Bob Jones
Owner
Bob Jones is a composer and multi-instrumentalist living and working in Brooklyn's thriving music scene. He received a bachelor's degree in double bass performance from Michigan State University. Equally at home in the genres of rock, classical, folk, electronic, and jazz, Bob has appeared on dozens of albums and has toured extensively in the United States and Europe.
With two decades of teaching experience under his belt, Bob takes his role as music director at the School of Rock in New York in stride. His students have gone on to audition for performing arts high schools and colleges and pursue careers in music. He is known for the enthusiasm and patience he shows in lessons, rehearsals, and events.
Sarah
General Manager
Sarah is our General Manager at the School of Rock in New York and is a writer, actor, and producer based out of New Jersey. She has written over twenty plays and screenplays and has recently jumped into film production and game narration. Her works have won numerous accolades and awards, with more to come!
Sarah is the founder of 860 Films and is also diving into the business of fudge making! She is also a voice actor, an avid gamer, and is the snare captain for the Queer Big Apple Corps, the city’s largest LGBTQ+ marching band!
Danny
Studio Coordinator
Danny is an arts administrator, performing artist, and theater educator based out of Harlem, NY. Most recently he has worked as an operations specialist for Port City Music, a talent recruiter for AMDA College of the Performing Arts, and as an admissions advisor for the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts.
As a performer, he has been seen across the country in over 15 states performing in various professional plays, musicals, and concerts.
Jean
Studio Coordinator
Jean Santos is a native New Yorker with a love of classical music and heavy metal. Through School of Rock, he has fostered a passion for teaching. He is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education at Queens College to hone his musical teaching abilities. He is a guitar teacher, piano teacher, and vocal instructor at the School of Rock in New York.
Adam
Bass Guitar Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Vocal Teacher, Music Director
Adam grew up in Miami, Florida, and attended the School of Rock in Miami as a student for five years before becoming a teacher at age 18. He holds an associate's degree in jazz vocal performance from Miami Dade College and a bachelor's degree in songwriting from Berklee College of Music in Boston.
Before making the move to New York City, Adam performed in Boston projects such as indie rock outfit Red Mill, pop songwriter Griffin Robillard, and his own songwriting vehicle Tree Signs. A talented multi-instrumentalist, Adam plays many styles of music including rock, bluegrass, jazz, metal, and folk.
With a deep background in writing and recording, Adam has directed a wide variety of programs at the School of Rock in New York in addition to the performance program, such as the songwriting and recording summer camp. He is the Music Director at the School of Rock in New York.
Josh
Drum Teacher
Josh is a New York-based drummer from Rochester, NY. Josh started taking drum lessons with Jeff Welch and also learned through the Hochstein School of Music and started studying under Rich Felice.
In 2008, Josh joined the Army Band and studied at the Armed Forces School of Music. Shortly after he was sent to Fort Drum, New York, and became an Army Bandsman of the 10th Mountain Division Band. Over a two-year period, he performed in jazz, funk, rock, and orchestral bands across New York and other states in the U.S. Josh was honorable discharged from the military and started attending the New School for jazz and contemporary music. He studied with such greats as Mike Clark, Shawn Pelton, Mark Guiliana, Adam Deitch, Steven Wolf, and Thomas Pridgen.
During his time in NYC, Josh has been a studio/freelance drummer. He has played with artists such as Oba, Monroe, The Sweet Things, Gas House Gorillas, and Ginger Minj. Now he currently plays in his own bands: Civilians and Flowmingos. Civilians play a mixture of hip-hop, rock, and contemporary jazz music. They’ve released their first studio album, Look Cool, with another album soon to be released. Josh's other band, Flowmingos, started by playing in the subways and in parks throughout NYC.
Daniel
Drum Teacher
Daniel is a New York-based touring/session drummer and music educator. He graduated magna cum laude from Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA in the Spring of 2012.
Since relocating to Brooklyn, NY in the fall of 2012, Daniel has recorded with numerous bands and artists in the United States, Mexico, and his native Bolivia. He has toured the continental United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe, and Australia with artists like Young Magic, playing in renowned venues such as The Fillmore, Fonda Theatre, and Bowery Ballroom among others.
Daniel has also played in festivals like Northside Festival, Billboard Hot 100 Festival, 30 Days in LA, SXSW, NXNE, Suoni Per Il Popolo Festival, Lowlands Festival, Sweden Emmaboda Festival, Milhoes de Festa, Visions Festival and Strawberry Fields Festival, sharing the stage with artists including Portishead, Queens of The Stone Age, and St. Vincent.
