Jora Bart Owner
Before opening School of Rock Plymouth, owner Jora Bart worked in the sports and entertainment industry for 20 years, lived and worked in Hong Kong for a brief stint of time and managed a band for fun in her early 20s. She produced publicity campaigns for a multitude of national and international events and served as the publicist for a world-class arena, a convention center and a historic auditorium that hosted the likes of Elvis, Prince and Dylan. One of her favorite hobbies is meeting new people. A big parenting goal for her is that her three kiddos grow up to be kind…and that they love music! Opening a School of Rock combined her passions for music, people and making a difference.
Tony Petersen Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Singing Teacher, Drum Teacher
Writer, performer, banjoist and guitarist Tony Petersen began playing guitar at age 15 and has been performing across the country since high school. Tony is currently part of the national touring act Social Animals, has a solo project under the name Ditchbird and is one half of the folk/Americana duo Jill & Tony. He also records commercial music, some of which has been used in ads by ABC News and a well-known Russian beverage company. After graduating from Berklee College of Music in 2011, Tony founded Boss Booking and Management and began booking musical acts into venues throughout the U.S.
Trenton Skalicky Singing Teacher, Keyboard Teacher
Before earning a degree in Audio Production and Engineering from the Institute of Production & Recording in Minneapolis, vocal and keyboard instructor Trenton Skalicky attended McNally Smith College of Music and studied vocal performance. Since then, Trenton has been recording and performing with the Twin Cities blues rock band Jackie Kean. Trenton is always constantly looking to expand his musical experiences, and is excited to bring his passion to students at School of Rock Plymouth!
Sam Goldstein Bass Guitar Teacher
Sam Goldstein first picked up the bass guitar when he was 12-years-old, and hasn’t looked back since. As a former School of Rock student, he was selected to tour twice as a School of Rock AllStar with the top 1% of School of Rock students from around the world. Sam is a lover of all rock music and enjoys teaching (and learning) new things at every possible opportunity. As a former SoR student, Sam brings a unique perspective to School of Rock Plymouth.
Yossi Aharoni Drum Teacher
Yossi Aharoni, born in Ashkelon, Israel, and currently living in Crystal, started playing drums at 17. He was named Music Student of the Year at Winona State University where he received a BA in Music with a Jazz Minor / Drum-set emphasis. Yossi has classical and Jazz music training, and currently performs as part of a Minneapolis progressive/djent band. Some of Yossi's favorite bands include Umphrey’s McGee, the String Cheese Incident, Tesseract, the Mars Volta, Tool, Animals as Leaders, Monuments, Protest the Hero and August Burns Red, and his biggest influences in the drum world are Kris Meyers, Jay Postones, Danny Carey and Matt Garstka. Outside of music, Yossi's interests include physics, cosmology, astronomy, biotechnology, economics, political theory, history, true-crime and performing arts. He also has two dogs, a cat, a turtle and a red-tail boa.
Stephanie Henry Keyboard Teacher
Stephanie Henry is a classically trained pianist and composer from Minneapolis, MN. She has performed with classical and theatrical ensembles, as well as with rock bands. She composed original works for film, musical theater, orchestras, quartets, and solo piano. Her music has been applauded for its originality and charismatic charm. She studied music at St. Olaf College and received her Master’s from Hamline University. Most recently, Stephanie was selected to compose a piece for the Minnesota Opera's Miniatures. Outside of composing and performing, Stephanie loves to teach music to people of all ages. She finds great joy in helping students along on their musical journey.
Emily Hitchings Keyboard Teacher
A music education major from Gustavus Adolphus College, Emily Hitchings has a passion for teaching and performing. Emily is a multi-instrumentalist who learned her first instrument at 12 years old and discovered her love of music from an early age. At Gustavus, Emily was the treasurer for the Gustavus Wind Orchestra, a group that toured internationally and regionally as well as recorded two albums. Emily has extensive experience teaching music both in the classroom as well as private lesson settings. She is currently finishing student teaching and working towards her K-12 Instrumental Music Education license. Emily loves working with kids of all ages and believes in the importance of music education for everyone.
