JJ Gomez
Regional General Manager
School of Rock McAllen's Regional General Manager JJ started playing drums at the age of nine and joined his first band when he was 14. While in high school, JJ received honors such as being part of the All Region Band in 2008 and 2011, and reaching the state level with his high school's drumline all four years.
Having 13 years of experience with different musicians has given him the opportunity to play major festivals alongside artists like Five Finger Death Punch, Kid Rock, Slayer and many others.
Marcos Macias
Assistant General Manager, Drums Teacher
Marcos' musical journey started off in middle school band in his hometown, Rio Grande City. He would become very involved in the school’s band program and was a UIL All Region Symphonic band member five years in a row in addition to being the high school drumline section leader.
Drum corps has always played a major influence in his drumming and was his forte the first couple of years out of high school. While attending the University of Texas Pan American, he was able to be a part of the first drumline to represent UTPA at the Percussion Arts Society International Convention in Austin, TX. Years later he was also able to achieve this with South Texas College, and was section leader for the first competing snare ensemble to attend PASIC for the school. Since then, he has been performing at multiple local venues from McAllen, Harlingen, Brownsville and South Padre Island with different cover bands and original bands. Some of the original bands he has performed with include A Business for Thieves, The Saints, The Landlocked Pirates and Perfect weather. With over 20 years of experience, Marcos is extremely grateful and excited to be a part of the School of Rock McAllen staff.
Cassandra Salazar
Studio Coordinator
A member of the School of Rock family since 2020 as a student in the performance programs, Cassandra is excited to join School of Rock McAllen as the Studio Coordinator.
Music has always been a huge part of Cassandra's life, and being able to support young musicians on their journeys feels like a dream come true to them.
Jacob Saldaña
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Drums Teacher
Influenced by punk rock, metal, and classical, Jacob first began their musical journey at age 12, picking up guitar at 14. They love all guitar-based music, but also enjoy dipping their toes into other genres like jazz and indie.
At School of Rock McAllen, Jacob's goal is the help students gain the knowledge and practice proper techniques to help further their musical journeys.
Lizz Pruneda
Vocals Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Beginning their musical journey at age four, Lizz has devoted their life to the art of sound and performance. As an active member of numerous local bands and choirs over the years, Lizz has gained a deep appreciation for the power of community in music.
While inspired by many well-known artists, Lizz's greatest inspiration comes from the people around them - fellow musicians, colleagues, students, and the vibrant local music scene. Passionate about teaching and performance, Lizz is dedicated to nurturing a love for music in others, helping each student at School of Rock McAllen discover their unique voice and the joys of making music.
Lyra Resendez
Vocals Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Lyra's love for music began at the age of three when they would listen to their dad play piano and trying to play along and learn by ear. At age 11, their grandmother enrolled them in lessons at the classical piano academy, where Lyra studied until graduating high school. At age 12, they joined band at school, and was a member until graduation.
These experiences helped make the decision to study piano performance at UTRGV an easy one. They are continuing their education and hope to one day earn a doctorate in performance. Lyra's goal is to provide students at School of Rock McAllen with a deeper understanding of music and theory, and nurture young musicians to be better than they are.
Victor Valdez
Guitar Teacher
With a background in school band and music theory, Victor has been mastering the guitar for over four years now. Their major influences include Megadeth, Metallica, Slipknot, Incubus, and Nirvana, with Megadeth's Dave Mustaine as their top guitar idol.
While in their high school's jazz band, Victor played at the TAMUK Jazz Fest, and having jazz guitar experience has inspired them to learn many different styles of guitar playing, like Bossa Nova and Jazz Fusion.
Victor is excited to teach students at School of Rock McAllen and help to impart his musical knowledge!
Daniel Silva
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Drum Teacher, Vocal Teacher
Daniel has been playing music since he was three, and picked up bass guitar through playing in the Lincoln Middle School jazz band. Learning bass guitar led him to play in his church's worship team through his middle school years. He joined his first pop punk band, "In Case of Emergency," at 13, and played in a few local Battle of the Bands.
During high school, Daniel backed up his bandmate on his solo project "ABCDE" and picked up local jazz gigs whenever possible. From there, he learned sound engineering and had a small music studio where he recorded his first album for his own band "The Fabricated." He set up local shows, running sound and lights for local bars and venues for years before his cover band "The Undeclared" allowed him to work full-time as a gigging musician. Daniel teaches at School of Rock McAllen.
Aaron Perez
Bass Guitar Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Drums Teacher, Vocals Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Fluent in Trumpet, Drums, Guitar, Mandolin, Keyboard + Piano, Bass Guitar, Harmonica and Vocals, Aaron is an accomplish multi-instrumental teacher at School of Rock McAllen with over ten years' experience performing in local venues and festivals around the Valley and Texas with their band the Riverside Boys,
In 2023, Aaron graduated from STC with an Associate's in Music Education and is currently working towards a Bachelor's in Music Technology and Education. Aaron's goal as an educator is to provide their students with the skills necessary to learn and express themselves creatively through music.
Dominick Rodriguez
Drums Teacher
Currently a student at the University of Texas Rio Grande in their School of Music program, Dominick fell in love with the drums at an early age. After their father gifted them their first electronic drumset, Dominick could be found playing along to some of their favorite bands like Metallica, Avenged Sevenfold, Nirvana, System of a Down, and Blink-182.
While in high school, Dominick was a proud member of the drumline and successfully made the Valley Region Jazz Band during their junior and senior years. They have also participated in UTRGV's first-ever WGI Indoor Drumline season, going all the way to Ohio for the WGI Indoor Championships.
At School of Rock McAllen, Dominick is excited to help students further their education as performers and musicians.