Shawn Garrity
Owner
Shawn's musical journey began at age eleven when his dad handed him a guitar and taught him a few chords. As he grew, so did his love for music. At fifteen, he joined a band and began writing music and playing original and cover songs at venues throughout New England. He studied jazz and classical music at Western Connecticut State University and earned a B.A. in Music Industry from the University of New Haven. Shawn's original band VulGarrity completed three nationwide tours and shared the stage with Mike Doughty, Days of the New, The Misfits, King’s X, Sponge, The Joy Formidable, Sleeper Agent, Psychostick, The Prodigals, Ra, Robert DeLong, The Heavy, Ra Ra Riot and Electric Six. Shawn's cover band Inside Out can be seen rocking out on stages in and around New England regularly. While Shawn enjoys listening to and playing a wide variety of music, he is most inspired by all things rock.
Phil Martelly
Owner
A graduate of the esteemed Berklee College of Music in Boston, his passion for music is unmatched by few and is a driving force behind his bringing School of Rock to the Southern Mass/Rhode Island area. He is the definition of the word musician as he plays not one but several instruments: guitar, bass and drums. Phil has played with a lot of the area's hottest bands including Pappy Chulo as the opening act for none other than Incubus.
Scott Roddick
General Manager, Music Director
Scott started playing music at the age of ten. He studied jazz and classical music at Rhode Island College, and holds a Bachelors Degree in Music Composition. When not at School of Rock Seekonk, Scott plays in several groups throughout New England, currently Hungry Freaks, Interplay and Take It To The Bridge. He has toured nationally and recorded on three studio albums with Gavin Castleton. Some of his musical influences are Mr. Bungle, St. Vincent, TV On The Radio and Primus.
Nathan Wilcox
Assistant General Manager
Nathan’s passion for music began at the age of three after his dad first introduced him to the music of Paul McCartney. Throughout his childhood, Nathan taught himself how to play piano and drums but eventually began taking guitar lessons at age 14 at School of Rock.
As a multi-instrumentalist, Nathan has played across the East Coast with the School of Rock Seekonk House Band as well as with the prestigious Rhode Island cover band, Inside Out. Despite having played hundreds of gigs, teaching students and directing performance groups at School of Rock Seekonk is very fulfilling for Nathan. Some of his musical influences include Paul McCartney, The Beatles, Rush, and John Mayer.
Mike Perrotta
Drum Teacher
Mike started playing drums at the age of 11 and was a former School Of Rock student himself. After graduating Mike began to play with many different artists and has toured and recorded music all around the country. His current gig is with the rock band 'Kingsmen' based out of Providence, Rhode Island.
Matt Arenburg
Drum Teacher
Matt started playing drums at the age of 4 and joined the School of Rock in Seekonk, MA when he was 8 years old. He quickly became one of the youngest members of the school’s House Band and toured the East Coast, playing over a hundred shows as a School of Rock student. Now an instructor, Matt plays shows with numerous bands and side projects of all genres. He is a fan of all kinds of music from prog to pop and his drumming influences include Neil Peart, Gavin Harrison, Marco Minnemann, Justin Tyson, and Stewart Copeland. His favorite bands are Rush, Porcupine Tree, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, The Who, and Wilco.
Ziggy Coffey
Drum Teacher
Ziggy Coffey is a musician with many talents. As a drummer, he performs with the fuzz metal act Princess and the hypersonic surf rock trio The Z-Boys. He also has his own solo project as the moniker Ziggy Gnardust that incorporates garage rock, punk, alternative and psychedelic stylings into an energetic array of music that show off his talents on multiple instruments. As a performer, Ziggy has shared the stage with several national acts including Fishbone, KRS-ONE, Arrested Development and Deer Tick.
Sydney Murphy
Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Vocal Teacher
Sydney is a classically trained pianist, as well as an accomplished vocalist and multi-instrumentalist. She is a former School of Rock student and has performed throughout New England. Her influences run the gamut from Bach to The Eagles to Alice Cooper.
Sean Smith
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Drum Teacher, Vocal Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Songwriting Teacher
Sean's musical adventure began when he was 12 years old and got hit by a car. He woke from a coma and music was the only thing he wanted to do from that point on. He started with drums and guitar, playing a few covers with some friends, and moved on to making it his life passion. At age 15, Sean began teaching at a local music shop and traded lessons on other instruments with other teachers. He completed a music program on flamenco and metal guitar at Berklee College of Music the summer before college. He then attended CCRI for music education.