Rose
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Rose is a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter living and working in Brooklyn, NY. Informed by performance art and a background in critical theory, her artistic practice is concerned with hope and transcendence and seeks to test the limitations of traditional live music performance. Rose's collaborations with artists including musicians, visual artists, sound artists, and filmmakers have yielded versatility and an ability to cultivate a gravitational presence in a myriad of contexts.
Self-taught and hailing from a small town in northern California, Rose has since performed on three continents and in spaces like the Guggenheim, the High Line, and Kino Saito. She has enjoyed fruitful collaborations with performance artists Naama Tsabar and Ragnar Kjartansson and supported Bruce Springsteen upon the release of his album, Only the Strong Survive. She currently plays bass in Big Bliss.
Pete
Drum Teacher
Pete is a New York-based drummer and educator. He grew up in the small town of Lebanon, Pennsylvania with a dad who was a full-time drummer/educator. Pete moved to NYC at the age of 18 to attend the Manhattan School of Music, from which he graduated in 2019 with a Bachelor of Music degree. While attending Manhattan School of Music, Pete had the privilege of studying with renowned drum educators John Riley and Kendrick Scott who, along with his dad, instilled in him a true appreciation and love for education.
Pete first began teaching private drum lessons while in college and quickly realized how much he enjoyed passing along his musical knowledge to others. He also keeps a very busy gigging schedule, regularly playing everything from pop-punk to jazz to indie rock to theater and just about everything in between. Pete's wide range of gigging and teaching experience gives him the versatility to teach just about anything a student may want or need to learn.
Jim
Drum Teacher
Jim is a Brooklyn-based drummer and percussionist. After growing up playing in garage rock bands in Philadelphia, Jim attended New York University and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Jazz Performance. At NYU, he studied with notable professors, such as Mike Richmond, Tony Moreno, Lenny Picket, and Ari Hoenig. In 2014, Jim traveled to Costa Rica as part of the Costa Rican-North American Cultural Center’s Promising Artists Program, where he performed and gave masterclasses.
Since graduating, Jim has worked as a freelance musician throughout New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. He has toured nationally and performed in prestigious venues, including the Brooklyn Academy of Music, The Kessler in Dallas, Texas, and The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Jim also plays in NYC regularly with his bands The Academy Blues Project, Anacortes, and The Grasping Straws.
Jacob
Drum Teacher
Hailing from California, Jacob has been drumming since he was 8. He holds a degree in mathematics and teaching from Bard College.
Jacob became the music director at the School of Rock in Maywood, New Jersey in 2022 before joining School of Rock NYC in 2024. His favorite food is pigs in a blanket and his favorite date is April 25th because it’s not too hot, not too cold, all you need is a light jacket.
Michael
Drum Teacher
Michael's musical journey began at the age of 6, when he first was able to learn piano. Drums and percussion would later become his main instrument earning honors as 1st chair in All Region for 6 years straight, 1st chair for All Region Jazz for 4 years, and All State band for his Junior and Senior Year of High School. In 2007 Michael was accepted into the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA for drums where he graduated in 2011 with his degree in music business and management.
During his college years at Berklee, he honed his vocal skills, auditioned for The X Factor, and advanced throughout the show! Since then he has worked with vocal artists from shows such as The Voice, American Idol, Youtube Viral artist Nikki Aliah, NBC's The Sing-Off, and Rolling Stones backup vocalist Sasha Allen as well as working alongside Grammy Award-winning producer/pianist Rob Lewis. Michael also performed with the Cedar Park Winds Symphony in Austin, TX from 2018-2023 and is currently a member of the Queer Big Apple Corps Marching and Symphonic band.
Oli
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Drum Teacher
For Oli, compassion, empathy, and trust are key to understanding his musical sensibilities. Growing up in Connecticut and Wellington, New Zealand allowed him to understand different intersections of how people and cultures get together to celebrate life, art, and happiness. Oli's bass playing aims to reflect upon those perspectives in whichever musical context he plays in.
As a professional bassist, Ollie has performed or recorded alongside some of New York and New Zealand’s top artists, including Lenny White, Letizia Gambi, Dave Pietro, Malick Koly, Roger Fox, and Cory Champion. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ollie moved back to his hometown of Wellington, New Zealand, and was involved in a number of projects and nationally renowned groups, including serving as principal bassist in the Royal New Zealand Airforce Band. He also was the co-founder of Nebulus Slim, which aimed at mixing the traditions of jazz-rock with dance-floor electronica.
