Jersey's All Shore Chorus as well as the All Shore Scholarship in 2019 with New Jersey's All State Chorus. There she received the honor of being a three-year member and sang at Carnegie Hall's Winter Celebration. Throughout her vocal and musical journey, she has found herself attached to the stage and wanting to sing every chance she got. In the last few years, she has been nominated by Papermill Playhouse for Best Supporting Actress, by BroadwayWorld for Best Overall Musical, and has been recognized by Playbill.
She grew up with all types of musical influences, from Queen, The Beatles, and Billy Joel, all the way to Celine Dion, Idina Menzel, and Kelly Clarkson. She loves to teach all types of music and thrives in helping students find their authentic voice. She feels that being able to connect to your voice and sing in a genuine way is the most powerful gift of all!
Alex Sanders
Studio Coordinator, Guitar Teacher, Show Director
Alex Sanders has been a singer/songwriter for fourteen years and has fronted three different bands in both California and western New York. He has also gone busking (street performing) across the country, an experience that helped define his late twenties and early thirties. Today, songwriting is still his primary passion when it comes to music.
His work experiences outside of music include student development and counseling in higher education and social work. He says that School of Rock is by far the coolest place he has worked! He takes a lot of pride in helping this school grow and seeing our students continue to develop their skills and passion for music.
Julia Paradizova
Studio Coordinator, Vocals Teacher
Julia Paradizova is a music enthusiast who embarked on her musical journey at the School of Rock in Marlboro in 2022. Starting as a piano student, she quickly found her groove, joining the Adult Performance group and stepping into the role of Studio Coordinator in just a few months.
Julia's musical roots run deep – she's been singing and performing since she could talk, boasting years of professional vocal training and acting experience. Her love for 80s rock remains unwavering and you can usually find her belting any Scorpions, AC/DC, or Guns N' Roses song.
Beyond her musical pursuits, Julia holds a B.A. in Philosophy, and has plans to attend law school in the near future. On weekends, you'll catch her rehearsing with the Adult band, volunteering at the local dog shelter, and spending quality time with her furry companions Maggie, Zoe, and Nala. Julia enjoys living a well-rounded and vibrant life filled with music and animals.
Doug Losche
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Show Director
Doug has been playing guitar since he was seven years old and bass guitar since he was about 14. He also play drums and piano. His musical education includes college-level music theory classes, many years of lessons with instructors (including an accomplished jazz guitarist), work in recording studios, plenty of self-directed instruction, and real-world playing experience. Teaching helps keep him on top of his game, and he enjoys sharing what he has learned (he is always learning), as well as sharing his experiences as a performing musician.
In addition to teaching the skill of playing, Doug provides information on the care and maintenance of the guitar and related equipment. Further, he is able to provide insight and assistance related to playing in real-world situations and progressing toward playing in bands, recording music at home and in studios, and making money through music. One of my favorite pieces of advice that he has picked up is, "Don't just practice until you get it right. Practice until you can't get it wrong." He stresses that approach in his teaching.
Aaron Brenner
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Show Director
Aaron is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and recording artist. He has played around the country in multiple bands. His lessons focus on fundamentals, practical methods for improvement, and having fun.
He teaches drums, guitar, and keyboards at School of Rock Marlboro.
Meghan Kryscnski
Vocal Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Show Director
Meghan is excited to be an instructor at School of Rock Marlboro, New Jersey. Meghan will be teaching beginner to advanced level vocal lessons and beginner to intermediate level piano lessons, as well as serving as an instructor with the Summer Rock Camps and Group Classes at the school.
Meghan is a recent graduate of Rowan University holding a Bachelor’s Degree of Music: Music Education-Vocal. During her time at Rowan University, she completed her clinical practice at both Williamstown Middle School and Whitehall Elementary School, in Williamstown, New Jersey, where she found her passion for inspiring her students to fall in love with music.
Meghan was showcased in a solo recital during her senior year at Rowan University. She was also an active member of the Rowan University Concert Choir, University Chorus, Women’s Chorus, and Opera Company where she was featured in the ensemble of Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte and Paquette in Leonard Bernstein’s Candide. In addition to performing, Meghan also is a member of NAFME, and ACDA, which are both professional organizations for music educators. During her spare time, Meghan spends her time with her family in Marlboro, New Jersey.
