Alex Vallejo
Operations Manager
Alex Vallejo is best known as the drummer of the award-winning Austin, Texas rock band VALLEJO.
Aside from performing in his band VALLEJO, Alex is also the VP of Austin music production label VMG (Vallejo Music Group), board member and artist consultant at the Austin Music Foundation, operations director for School Of Rock (Southwest Austin/Round Rock, TX), co-founder of the Pachanga Latino Music Festival, sits on the advisory board of EQ Austin and is also a partner and talent buyer for EPS Presents.
Carly Fairchild
General Manager
Carly is a vocalist turned bass player who loves to play and sing anything from Dolly Parton to Hayley Williams. While vocals are her main passion, she also teaches bass, keys, and the occasional drum lessons at the School of Rock in Round Rock. On the weekends you can find her playing and singing with bands such as Liquid Hips, Tough on Fridays, and Sister Sage.
Jill Harrington
Assistant Manager, Studio Coordinator
Jill is currently our Studio Coordinator and a keyboard instructor at the School of Rock in Round Rock. Jill first sat down at the piano at the age of 6 and has been in love with the instrument ever since. She has a background in musical theatre and is available for session work in any genre.
Chris Schreck
Music Director
Chris Schreck is a multi-instrumentalist with a bachelor's degree from the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami. His primary instrument is percussion (drum set) with a vast range of experience on piano, guitar, vocals, and bass. Chris is a music producer and composer and has performed in the top ensembles in school, as well as in groups outside of school.
Chris currently is an instructor at School of Rock Round Rock and occasionally travels for corporate events with Emil and Dariel, as seen on "America’s Got Talent." He started his teaching career by directing his high school drum line and has been teaching since. Chris also performs in his rock band, Neapolitan & Dead Love Club.
Danny Vicharelly
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Vocals Teacher
Danny is a local native born in Austin, Texas. He is a live performer in local bands and also has some studio work under his belt. He plays guitar, bass, keyboard, and vocals, and teaches each at the School of Rock in Round Rock.
Brice Rafferty
Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Vocal Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Brice was born and raised in Austin, Texas, and began playing music at the age of 12. He started out on piano, then picked up guitar at the age of 14, and started his professional career at 18. Brice has since added six other instruments to his repertoire. He has played shows and been hired for session work for a wide range of genres, by people and companies in and outside of Austin. Brice also composes for film and live plays, writing an original score for a modern adaptation of Alice In Wonderland and an independent film remake of Peter Pan.
Michaela Watson
Vocal Teacher, Piano Teacher
Michaela Watson is a singer/ songwriter born in Austin, Texas and has been singing since she could talk. Trained in a multitude of styles including Classical, Soul, Gospel, and Jazz Michaela is known for her creative style and fascinating spirit. Pre pandemic Michaela trained as an Emerging Artist with PCG Universal and used to split her time between Nashville and Austin writing, recording, and performing. She now spends her time in Austin voice acting and creating music that fits her new style, sound and craft.
Kevin Abbenante
Drum Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Guitar Teacher
Kevin Abbenante has been a lifelong resident of the Austin area. Kevin is a professional drummer and has been playing for over 20 years, and has been performing and touring for the last 10 years. He has also been a
session drummer on numerous studio albums. He currently performs and tours with Kaleider. Kevin earned his Associate Degree in Commercial Music Management from Austin Community College in 2012. He has been working as a professional audio engineer for the past nine years predominantly at 512 Studios with Omar Vallejo. He has also done some projects at Evenbreak Productions with Vicki Holmes, and Evil Snail Studios with Kfir and Rom Gov.
Since Kevin has been affiliated with 512 Studios, Evenbreak Productions and Evil Snail Studios, he has helped engineer and mix over 100 albums. Kevin takes great pride in the fact that 512 Studios was voted Best Recording Studio in Austin for the 2016 and 2018 Austin Chronicle Music Industry Awards. Kevin has engineered, mixed, produced and played as a session drummer in many different styles of music, ranging from rock and metal to country, hip-hop and Tejano.
Huntley Hornback
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Drum Teacher
Huntley Hornback is originally from the San Francisco Bay Area and attended college at Chico State University, where he studied Audio Recording. He plays guitar, bass, and drums, as well as mandolin and ukulele. He has performed with many bands, including Skyway, The Rastabillies, Chico Ska Orchestra, and the Alice Peake Experience.
Huntley also enjoys building guitars, basses, and ukuleles and is currently exploring the world of looping. His musical influences include The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Neil Young, and Cake. He is a guitar teacher, bass guitar teacher, and drum teacher at School of Rock Round Rock.
