Toni Baker
Owner
Toni began studying classical voice at age 13. Upon returning to the Bay Area after college, she started singing back-up for a jam band. Tired of standing around with nothing to do while the band was jamming, she taught herself to play bass. She now plays bass and sings in a multi-genre rock band and as part of an acoustic duo. In addition to playing music, Toni owned and operated a successful organic meal delivery service. After eight years, she closed it down to stay home with her two boys. School of Rock is now their second home. She is excited to combine her business experience with her love of music.
John Baker
Owner
"It all leads up to this day" sang Jerry Garcia. Such has been John's journey with School of Rock. Born and raised right here in the Tri-Valley, John attended both CSU Chico, where he majored in recording arts and general music, and the Guitar Institute of Technology at Musicians Institute in Hollywood California. John spent his college years as a busy guitar instructor and a very active gigging musician. Upon returning to the Bay Area, John supported his gigging nightlife with a day job teaching carpentry to kids. Thus began his second great passion in life - working with kids. “Learning to teach music to kids is much like learning music. There is no finish line. One must always continue striving, for a music education provides a great challenge with huge rewards.” With School of Rock, John’s two great working passions truly come together in perfect harmony. When not immersed in all things School of Rock, John loves to spend time with his family.
Rachel Jefferies
General Manager
Rachel has lived in the Bay Area her whole life and has been surrounded by live music since a very young age. She grew up going to her older brother’s gigs and attending concerts with her family. In middle school, she started attending the Van’s Warped Tour and continued to go every year until it ended in 2019. She enjoys a wide variety of genres, but her favorites are pop punk, folk punk, indie rock, and country. She is currently attending Cal State East Bay and finishing her bachelor’s degree. She loves watching the students of School of Rock progress and blossom into rockstars!
Miranda Shakes
Music Director
Miranda is a San Ramon native. She grew up singing in the Danville Girls Chorus and Cal High choir under the direction of Ken Abrams and Lucerne Mottaz, respectively. After 10 years of classical piano lessons with Julie Rieth, she started writing her own music, performing locally as well as in China and the Pacific Northwest. From 2021 to 2023 she was the lead singer of Moving Van.
In 2017, Miranda graduated from Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon with a bachelor's degree in Sociology and Anthropology with minors in Music and Asian studies. She wrote her senior thesis on the sociology of music taste and how people answer the question "What kind of music do you listen to?" During her undergraduate studies, she took extensive classes in electronic music production and studied ethnomusicology abroad at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea. For the 2018-2019 school year, she was a first-grade teacher at an international school in Guangzhou, China. In 2022, she completed her Master's in Education at San Francisco State University with an emphasis in Equity and Social Justice Education.
Miranda first started teaching at School of Rock San Ramon in 2016 as a voice instructor and summer camp director. Over time, her arsenal of classes expanded to include Performance, Rock 101, Rookies, and Little Wing. In 2023, she became the Music Director at School of Rock Issaquah where she was also the House Band director. She is thrilled to return to her hometown school in San Ramon as Music Director.
Cali Craig
Assistant General Manager
Cali has been influenced by music her entire life. Ever since she was a child, she has admired her parents' massive CD collections of R&B and hip-hop greats like Notorious B.I.G, Tupac, and Nas. She was especially fond of Missy Elliot and Queen Latifah as a child.
Throughout her elementary school days, Cali jumped at any chance to be able to play any instrument that was available to play. As she grew older, Cali began to learn the history of classic artists like The Temptations and Queen. She believes that understanding the journey musicians embark on to achieve greatness is crucial.
Nowadays, Cali is still inspired by music in her everyday life. In her free time, you can find Cali looking through Soundcloud to discover new artists and genres to get acquainted with as well as curating playlists for her and her friends. She is actively building her vinyl collection to feature new modern sounds as well as music from the past.
Hayden Fletcher
Studio Coordinator
Hayden has loved rock and roll music for as long as he can remember. From making mixtapes for friends that heavily featured Led Zeppelin to taking a train all the way down the coast just to see his favorite little indie band from LA, music is a part of who he is. He always likes to say that his dad raised him on classic rock, and his mom raised him on Broadway musicals, so his music tastes are all over the place.
He played piano as a kid, taught himself bass in high school, and for the last ten years he has worked as a professional videographer, creating music videos with local indie bands and touring the West Coast to capture live performances. He loves working with music creatively, and is always looking for more vinyl to add to his library.