James Cannon
Bass Guitar Teacher, Drum Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Instrument Tech
James joined the School of Rock in Marlboro staff in February of 2022 after being a student since December 2020. He Is proficient in several instruments, including Bass, Drums, and Guitar.
James started his musical journey bouncing around instruments and instructors, practicing everything from rock to heavy metal, jazz, and R&B, as well as classical and orchestral music. He had the last of his training here at this very school, performing in several seasons of performance classes, doing school events such as playing on a parade float for the Freehold Memorial Day parade, and school open houses. He also played in the School of Rock House Band.
Besides teaching bass, guitar, and drums, James is also in charge of instrument repair and maintenance for the school. He has been working on instruments since he bought his first one in middle school and is now attending The Eastern School of Fretted Instrument Repair in Freehold.
Gillian Omotoso
Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Gillian Omotoso was born in 1996 in New Orleans and raised by Nigerian parents in the outskirts of the Jersey music mecca of Asbury Park, New Jersey. When it comes to music, Gillian has been an explorer as much as a performer and writer-composer. She has written treatises on the physical nature of sound. She also has performed regularly in the Jersey Shore music scene, including material on the 2020 Demos for a Difference compilation album. Her expertise is in piano, but she also sings and plays guitar.
Stylistically she ranges from jazz, pop/rock, and R&B to musical theater and classical along with alternative and experimental music. In college, she was the pianist for the TCNJ Jazz Ensemble from 2015 to 2017. She also studied classical and contemporary vocals under Dr. Nora Sirbaugh and Cynthia Springsteen-Balme. She has also studied music theory extensively. She is an accomplished public speaker and poet who has performed for various advocacy events and local venues in Monmouth, Middlesex, and Mercer counties. She is currently working on attaining her undergraduate certification at Brookdale Community College.
She is currently recording her self-produced passion project and debut album Mission Statement, which she aims to release in late 2024. She joined the School of Rock in Marlboro in the summer of 2023 and has gained newfound fulfillment in imparting her keyboard and music theory knowledge and wisdom to minds young and old.
Kat DeVille
Drum Teacher
"GIVE IT UP, KID. TAKE IT BACK WHERE YOU FOUND IT.”
That’s what many people told Kat when she bought her first drum set at the age of 17. Barreling through the negativity, Kat picked up a pair of old, splintered drumsticks, and hasn’t put them down since.
Through blind discipline and positive reinforcement from key family members, she persevered and practiced relentlessly. She even sacrificed her dresser in her bedroom and replaced it with a DW Chameleon drum set, placing towels on the cymbals so she wouldn’t wake up her older sister (that didn’t work very well).
As Kat progressed, she performed with many local groups, where the musical styles ranged from Punk Rock to Latin Jazz to Jam Band music. “Why are you playing with these guys?…” she would often be asked. “Because I’ve never played this style before and I want to learn,” she would say.
NEW YORK CITY AND THE DRUMMER’S COLLECTIVE
As she matured, Kat studied at numerous higher-learning institutions, majoring in music and communications. Ultimately, she settled on the Drummer’s Collective. At this prestigious music conservatory in NYC, she rubbed elbows with many noteworthy professors, such as Jason Gianni and Pat Petrillo. She learned the ropes of what is expected from the drummer and how to internalize certain feels, patterns, and approaches to music from all over the world. It impacted her profoundly, being one of the most fulfilling experiences of her life.
Kat also understood that to gain a better understanding of the style being played, one must also perceive it from the listener’s perspective. She used her knowledge of ballroom dancing and transitional, classical dancing to gain insight on what the audience expects from the band that's performing. This gave her an edge once she broke into the illustrious, yet competitive, music scene in New York City.
Starting out as a musician in a competitive atmosphere like NYC provided many adventures for Kat. She became friends with several fantastic musicians and rubbed elbows with New York Hard Core’s finest. Finally, NYC became her ally. Her esteemed mentor, Ron Thaler (Alicia Keys), would be proud. Currently, she is endorsed by Soultone Cymbals and Dark Horse Percussion, subbing, recording, and performing all over the nation.