Sean opened In Harmony Music in his early twenties and started playing small shows in local bars. While hosting an open mic he met accomplished musician Tama Girard and started to become professional. Since then he has played all over the place, worked as a sound engineer and recording artist, and got signed as a songwriter. It brings him joy to offer guidance to tomorrow's professionals! Sean's influences include Francisco Tarrega, Fernando Sor, Alexi Laiho, Brann Dailor, and Dave Brubeck.
Kayla Nastari
Vocal Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Kayla knew she had a passion for music since she was 8 years old. She listened to many different types of artists and went to as many concerts as possible, knowing that’s what she wanted to do someday. Her performance journey began with talent shows at school, random karaoke events, and singing the national anthem at many events.
Kayla began attending School of Rock at 13 with vocal and piano lessons, and she joined the Performance Program shortly thereafter. Her love for music only grew, as she began feeling much more comfortable on stage, being around people with the same interests, and learning proper techniques.
Kayla is ready to bring students the same joy she felt walking through those doors and will teach them steps toward becoming a better musician. Some of her musical influences are Heart, Blink-182, and Paramore.
Derek Lima
Drum Teacher, Guitar Teacher
Derek began playing the drums in 2014. He is a former School of Rock student and participated in the performance groups and his school's House Band. Following his time at School of Rock, Derek began playing guitar and bass and joined multiple bands around New England. Derek has also performed as an actor and vocalist in musical theatre performances at his university.
Derek is excited to return to School of Rock as a teacher and help support students to fulfill their musical goals and enjoy the School of Rock experience. Derek currently also works as a staff member of a musical after-school program in Warwick with his former drum teacher, as well as a few fellow School of Rock alumni. Derek's main musical influences include Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl, Conor Oberst, Bob Dylan, and Matt Skiba.
Nicole Bourgeois
Vocal Teacher
Nicole’s love for music and vocal performance started as a young child. She earned a master's degree in Clinical Social Work from Boston College and a bachelor's degree in Psychology from Rivier University. She has worked with children in a variety of settings including schools, residential centers, and outpatient clinics.
As a child, Nicole performed as a vocalist on the Star of the Day show, was part of Derossi Music School‘s performance band, and performed in lead roles for her high school musicals as a teen.
Nicole is the parent of a School of Rock student and has been a member of School of Rock’s Adult Band program for the last several years.
Zack Stewart
Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Drum Teacher, Vocal Teacher
Zack Stewart’s first memory of being interested in music was on a playground in the fourth grade. The song was "Shout at the Devil" and the minute school was over, Mötley Crüe was to be his first album purchase. Many rock, metal, and punk albums were to follow.
The first time Zack made music was when his best friend got a guitar, and they realized they could do this band thing too. So at 12 years old, Zack got a drum set, and they made their friend Jack Hanlon get a bass. The punk rock group Social MENACE was born! Jack eventually formed The Amazing Royal Crowns, who went on to become one the most successful bands out of Providence.
In high school music class, Zack got an Irish tin whistle and had an instant connection. He thought it would be cool to mix hardcore and Celtic music, so he formed a band called Paddy's Pig. They had vocals, drums, bass, guitar, banjo, accordion, and tin whistle. They were a seven-piece explosion who gigged all over Boston and Providence. One night in 1997, they played with a new band called Dropkick Murphys, who back then only consisted of the standard guitar, bass, drums, and vocals, and played straight-ahead punk. After the show, they said they were blown away by Paddy’s Pig, and a month later, Dropkick Murphys added bagpipes, banjo, and accordion and became the biggest band Boston has known.
Music has taken Zack all over the country, and he can't imagine a life without this creative outlet. He is excited to write the next chapter right here at the School of Rock in Norwood!
Campbell Fackre
Guitar Teacher
Campbell started playing guitar at age 9, taking lessons from a local church pastor and joining Sunday afternoon blues jams at the church. Through middle and high school he played in jazz ensembles, attended a summer camp at Berklee, and began writing original music. Some of his inspirations include Jimi Hendrix, Derek Trucks, The Grateful Deal, Duster, and Vundabar. He currently fronts the mathy pop rock trio, Three Mandareens, and spends time performing as well as recording and mixing music for other artists.
Vince Welch
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Vince began playing guitar and bass at the age of 13, which quickly developed a passion for rock music of all kinds. He studied at Berklee College of Music five years later and graduated with a music production and engineering degree.