Annie Brogdon
Guitar Teacher, Bass Teacher, Piano Teacher, Vocals Teacher
Annie Brogdon started playing piano at the age of six as a form of physical therapy for her hands. Since then, she has expanded her musical repertoire to include electric/acoustic guitar, vocals, bass, ukulele, and flute. Annie started out in local music school American Academy of Music and Dance in 2009, and in 2011 formed acoustic duo Annie & Kate with her twin sister. She has performed and been affiliated with musical organizations all across Texas, primarily Austin, Houston and San Antonio. Annie & Kate has three albums produced by 512 Studios, including a single that was named in the Top 10 Songs of the Year in the Austin Chronicle Music Awards. They have received two city proclamations and have won and placed in multiple performance and songwriting competitions in Texas.
Les Fisher
Drum Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
The rock steady drumming of Les Fisher is second nature to a man who is a second-generation star of the skins. He grew up in Grand Rapids, MI listening to his drummer dad. Les's crisp vocals and songwriting talent got a jump-start from his mother, an accomplished jazz singer. If you close your eyes, it’s hard to believe that the soulful and smooth voice that you are hearing is coming from the same man that you see laying down the groove. Les is known for the energy and confidence he exudes from behind the drums. His versatile, laid back
attitude has a way of putting other musicians at ease.
Most recently Les has performed with Micki Free (formerly with Shalamar), Don Was and Was Not Was, Mindi Abair and the Boneshakers, Jason Mraz, Brothers Johnson and George Lopez. Also, Les's notorious backbeat in Austin, TX has given him the opportunity to play with musicians such as Gary Clark Jr., Tom Cochran, Bob Schneider, Vallejo, MC Overlord and gospel singers Mary Mary. Les has been sought after for national tours by Sophie B. Hawkins, El Debarge, legendary saxophonist Ronnie Laws and George Clinton Parliament Funkadelik. Les’s previous band, The Funk Mob, also backed up the legendary Patti LaBelle, Az Yet and The Temptation’s lead singer, Larry Braggs.
Syd Border
Bass Guitar Teacher
Syd's passion for music began with singing and competing in choirs in the greater Austin area, earning them three UIL sweepstakes awards. At age 14, Syd formed a band with a friend, gaining local acclaim for their unique sound and musicianship at their age. Throughout high school, they played bass and sang in bands as a hired gun, honing their skills as a performer.
Drawing on their experience as a performer, Syd brings a unique perspective to their teaching that emphasizes creativity and self-expression. Syd makes sure the learning environment they cultivate is safe and welcoming for all people.
Syd's influences include hardcore punk bands like Vein.FM, Knocked Loose, Zulu, and Show Me The Body, as well as artists such as Jeff Buckley, Chelsea Wolfe, King Gizzard, and Hiatus Kaioyte.
Jay Haygood
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Jay is a native Texan and a veteran of the Southwest music scene. Influenced by classic bands such as Aerosmith, KISS, Led Zeppelin, Van Halen, Journey, and Cheap Trick, he first picked up the guitar at age 10 and played showcase gigs around the Austin area by 18.
After a decade of touring and recording with various original bands, Jay relocated to the West Coast and performed with numerous tribute bands. Now, happily back home in Texas, Jay teaches guitar and bass at the School of Rock in Round Rock.
Swift Phillips
Drum Teacher
Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, Swift started playing drums at 4 years old and has been playing ever since. An alumni of the prestigious Cincinnati School for Creative and Performing Arts, he has played with such luminaries as Wynton Marsalis as well as funk icon Bootsy Collins.
Swift has been a resident of Austin, Texas, since 2007 and he has played with local living jazz legends such as Dr. James Polk and Pamela Hart. He is the Coordinator of the Soultree Collective Youth Arts program and currently teaches music at both campuses of the Texas Empowerment Academy.
Levi Flores
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Drum Teacher
Levi was born and raised in Austin, Texas, where he grew up on Texas blues, classic rock, indie rock, and metal. He started playing drums at the age of 12, then quickly picked up the guitar (his primary instrument), bass guitar, and many other instruments.
Levi is a School of Rock alum who has performed with numerous local bands and has since been hired as a session musician, songwriter, and producer. He is also a professional hip-hop and alternative music producer/songwriter and a mixing and mastering engineer.
Jake Haggard
Drum Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Bass Teacher, Piano Teacher
Jake Haggard is a Drummer/Audio Engineer who recently relocated to Austin TX. He has almost 20 years of educational and performance experience. A native of Fort Worth TX, he has toured with many up-and-coming and established acts based in Nashville TN. While drums are his primary focus, he enjoys playing guitar, piano, dulcimer, and even didgeridoo.