NOT BAD FOR A TEXAS-BORN JERSEY GIRL . . .
Currently, she is the CFA of Modern Drummer Magazine and teaches regularly along the Jersey Shore. She performs with the Bloody Muffs under the moniker “Kat Kaos” and sings in the renowned Misfits tribute group Who Killed Marilyn? An Englishtown, NJ native, she lives with her doting husband and three beautiful daughters.
Jake Rubin
Guitar Teacher, Vocals Teacher
Jake Rubin joined School of Rock Marlboro in May of 2021. His professional background is in marketing and communications, and he is a project manager at a digital marketing agency.
Jake grew up in Colts Neck, NJ and has been playing guitar and singing since he was ten. His father used to play him records ranging from the classics like the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and Bob Dylan, to Michael Jackson and Prince, and to more modern acts like Yo La Tengo, Coldplay, and Radiohead. Jake has been a music junkie ever since, taking influences from a wide range of styles and genres.
This morphed into a passion for live performance, from humble beginnings at local VFW halls with his pre-teen and teenage bands, to more recently embarking on national tours with his current bands. Jake maintains a couple different groups each dedicated to a specific sound like alternative, indie, and shoegaze along with harsher styles like metal and hardcore. On the opposite side of the spectrum he also enjoys making ambient and intimate music. While writing, recording and gigging have been a big part of his artistic life, Jake enjoys filling up the rest of his time spreading musical knowledge to the youth and adults alike, teaching one-on-one lessons at the School of Rock Marlboro, along with instructing seasonal student groups to prepare them for live performance.
Dom Rosetti
Guitar Teacher
Dominic Rossetti is an extremely active guitarist in the New Jersey/Tri-State music scene. He is currently the full-time guitarist for the legendary Jersey-based Sensational Soul Cruisers, a high production, eleven-piece Classic Soul, Motown, and R&B tribute that tours theaters and clubs nationally.
Dom started his musical journey at the age of twelve years old with no formal lessons. It took Dom some time to develop his real interest in the guitar. He was an active listener to Classic Rock icons Van Halen, AC/DC, and Ozzy Osbourne, all who soon rekindled his interest in the instrument. Quickly, Dom began to develop his ears and transcribe his guitar idols out of sheer passion and desire to understand and emulate them. This development, due to hard work and patience, soon led him to be working with musicians significantly older than him while still in high school.
After basically “locking” himself in his bedroom for four years in order to commit himself to the guitar even further, Dom was accepted to the music school of his dreams, Berklee College of Music in Boston through hard work and discipline. Although it was an enlightening experience, after some time at Berklee, he decided it was best to just get straight to work. Returning to New Jersey with the goal to make his living playing his guitar, he quickly began to perform with multiple bands at a time, performing all different styles of music, and gathering as much experience as possible. Today, he is performing 200 nights a year consistently and traveling far and wide with the Soul Cruisers. A perpetual student, Dom is always learning and still practices very intensely, with more goals to attain in the future.
Dom cites some of his biggest guitar influences as Mike Stern, Eddie Van Halen, Allan Holdsworth, and Nile Rodgers, and is a guitar teacher at School of Rock Marlboro.
Ciara DiMaiolo
Vocals Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Ciara is currently pursuing a degree in Music Education, with a passion for singing opera and performing in musical theater. She has won three classical competitions, and continues to do community theater. She loves singing and playing piano!
Outside of her studies, She has spent the last seven years as a firefighter, and for the past two years, She has also served as an EMT. Additionally, She holds a position as a line officer at her local fire department, where she has gained invaluable experience in leadership and teamwork.
In her free time, She enjoys staying active and embracing the outdoors - whether it's going to the gym, skiing in the winter, or golfing and biking during the summer. She also loves spending time with her dog, Nitro, and cherishes the time spent with her family. Ciara is a vocals and keyboard + piano teacher at School of Rock Marlboro.