Today, you can see Ollie playing with a variety of bands and artists, both on bass, guitar, and drums. His two main recurring projects are the groups Astrium and Stello, where he performs, composes, and directs each group.
Nick
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Nick knew music had to be in his future as soon as he witnessed his first rock show. After playing guitar for a few years, Nick received a scholarship to attend Berklee College of Music, where he honed his craft and played with several diverse artists.
Nick moved to Denver in 2011 and worked at the School of Rock in New York for over two years directing shows and teaching guitar, bass, and vocals. Nick currently resides in New York City and works as a guitar teacher and drum teacher at the School of Rock in New York, and is also an aspiring songwriter.
Christian
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Rookies Teacher
Christian is a guitarist, composer, and improviser from Mount Airy, North Carolina. He attended UNCSA for high school, studying classical guitar, and then attended UNC Chapel Hill, where he studied music composition and history. His musical interests range from jazz, rock, free improvised music, country, folk, extreme metal, etc.
Aside from music, Christian enjoys lifting weights and reading. He taught at School of Rock Chapel Hill for three years prior to moving to New York and is excited to continue teaching the good youngins of the world.
Daniel
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Daniel is a singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer from New York City. Having studied classical piano and rock guitar from a young age, Daniel has been a practicing and performing musician for over 18 years. Daniel attended School of Rock NYC from ages 14-16, where he played guitar and sang in the Red Hot Chili Peppers/Foo Fighters show, as well as the UK2K and Pearl Jam/Soundgarden shows.
Daniel went on to graduate from the University of Miami Frost School of Music with a Bachelor of Music in Film Scoring & Production, with a focus in contemporary guitar styles and songwriting. An avid songwriter, his original music combines guitar-driven indie rock and pop, R&B grooves, and introspective lyric writing; in 2021 his debut album was released, which he wrote, produced, and released on his own. Daniel is currently writing and producing a new EP and performing at NYC venues, as well as working as a guitarist, producer, and songwriter for fellow NYC acts in the DIY scene.
Anna
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Anna is a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter based in New York City. She was born and raised in Washington, D.C., where she grew up playing in bands and performing in clubs on school nights. Anna attended Berklee College of Music, where she studied guitar and pedal steel guitar.
As a working musician, Anna has played alongside artists such as David Byrne, Kurt Vile, Steve Earle, and Mary Timony. She enjoys teaching, long walks, and lava lamps.
Christian
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Christian is a Berklee College of Music graduate and former School of Rock student born and raised in Stony Brook, New York. After auditioning at Berklee, Christian was accepted with a scholarship and moved to Boston in 2018 to pursue a B.A. in professional music. During his time there he became an active member of the local music scene, allowing him to share the stage with notable artists such as Faye Webster, The Beaches, Skegss, and Ovlov.
After graduating in 2022, Christian has continued to perform and record with numerous artists throughout the northeast, and through teaching at the School of Rock in New York, he hopes that his love for music will help inspire and encourage students to grow into the rockstars they’re destined to be.
Nathan
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Nathan is a musician, songwriter, and producer based in New York City. Since moving to New York in 2019, he has performed throughout the city as a solo performer, a bandleader, and a sideman. In his musical projects, Nathan explores a wide variety of styles, drawing on rock, metal, and soul, as well as folk and classical influences.
In his teaching, Nathan encourages students to find their style and be empowered to express themselves through music, as well as develop greater physical awareness and connection with their instrument. Above all else, he aims to pass on his love for music and musicianship.
Dominick
Show Director, Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Drum Teacher
Dominick is a multi-instrumentalist hailing from Miami, FL. He began his musical journey on guitar, which he has now played for over 20 years. While studying music in college, Dominick discovered a deep love for playing drums and shifted his main focus over to that instrument. Although he had only dabbled with drums as a teenager, he now has been playing and studying drums seriously for over 8 years. His experiences through the years have shown him that he is now in the unique position of being highly competent on both guitar and drums in many different musical contexts.
Dominick moved to New York City in December of 2023 to further his musical career in addition to his personal growth as a musician. In addition to studying with acclaimed drummer Dan Weiss, he is also studying the tablas (Indian hand drums used in North Indian classical music) with his teacher Samir Chatterjee.
Teaching regularly since 2021, Dominick takes his role as an educator very seriously and finds it extremely gratifying to be able to help his students along in their musical journeys.