Clara Horn
Studio Coordinator
Clara has an extreme passion for music. Though she does not play an instrument herself she regards music just as important to her life as any musician would. She grew up going to underground metal and punk shows with her older cousin and has had the opportunity to witness many local music scenes from the Gilman in Berkeley, CA to the Milestone in Charlotte, NC.
Clara loves live music so much that she eventually decided to combine this passion with her photographic talents to become a live music photographer. You can easily catch her at any local show taking pictures for all of the artists in the Bay Area!
Mitchell Manburg
Assistant Music Director, Guitar Teacher, Vocal Teacher
Mitchell started guitar at age 9 to impress a girl but ended up falling in love with music instead. During his teenage years, he learned the classic rock songbook from Dave Rude (Tesla) and later began playing out at the University of Arizona where he studied philosophy, Spanish, and English while discovering the indie rock scene. After graduation (and a life-changing summer in Alaska) he returned home to Oakland and started his first band and studied singing, lyric writing, and band operating. Burnt out of his day job and realizing the learning curve, he moved to Los Angeles in 2016 to study guitar performance at Musician's Institute, and business at the Songwriting School of LA. In Los Angeles, Mitchell explored various avenues of the industry, though spent most of his time fronting a band as a lead guitar player, gigging solo, running his own concert series, and teaching guitar professionally. In the last year, Mitchell returned to Oakland where he released his debut solo EP and has tapped his toe into the world of film scoring. Mitchell believes all of someone's life experience factors into how one plays music and teaches guitar following principles learned in "Effortless Mastery" by Kenny Werner, "The Music Lesson" by Victor Wooten, "Zen Guitar" by Philp Toshio Sudo, and "The Artist's Way" by Julia Cameron. "If you want to know the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency, and vibration." - Nikola Tesla.
Andres Sagredos
Guitar Teacher, Drum Teacher, Keyboard Teacher, Ukulele Teacher, Vocal Teacher
Andres has been fronting rock bands since he was a wee lad. He first picked up the guitar at age 10 and began performing in his early adolescence. Since he moved to Oakland in 2011, he has spent his time gigging and collaborating with fellow Bay Area musicians. Andres believes in the importance of fostering a creative instinct in his students. Music is a vehicle for self-expression, and he is thrilled to be sharing his passion for songwriting and live performance with the next generation of players.
Rafael Macedo
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Rafael has over 20 years of experience teaching and performing as a guitarist, composer and producer for his band The Element. At the age of 12 Rafael started playing acoustic guitar and only two years later the electric. Rafael learned and played by ear till he was 17. Hungry for knowledge, he went to study guitar and music theory with Alexandre Lima at the Prediger Music School in Porto Alegre, Brazil. After two years of intense study, Rafael was invited to teach at Prediger School in 1998. In that same year, Rafael realized that he needed a band where he could explore different kinds of music and styles. This created The Element.
Besides The Element, he also was part of the Orchestral Choir of OSPA (Porto Alegre Symphonic Orchestra), where he studied vocal techniques with teacher Decápolis de Andrade and with maestro Manfredo Schmiedt. In that period Rafael was part of many important concerts, such as the Mahler 2º Symphony, Verdi Quattro Pezzi Sacri and Beethoven 9º Symphony. Nowadays, besides managing, producing and composing for The Element, Rafael is a music major in composition at Diablo Valley College, and will be transferring to a four-year school. He also works as a freelance composer/arranger.
Brian Kameya
Drum Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Keyboard Teacher
Since the age of five, Brian Kameya has lived a life around music. He began piano lessons at that age and continued until he was 14 when he taught himself to play the electric guitar. As time passed he would learn the bass, as well as the drums. After some time performing on stage with various bands, he decided to to take a break and focus on the recording aspect. He graduated from The Conservatory of Recording Arts in Tempe, Arizona and spent the next several years working with bands in Los Angeles as an audio engineer. He would eventually return to the Bay Area where he now lives and teaches. One of his many passions is music and he feels that with the right guidance, anyone can share this passion.
Ian White
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Drum Teacher
Ian’s mom played Mötley Crüe for him while he was in the womb, so he has been a rock fan from the very start. Growing up Ian was a huge heavy metal fan, and when he saw KISS live for the first time at eight years old it sealed the deal. That same Christmas, Santa delivered him his first guitar and he started pursuing his dream of becoming a rock star. Since then, heavy metal and playing music has consumed his entire life. He plays in two bands, First Contact and Shirlee Temper, and he loves acting like a maniac onstage. His favorite bands are KISS, Mötley Crüe, Avenged Sevenfold, AC/DC, Pantera, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Black Sabbath and Judas Priest.