Victoria Cagnetta
Vocals Teacher
Victoria Cagnetta is excited to be a vocal instructor at School of Rock Marlboro. She graduated from Drexel University with a Bachelor’s degree in Music Industry with a concentration in Recording and Music Production. While there, she was music director of the A Capella group the Drexel Treblemakers, arranging and teaching songs. Her favorite to perform and teach was her senior solo, “Running Up That Hill” by Kate Bush. She sang in the University Chorus and Chamber Singers under Dr. Daniel Spratlan as director and studied voice with Katy Avery, both Grammy-award-winning singers with the Philadelphia choir The Crossing.
Victoria’s love of music goes back long before college, as she’s always loved singing along to The Beatles with her dad, Madonna with her mom, or traditional Irish ballads with her grandfather. Growing up in Millstone Township, NJ, she sang in the musicals and choirs at school, played in rock bands with friends (and her brother!), and took piano and voice lessons. She began to write, produce, and record her own songs on GarageBand in high school, which cemented her love for songwriting and production. She is a keyboardist and vocalist of Fools Caravan, who released their first singles on Spotify in 2020. She has also scored short films and released her first singles on Spotify in 2024. She is always writing more music!
Victoria is so happy to be a part of the team at School of Rock Marlboro and share her knowledge and love of singing with students, no matter what style. She wishes to help her students find their confidence and rock out!
Kathy Losche
Camp Teacher
Kathy earned a Bachelor of Arts from Seton Hall University as a major in music with a concentration in vocal performance and a minor in English. She sang soprano in the University's touring choir and madrigal ensemble, which gave her many wonderful opportunities including performing with the NJ Symphony Orchestra. Although her training is in classical voice, Kathy's true love is singing rock music. Since 2002, she has been the lead singer in a professional cover band that has played many venues, parties, benefits, and events across NJ as well as PA, NY, and CT. She is also one of two vocalists in the contemporary music group at her church. Kathy shares her joy for music at her "day job" as a Pre-K through 8th grade classroom teacher at a Catholic school in Freehold where she teaches general music and communications and technology. She is also the music director for her school's musicals and is her school's yearbook advisor.
Kathy loves to share the joy of music with students of all ages. No matter the song, instrument, or venue, she believes that performers should always strive to make their audience feel something. She emphasizes this in her teaching by instilling in her students a strong sense of stage presence and the ability to convey the emotion of the music through their performance.
Sam Broad
Drums Teacher
Sam has been playing drums since he was in first grade. He went to Berklee College of Music and is well-versed in all different styles of music. When not teaching at School of Rock Marlboro, he plays locally as well as around the tristate area with multiple bands.
Sophia Montalbano
Camp Teacher
Sophia Montalbano is a singer/songwriter and music educator from Red Bank NJ. She teaches, voice, piano and bass. She has a ton of experience teaching music and currently works as an elementary music teacher in Brick Township.
Passionate about music education and teaching, she has previously School of Rock teaching experience in addition to having a lot of experience teaching group classes. She is very excited to join the School of Rock Marlboro community!
Jimmy DeVito
Guitar Teacher
James grew up in Freehold and has been playing guitar for 30 years. He is a big fan of all types of music from heavy metal to blues, rock, pop, and classical. He is well versed in music theory and has played in bands and performed live on stage for years.
He has been teaching for the past ten years and joined the School of Rock family in November of 2023, currently teaching at School of Rock Marlboro. His business background is landscaping, heavy equipment operation, and small engine repair.
Karl Kim
Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Karl Kim (a.k.a. Karl with a K) is a musician who has been to many corners of the world of music. He plays many instruments, including, but not limited to, piano, guitar, bass guitar, percussion, violin, and trombone. He also composes music, works as an audio engineer, and has even conducted musical ensembles.
He has grown up listening to an extremely diverse range of musical styles, from classical to jazz to rock to video game soundtracks to electronic to J-pop and everything in between. The (ever-changing and ever-growing) list of rock bands that inspire him include Metallica, Avenged Sevenfold, Dream Theater, Slipknot, Periphery, and more.
Karl has earned a B.M. in Music Theory and Composition at New York University in 2022, and is currently completing his thesis for an M.M. in Music Scoring for Visual Media at Indiana University. When not teaching at School of Rock Marlboro, he is composing music for an upcoming video game title Project Solar Beat.