Alexis
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
A versatile teacher and performer, Alexis Babini has toured the U.S., sharing the stage with artists like Blues Traveler, Howie Day, Boz Scaggs, The Verve Pipe, Cody Simpson, and Sister Hazel. His songs have appeared on VH1, MTV, E!, and UPTV. He is a graduate of Berklee College of Music, where he won the school’s “Performer Songwriting Award,” and is able to offer students of all ages and levels a tremendous amount of knowledge and passion for numerous different styles. Alexis also is the frontman of a Disney cover band called The Little Mermen.
Jordi
Vocal Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Jordi is a singer-songwriter, artist, and producer from NYC. She graduated from the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music where she studied Modern Artist Development & Entrepreneurship, Music Business, and Contemporary American Music. Jordi also taught vocals and keys at School of Rock Coral Gables before moving back to NYC and joining the School of Rock New York team.
As a recent student herself, Jordi believes that patience, enthusiasm, and individual expression are what turn real potential into raw talent. As an artist, you can find her on all streaming platforms, and playing local shows with her supporting band throughout the city.
Sarah
Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Vocal Teacher
Sarah is a New York-based music educator, performer, composer, and interdisciplinary artist from Malta, focusing on creating an open and inclusive learning environment. She holds a B.M. in Jazz Composition and Performance with a minor in Music Production from Berklee College of Music, an M.M. in Composition and Performance from The New School as well as a B.A. in Classical Contemporary Composition and History of Art and Architecture from the University of Malta. Through these experiences, Sara has worked directly with world-renowned musicians including Danilo Perez, Terri Lyne Carrington, Kenny Werner, John Patitucci, and many more, which enabled her to gain a strong and varied skillset.
She specializes in teaching piano and voice as well as music theory, ear training, arranging, composition, and improvisation to students of all instruments, levels, and ages. She is very passionate about the creative process, learning, and teaching and strives to create a meaningful connection with her students through a tailored and individualized approach, where the student's strengths, interests, curiosities, and needs are taken into account for a personalized experience that works in developing a strong practical skillset while honoring the student's own creativity.
Jada
Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Vocal Teacher
Jada is a Houston native who began her journey into the arts from a very young age. She grew up listening to her grandmother sing and record herself every night, which led Jada to do the same. After enjoying and thriving in dance and art throughout her youth, she soon began her musical theatre journey in high school, advancing to Nationals with perfect scores.
Jada also had the opportunity to perform at the Tommy Tune Awards. After much hard work and experience, she decided to perfect her craft at Howard University. There she began her love for music theory and expanded her range for music! An avid Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Zappa listener, Jada enjoys learning and teaching all sounds.
Noël
Assistant Director, Vocal Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Noël is a soprano, multi-instrumentalist, dancer, actor, and songwriter born and raised in Harlem, New York City. Noël performs in many genres including blues, soul, jazz, funk, salsa, opera, hip-hop, hard rock, and gospel! Her original music can be heard from her guitar or piano to a full live band.
Noël won the 2017 Siena Jazz Vocal Scholarship, the Grand Prize in the 2016 Jazz of America: Mid-Atlantic Vocal Jazz Competition, and the Second Place Prize in the inaugural Duke Ellington Vocal Jazz Competition in 2014. She performed at the 2017 Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival as part of her Grand Prize win in 2016.
Noël is a freelance vocalist performing in various bands as lead vocal, leading jam sessions in the NYC area, as well as background and arranging multi-lingual vocals for various recording projects from Latin music in Spanish, Portuguese, French, and Italian. Her original songwriting project performs in the NYC area. Noël's past performances include the Harlem Arts Festival, Festival Du Monde L'Arabe in Montreal Canada, and Siena Jazz in Siena, Italy.
Chelsea
Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Vocal Teacher
Chelsea Melnick (she/her) is an NYC-based singer, pianist, music educator, and music director from Madison, Wisconsin, as well as a recent graduate of the music education program at NYU. Chelsea previously sang with the NYU vocal jazz group Village Voices, for which she studied under Janis Siegel and Lauren Kinhan. Chelsea has also sung with the NYU Classical Voice Collective. She sings with the vocal jazz group Flex Pitch, with whom she placed second in the New York regional Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella competition. While at NYU, Chelsea worked as a music director with the Tisch New Theatre and the Gallatin Theatre Troupe, orchestrating, composing, conducting, playing piano, and programming for productions. In addition to fully staged musicals, Chelsea has music-directed several concerts centered around original rock adaptions of classic musical theater tunes. Chelsea is continuing her journey as a music educator at the School of Rock in New York where she teaches voice and keys. Chelsea is dedicated to fostering interpersonal and emotional connections through her teaching and creative endeavors.