He prefers high energy, in-your-face music, and also really loves ska, big band and swing, classical and romantic era music. Spreading musical knowledge is one of Ian’s passions in life. At School of Rock, he hopes to inspire kids to have the same burning flame for music that he does.
Tyler McClellan
Drum Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Voice Teacher
Tyler McClellan’s mom took him to his first concert when he was five. She considered it the beginning of his training as it sparked a passion for him to become a musician. He started playing drums and guitar at six years old and never looked back. At 10 years old he became second chair drummer in Diablo View Middle School's jazz band, and soon after started his first rock band Pandemonium. As he transitioned into high school he became the conga player, then lead jazz drummer, at Northgate High School. He competed in festivals such as the Folsom Jazz Festival and the Monterey Jazz Festival. Playing drums every day helped him learn genres such as funk, soul, rock, metal, and salsa. His love for music pushed him to learn trumpet, tuba, and bass guitar. As a senior in high school, he started teaching drum lessons to beginner and intermediate students. This also gave him the opportunity to be a band coach, record in studio settings, and become a studio drummer and guitarist. Currently, he is in a jazz big band in Walnut Creek and is in his rock band At This Point. He is excited to bring many years of experience to every student and help them strive to be their best. He is a drum teacher, guitar teacher, and bass guitar teacher at the School of Rock in San Ramon.
Aaron Hoffman
Drum Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Aaron Hoffman was forced to take piano lessons when he was young but his love for music was inspired at age 14 when he started to play bass with a friend who was learning guitar. He later joined a jazz combo at the Berkeley Jazz School, where he also played bass. He naturally gravitated towards drums as well, beginning to learn on a friend's kit that was left behind at his house after a rehearsal. Aaron frequently attended jazz band performances and music appreciation events at his high school. He also started playing shows with his band while he was in high school and has continued to play out with many projects over the years. Aaron has studied music at Diablo Valley College, where he focused on theory, jazz improv, and songwriting. He was in a Beatles combo for a couple of years and then his interest swiftly changed to all things punk. Over the years he’s also delved deeply into jam bands, garage rock, prog rock, and math rock. Ultimately he finds improv to be the most fulfilling, but he loves working with his students. He enjoys exploring unconventional ways of learning music and seeks to inspire a love for music in his students that will help guide them as they take their first steps and beyond. He is a guitar teacher, bass guitar teacher, piano teacher, and drum teacher at the School of Rock in San Ramon.
Daniele Citti
Vocal Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Keyboard Teacher
Daniele Citti has been surrounded by music since the day he was born, from the Italian opera he heard in the womb to the hours of Pink Floyd he listened to in his dad’s car. Being raised by a musical family with diverse tastes has led to a wide understanding and appreciation for every genre under the rainbow, and ultimately has led Daniele to pursue music as a life passion. He first began learning guitar at the age of six after watching his dad play, and although he has picked up many more instruments along the way (piano, bass, drums, saxophone, trumpet and bagpipes to name a few), he still loves to play guitar every day.
Daniele received a Bachelor’s in Music from Saint Mary’s College of California and during his time there sang all four years with the Chamber Singers and Glee Club. While in the choir, he traveled the world participating in singing competitions, winning both gold medals in the Champions categories at the World Choir Games in Latvia, Hungary and South Africa. He is a guitar teacher, bass guitar teacher, piano teacher and vocal instructor at School of Rock San Ramon.
Ian Carlton
Keyboard Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Drum Teacher
After many years of piano, drums, and guitar lessons as a child and teenager, and a stint as the Kurt Cobain impersonator and bassist for a high school grunge band, Ian saw the Mighty Mighty Bosstones live on Boston Common in the summer of 2013, and it changed his life forever. At UC Santa Cruz, he studied classical piano under Maria Ezerova, learned music production practices from Robin Whitehouse and Nathan Altice, performed with the UCSC Big Band and Orchestra, and once went on a weekend road trip to LA to see Bandits of the Acoustic Revolution.
Ian is a huge ska fan and will vibe out to funk, jazz, blues, reggae, post-punk, prog rock, J-surf, neoromantic, chiptune, or anything else somebody talking to him is passionate about—but if you're not careful, he *will* steal the aux cable and put on Bill Wurtz. He is excited to contribute his fire to School Of Rock.