Vince spent several years touring with his band Bent Knee, including opening for acts such as Haken, VOLA, and The Dillinger Escape Plan. In addition to a busy touring and recording schedule, Vince also found time to produce and mix albums for artists worldwide, including two on major labels.
Some of Vince’s influences include Porcupine Tree, Radiohead, and Nine Inch Nails.
Thomas Ferreira
Drums Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Songwriting Teacher
Thomas “Thunder” Ferreira is a musician, songwriter and drummer from Fairhaven, Massachusetts. His prodigious songwriting has captured the attention of both fans as well as professional musicians. Thomas began his journey as a musician when he started drum lessons at age five. He started playing in performance bands at age seven at School of Rock, and in addition to drums, he’s learned to play bass guitar, upright bass, guitar, keyboard + piano, and vocals. Thomas has been a student in all School of Rock Seekonk bands, including Rock 101, Performance Program, and House Band. Thomas was also a member and played snare drum for the Providence Drum Troupe.
Thomas began his songwriting experience at age ten when he released his first single and was awarded a prize in the New England Songwriting competition. Thomas grabbed the attention of the ‘King of Keyboards’ Derek Sherinian (Sons of Apollo; Dream Theater; Alice Cooper) with his songs. By the time Thomas reached the age 14, he released his debut album The Pharaoh's Temple, and his team of session musicians included Derek Sherinian, Ron Bumblefoot Thal, and Tony Franklin.
Thomas also began his collegiate academic journey at age 14. He began taking Berklee College of Music Online courses, and has achieved a Berklee Professional Drum Certificate at 15 years-old, and a Professional Music Theory and Composition Certificate at age sixteen. Thomas graduated high school almost two years early in January 2024, and at age 16, he was accepted full time into Berklee College Online Bachelor’s of Arts in Composition for Film, TV and Games, which he will graduate from in 2026.
Serenity Simmons
Guitar Teacher, Vocals Teacher, Songwriting Teacher
Serenity “Ren” Simmons was born a musician at heart. Inspired by her father (a battle rapper), Ren herself started as a beatboxer, then later taught herself how to play a little of every instrument she touches.
She has been in drumlines, chorus, percussion ensembles, School of Rock bands, and even once accidentally joined a Portuguese band for a whole year (was promised soup and ended up playing the bass clarinet somehow). When not playing for soup or teaching at School of Rock Seekonk, Ren enjoys composing and producing her own songs, with over 100 compositions in her vault. She also enjoys playing the electric guitar at her pageants and designs music themed toys, hoping to be a successful toy maker one day. Her musical influences include Earth, Wind and Fire, The Chic, Casiopea, the old Kanye, and Daft Punk.
Jessica Kertznus
Drum Teacher
Jessica, known professionally as Lola Blu, is a contemporary artist and drummer whose creative journey began behind a drum kit at just twelve years old. Blending rhythm and color, she transforms the energy of music into visual art that speaks to movement, emotion, and sound. Her work celebrates individuality and empowerment, merging her worlds of art and music into one expressive universe — The Bluniverse®. As both painter and performer, Jessica views drums not just as instruments, but as canvases for storytelling and self-expression. Her style is bold, rhythmic, and deeply personal, echoing the beat that started it all. From stage to studio and now to School of Rock Seekonk, Lola Blu continues to create experiences that connect art, sound, and soul.
Mike Carlucci
Drum Teacher, Vocal Teacher, Guitar Teacher
Mike Carlucci is a professional musician who has been performing as a drummer, guitarist and vocalist for over 30 years. He is the founding member of Radio Honey and Little Lies: A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac, with over 170 shows booked annually. Throughout his career, Mike has worked with wedding bands, tribute acts and studio recording sessions. He also has extensive experience managing bands, recruiting/hiring musicians, social media promotion, show bookings, sound engineering. creating media content for promos and mentoring musicians. Recently retired from teaching middle school science after 25 years, Mike is now sharing his experience and love of music with young learners at School of Rock Seekonk.
Josephine Delongchamp
Vocal Teacher
Jo has always loved music and singing since a very young age. She started performing at the age of four where she started her journey in music and theatre. When she was ten years old she started her training in Bel Canto Opera and has been training in that format ever since.
She just recently graduated from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy with an associates degree in integrated musical theatre and Opera and joins School of Rock Seekonk as a vocal teacher. Although her training is mostly in the classical technique she loves all different types of music. Some of her influences are Elton John, Ingrid Michaelson, and Noah Kahan.