Kerestel Leonard Drum Teacher
Kerestel Leonard grew up in a very artistic and musical family. He watched his parents play music and design a plethora of projects as they instilled in him the importance of what art can do for the world. He started playing drums around age 8 and was performing by age 11. He added a few other instruments along the way as his love and passion for music grew. He values the importance of passing along this joy and perspective to the next generation. He believes that music has the power to change our lives - and the lives of everyone around us. Outside of work, he loves to explore other hobbies such as reading, hitting the gym or researching any new subject that catches his attention. As the oldest of eight children, Kerestel is a big family person and likes to spend time with those that are closest and most important to him. He is excited to learn and grow from both the students and staff at School of Rock!
Carly Sachs Singing Teacher
A recent University of South Florida grad with a degree in criminology, Carly Sachs grew up with a passion for music. She has always loved the stage and performed in musicals, concerts and acapella groups from elementary school through college. Carly recently moved to Minnesota to be closer to family, and is excited to start her adventure with School of Rock.
Gabs Semansky Studio Coordinator, Bass Guitar Teacher
Gabs Semansky is an experienced musician, having started piano lessons at the age of six and quickly falling in love with playing and performing. Throughout childhood and into adulthood, Gabs’ excitement for music has led to countless hours in private instruction for keys, bass guitar, guitar and almost every brass instrument. This experience has allowed him to take the stage with a variety of bands ranging from punk to folk to blues outfits. As his skillset grew, so did the impetus to share that knowledge with the world. Gabs has volunteered for several music camps throughout the years and has served as both an instrument instructor and as the Music Curriculum Coordinator for the nonprofit Rock the Rez! since 2020.
Logan Stahlecker Guitar Teacher, Assistant Rehearsal Director
Guitarist, songwriter and producer, Logan Stahlecker, currently tours as the lead guitarist for the band Stormbreaker and has performed at iconic venues including Whisky a Go Go in Hollywood and shared the stage with bands such as Korn, Chevelle, Danzig and more. A graduate from the Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Arts, Logan studied jazz guitar and performed in the school’s “Rock of Ages” and The Who’s “Tommy” productions. As a former student at the St. Paul School of Rock, he earned the James Taylor Award and Gold Award (x2) in recognition of his tireless work ethic, attitude, respectfulness and outstanding musicianship.
Tom Just Guitar Teacher
Tom Just is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and St. Olaf College grad. He also studied music theory and composition at the graduate level at the University of Chicago. In addition to writing progressive rock and pop music, Tom has composed music for piano, percussion ensemble, and full symphony orchestra. An element of his writing includes what he refers to as "progressive rock electronica," which involves recording original guitar work, editing it into multiple snippets of less than a second long and rearranging these to form a new original piece of work. Tom currently plays banjo with the Selby Avenue Syncopaters, a traditional early 1900's jazz band, and plays drums in PKR - a punk band based in St. Paul. When he is not writing and recording, Tom likes to race sailboats, compete in triathlons and take hikes with his labrador.
Tanner Bergersen Drum Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Singing Teacher
Tanner Bergersen, who currently plays tenors with the Minnesota Vikings Drumline, SKOL LINE, joined his school band at a young age and has enjoyed making music ever since. He toured the Midwest with the Colts Drum & Bugle Corps and spent a year performing on the West Coast with the world-class Blue Knights Drum & Bugle Corps.
In his younger years, Tanner taught himself how to play guitar after being inspired by the Guitar Hero video game and constantly studied music performance, strategies on practicing, and learned a multitude of other instruments. He received a degree in Music Therapy from the University of Minnesota, and hopes to spread the knowledge he's gained during his musical endeavors to his students...and to never stop learning himself.
Kaitlin Cook Keyboard Teacher
Kaitlin Cook began making music at the age of 4 when an old piano destined for the dumpster found a home with her family. She loves getting to know music in its many forms and has greatly enjoyed her time as a classical performer, theater instrumentalist, and bandmate. Kaitlin has her bachelor of music in piano performance from Augsburg University and is always excited to help facilitate meaningful learning experiences with others.