Miles Precarlo
Vocal Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Drum Teacher, Ukulele Teacher, Keyboard Teacher
Miles started playing music at a young age. He sang in a boys choir and then later his focus shifted from choral work to musical theater. He remained involved in musical theater throughout his young adult life and he also played piano growing up.
He studied at CSU East Bay in Hayward majoring in Music. He obtained a BA in music with an emphasis in Music Education. He was also a participant in the Music Education Circle series of courses, which introduced him to every orchestral instrument. During this time he learned to play and teach them all proficiently. He remained active in choirs throughout his college years and started playing with a local band, The Landbirds, who focused on Beatles covers.
He is currently in a choir called Choral Audacity singing as a Baritone and is also the recording engineer for the group. He is still playing with the Landbirds as the keyboardist and vocal arranger for the band.
Outside of music, Miles is a visual artist using primarily watercolors and copic markers. He is active in the local zine scene writing comics and stories.
Allante Piazza
Drum Teacher
The first Christmas gift Allante can remember was a red drum set that he played everyday until it was unplayable. He began his music life in 4th grade playing trumpet in symphonic band. In 7th grade, he switched back to drums and played drum set in his middle school funk band and percussion in symphonic band. He started his first band, inspired by blink 182, and other punk bands of the time. "Those bands are the reason I am who I am, it’s what gave me an identity." In high school, Allante played drum kit in jazz band and pep band, and percussion in the wind ensemble. Freshman and sophomore year he played snare drum in marching band and in Drumline he played snare drum and tenor quads. Junior year he auditioned and became Drum Major of the marching band! After high school he attended Musicians Institute in Hollywood, CA where he majored in drum performance. Since 2014, Allante has been playing studio sessions, hired gigs and touring the US with his band, Radiokeys. His style of drumming is a blend of his mom's old playlist of Bobby Womack, Al Green, and Kirk Franklin, as well as his childhood favorite bands - Blink 182, Sum 41, and A Day to Remember.
Damian Varnum
Keyboard Teacher, Guitar Teacher
Although growing up in a die-hard Rock and Metalhead family, unlike many well known musicians, Damian did not start his musical journey until his late teen years. Instead, Damian's journey was marked by lifelong passion and adoration for music and the piano, never being able to pass one by without attempting to play. Unfortunately, like many people, this passion and interest was subdued by the widespread belief that music is only for talented and fortunate prodigies. Not having the confidence to pursue music earlier in life, Damian originally began his artistic journey with a lifetime of writing, drawing and martial arts before finally picking up a guitar at age 17 as an emotional outlet. Though initially just a fun hobby, it would be an early introduction into what would later be realized as a life's purpose!
After graduating high school and amidst the height of Covid lockouts, Damian would finance a keyboard he could not afford off of a gut feeling that it would be a purchase he thanked himself for later on. Initially letting it collect dust for a couple months, it wasn't until Damian began singing to pass time at a mindless job as a retail security guard that this lifelong passion was finally fully realized! With the help and guidance of his partner who was herself a lifelong musician and actor from a musical family, Damian began tearing through any practice book, website, YouTube channel and textbook he could get his hands on, filling binders with notes and regularly practicing for up to as much as 4-5 hours a day! This would go on for months until he finally felt ready to turn his hobby into a career, where he would enroll at Las Positas College under their music program for both Music Education and Piano Performance, as well as studying voice and theater!
Having been given a new life by his teachers and peers, Damian would rest at nothing to pass on the gift he had been given, turning up the heat and reaching Grade 5 in ABRSM Music Theory and playing Chopin within his first year. Damian is still currently enrolled at Las Positas, actively pursuing the same dream of sharing the gift of music and sense of belonging with the coming generation of musicians, young and old alike!
Dylan Smith
Guitar Teacher, Ukulele Teacher
Born and raised in Hayward, California, Dylan started playing music at the age of 10 starting with saxophone and guitar then later adding the bass and piano. His main musical influences are from the rock, jazz-fusion, funk, and pop genres. Some of Dylan’s favorite artists are Phish, Led Zeppelin, Casiopea, and Michael Jackson.
Dylan began giving private guitar lessons at the age of 17 and loves sharing music with new students. Dylan has additionally played in various bands since junior high-school and also loves writing and performing original songs with friends!
Dylan’s other main hobby consists of spending time outdoors and in nature, the Mojave Desert being a personal favorite. When not teaching, performing, or practicing music, he can usually be found somewhere out on the trail.
Mateus Gracias
Guitar Teacher, Vocal Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Mat, more than a lover of music, is a lover of sound. Born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil, Mat has harmony, melody, and rhythm flowing through his veins. Raised on all things prog rock and blues, he went on to try to expand his musical horizons in every possible way, falling in love with the scrappy attitude of garage rock and punk, the variety and energy of psych rock, ambient music, and neo-soul, and eventually finding love for jazz and reconnecting with the Brazilian music of his childhood.
On top of being a guitarist in the local Bay Area scene (Fistfight with Traffic and Cat House), Mat is a former alumnus, House Band member, and AllStar of School of Rock San Ramon. He is very excited to bring his unique perspective to the school as an instructor! If you find him tweaking his pedalboard over and over to find the weirdest combination of sounds or trying to transcribe Ruth Underwood or Marc Ribot parts, don’t hesitate to say “hey!”
Logan Cruz
Drum Teacher
Logan’s love for music began at age 10 when he got the video game Rock Band. He instantly gravitated toward the drums, getting his first kit one year later. Music has been his greatest passion ever since, taking lessons and band classes at Red House Studios before eventually working there. His bands have encompassed many genres including alternative, post-punk, celtic rock, and math rock. Logan has experience playing shows and recording with each of these bands as well as doing session work on his own. He has also studied many different styles of music, including jazz, latin, r&b, reggae and metal. He enjoys all genres of music, and believes in studying and teaching all of them to help drummers develop their own style.
Isabella Citti
Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Vocal Teacher
Isabella has been surrounded by music her entire life. As a little kid, her favorite artists were Guns N' Roses, Queen, and anything her brother listened to. She started piano at the age of 3 and has been playing ever since! Since then she has taught herself seven different instruments and is currently studying music at Saint Mary’s College of California. Isabella auditioned for and was accepted into the Chamber Singers and Glee Club at Saint Mary’s and competed in the World Choir Games in Belgium as well as South Korea.
Isabella was a part of the School of Rock program as a student in Santa Rosa, California, where she was born and raised. She fell in love with the program and she couldn’t be more excited to be a piano and vocal instructor for the San Ramon location!
Alex Flores
Guitar Teacher, Vocal Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Alex was raised in the Castro Valley/Hayward area. Before he started playing guitar, he grew up listening to the radio all the time with his family in the car, mostly playing country, pop, and alternative rock which was rampant during the 2000s. His parents gave him his first acoustic guitar when he was 10 years old and his first electric guitar at the age of 11. He didn’t really pick up on the instrument until he was 15 when some classmates of his showed him bands like AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, Metallica, and Black Sabbath, which got him inspired to play guitar.
During his years in high school, Alex picked up the instrument pretty quickly and decided that he wanted to get into a career in music when he graduated. He first went to Chabot Community College to complete his GE classes before he transferred to CSU East Bay for his bachelor's degree. While at Chabot, Alex learned the concepts of music history and theory to get a better understanding of how to write and perform music and then started to learn how to play classical guitar as the main focus of his music degree. He is currently in his final semester at CSU East Bay Hayward and will be graduating with a bachelor's degree in Music Performance on Classical Guitar.
Jackson Bengtsson
Vocal Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Starting with pots, pans, and his baby voice on the kitchen floor, Jackson has been a musician since birth. He picked up piano in second grade and began choir and guitar in the seventh. Since then he has been a part of multiple collegiate ensembles at Willamette and Western Washington University. He directed the male a cappella group at Western and participated in multiple operas at Willamette.
Jackson has a background that ranges from musical theater, pop, a cappella, and choir, to his current professional career as the front person of the metalcore band Designer Disguise. His deep passion for music and performance can be seen throughout DD’s catalog and can be traced back to being the Beast in his high school’s production of Beauty and the Beast.
Jackson received a bachelor’s degree in music from Western Washington University and minored in Audio Technology. He continues these endeavors as a producer, recording artist, and performer to this day. He believes in the power and magic of music and is passionate about bringing that same love of singing to his students.
Jonny Freeman
Drum Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Vocal Teacher
At 10 years old, after watching his classmate perform "We Will Rock You" at the school talent show, Jonny begged his parents to buy him a guitar and start taking him to lessons. Through his teacher and his dad’s CD collection, Jonny was exposed to the riffs and licks of classic rock, metal, and blues. At 15, he decided to pivot and began learning the drums. Inspired by the great rock drummers of the '90s and attending his friends’ shows at local venues such as 924 Gilman, he knew that he wanted to play on stage. After meeting some classmates with similar ambitions, they began to experiment with noise and discovered new and exciting sounds.
Through college and his bandmates, Jonny was exposed to indie rock, post-punk, progressive rock, and jazz, which have massively influenced his playing and broadened his musical scope. Jonny has been gigging in the Bay Area for several years with various artists and plans to perform for the rest of his life. He continues to explore different styles of music in his search for new points of inspiration.
Kobe Tabulinar
Bass Guitar Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Kobe was surrounded by music from day one. His biggest influences were within his family. His stepdad, Ryan, gave him his first drum lesson, and his uncle, Peter, gifted him his first guitar at the age of 10. Both of them set the precedent for what it means to be a true music lover along with the support needed to follow his passion.
Kobe’s music journey has gone in many different directions. He played the trumpet and French horn in marching band, upright bass in jazz band, and many genres at our very own School of Rock San Ramon. At School of Rock, he spent four years in House Band as well as being a part of the School of Rock AllStars.
Although funk music is Kobe's “bread and butter,” he has an unconditional love for all music. Music has changed Kobe’s life tremendously and his goal is to spread his love of music through performance and teaching.
“People won’t remember what you said. They won’t remember what you did. They will remember how you made them feel.” - Victor Wooten (Originally by Maya Angelou)
Adam Willis
Drum Teacher
Adam Willis has been rocking his drums on stage and in the studio for well over 25 years. From concert halls to coffee shops, and everything in between, Adam has performed at nearly every significant venue in the Bay Area, as well as many elsewhere. His vast experience has included concerts, private events, festivals, weddings, corporate affairs, recording projects, and video shoots.
Well-versed in multiple genres, Adam is known for his smooth, rock-solid, in-the-pocket style that always strives to best serve and support the music at hand. Adam’s easy-going nature and collaborative approach make him a joy to work with and learn from. He is a lifelong student of music, always learning and evolving his craft.
Joe Kunz
Drum Teacher
Joe has been playing drums since he was 8 years old. He explores all genres and incorporates genres and ideas from all over the world into his playing style. After playing in bands in Portland, Oregon, Joe moved to the Bay Area to collaborate with artists here. He has also worked in various recording studios and has produced, recorded, mixed, and mastered albums for various artists. Joe teaches music in order to inspire the next generation and help provide a musical vocabulary for self-expression.
Michelle Roebuck
Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Vocal Teacher
Michelle grew up in Chongqing, China. When she was in kindergarten, she started playing the piano. After pursuing classical music for a long time, she joined the choir at California High School and fell in love with choral music.
Toward the end of high school, Michelle discovered indie rock for the first time and started listening to it religiously. Working as a singing and keyboard teacher is almost like a dream come true because she can share her deep love of music with her students.
Ally Lagodzinski
Drum Teacher
Ally is a multi-instrumentalist from the Bay Area who began playing drums in middle school as part of the school’s band and jazz band. She continued with drums in high school, where she played in the band, jazz band, and drumline, and joined the marching band as a quad player. When she wasn’t playing drums, she led the band as assistant drum major in her sophomore year, and then as drum major in both her junior and senior years. With a strong passion for music, Ally began learning harp and piano during her later years of high school and into college. She first attended Humboldt State but returned to the Bay Area due to health issues to study music at Las Positas College. Currently working toward her associate degree in music, Ally is excited to teach and help students enjoy a fun yet comprehensive learning experience in music.
Val Cavanagh
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
New to the Bay Area, Val hails from New York with nearly two decades of experience in the music industry. Val became hooked on music after seeing Rush as their first concert. Soon after, at age 10, they began playing guitar when their stepfather gifted them one. Around the same time, they also started taking bass lessons in middle school. Throughout middle school, high school, and college, Val played bass in various academic programs, including jazz band, musicals, marching band, and collegiate-level bands, all while self-teaching guitar.
Val has always loved live performance, especially playing guitar in punk and emo bands over the years. After earning a degree in audio production, they began writing and performing solo, while also opening a recording studio. Through studio sessions, it was apparent to Val that queer and brown people were not being included or represented fairly in their local music scene; so in 2021 they founded a music festival, Forevermore Festival, to highlight and empower the marginalized voices.
When Val isn’t planning a tour, organizing a festival, or writing music, you can find them cooking, rollerblading, or fighting against the capitalist regime.
