Ben Rothschild
Music Director
Ben Rothschild is the music director of both the North Palm Beach and South Palm Beach School of Rock locations. He spent his formative years growing up within both locations playing a variety of instruments and performing in his band at the time, Jumbo Shrimp Inc.
Upon graduation, Ben formed a new band, Thoughts, and toured the country three times, and regionally several times. Ben later moved to Philadelphia, PA, and gained two and a half year's experience at School of Rock Mainline before returning to South Florida in order to bring new life into his family's business and leave his own legacy.
Ben is most excited to direct both House Band groups and implement a songwriting/recording program to give students even more real-world experiences and help them graduate with an impressive resume of their own.
Scott Gailor
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
What makes a musician so versatile? Experience. That’s exactly what you get with Scott, who brings his discipline of technical prowess and modern emotion to a new tier. Hailing from Saratoga Springs, Scott began making a name for himself at the age of 16 through the New York City club circuit before toughing it out touring along the East and West coasts racking up more than 2,600 shows. It wasn't long before Scott was recognized nationally as an on-the-rise talent by coming in 4th out of 750 players in the Guitar Wars Semi-Finals and regional runner-up in Guitar Center’s Guitarmageddon competition.
Scott has been both a performer and a product demonstrator at NAMM (Winter and Summer), the Dallas International Guitar Show, the Great American Guitar Show (Philadelphia), and Guitarlington (Arlington, TX).
Whether it has been with Scrooge, Union Jack, Kidd Havok (SunCity Records), or Lauren Krothe, Scott has proven that no matter who he is with, he stands toe to toe with greatness as he has opened for everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Dokken, Extreme, Cinderella, John Corabi, Poison, RATT, and Sebastian Bach.
Scott has been around the block, and that’s not a knock. He has matured quite a bit from his early ’90s hair metal days to become one of the more interesting hard rock guitar slingers around today.
Frank Axtell
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
With over three decades in the music industry, Frank Axtell is a renowned guitarist, composer, and teacher and is a major contributor to the South
Florida jazz and rock scene. He performs with his own jazz/fusion ensemble, The Frank Axtell Quartet. He studied jazz and classical guitar and music composition at The Berklee College Of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, and also has studied under renowned world-class guitarists Vincent Bredice, Joe Diorio, and Scott Henderson.
Frank has also taught guitar at Miami Dade College and privately in West Palm Beach, FL. He toured extensively in the '80s and '90s along the east coast and Europe and has recorded on the west coast at San Francisco's The Record Plant.
Emily MacLaren
Vocal Teacher
Emily MacLaren is a singing teacher at School of Rock North Palm Beach and School of Rock South Palm Beach. She is a former School of Rock student and AllStar. Emily has been singing since she was 4 years old and she also plays violin. Her favorite genre is grunge and her favorite singer is Chris Cornell. Emily runs Rock 101, Junior Performance, and Performance groups, as well as camps.
Katherine Cumpa
Vocal Teacher
Katherine Cumpa grew up in Lima, Peru. and music has been her passion since she can remember. She attended the School of Music at Millikin University and graduated with a bachelor's degree in Music Business with a concentration in piano and a minor in communication.
After her studies, Katherine obtained a songwriting certificate from Berklee Online. She started making music online with cover videos on YouTube where she mainly sang and played keyboards in the metal and rock styles. Katherine has also participated in online collaboration cover videos on YouTube with other musicians around the world.
Additionally, Katherine played in local bands throughout her musical journey. She is thrilled to share her passion for music through singing while having fun at the same time.
Doug Spitalny
Guitar Teacher
Doug is a relatively new transplant from the Boston area where he attended the Berklee College of Music in his younger years. He has played professionally in many bands throughout his musical journey playing a variety of different genres.
Doug finds it exciting to be associated with an institution that gives its students the opportunity to learn an instrument and encourages and supports playing in a group setting. This process is a priceless experience that prepares the student for playing and performing in a real band situation.
Will Smith
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Will is a seasoned music educator with nearly two decades of experience in the world of guitar, bass, and piano. A proud graduate of the prestigious Berklee College of Music, Will brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to School of Rock South Palm Beach.
With a career devoted to nurturing musicianship, Will empowers students of all ages to unlock their musical potential. As a versatile instructor, he not only imparts technical expertise but also inspires creativity, fostering a lifelong love for music.
Join Will at School of Rock South Palm Beach and embark on a transformative musical journey led by a true virtuoso.
Chris Tomlinson
Drum Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Chris has over a decade of experience as a drummer and percussionist. He has a wide array of musical knowledge from the drum set to classical percussion and enjoys anything that pushes the limits of his skills, be that progressive rock, funk, or jazz.
As a teacher, Chris has worked with the Tallahassee Youth Orchestras and several high schools and taught at School of Rock in Chicago for close to a year before moving back to South Florida in 2023. He loves sharing his passion with students and creating new exercises to strengthen their technique and develop their musicality.
Bella Feagan
Vocal Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Isabella (Bella) Feagan is a vocal and keys teacher at the School of Rock South Palm Beach and North Palm Beach locations.
Bella attends Florida Atlantic University for commercial music composition, with her instrument being voice. She has participated in many FAU ensembles, including the Women’s Chorus, University Chorus, Schola Cantorum of Florida, and FAU’s Commercial Music Ensemble. While her time at FAU has focused on classical, choral, and commercial Music, Bella also has experience with musical theater and has helped numerous students prepare for auditions.
Tristan Delhamer
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Tristan is a guitar teacher with over a decade of experience with the instrument. Tristan brings a lively and direct approach to working with students.
Tristan is a former School of Rock student and understands the balance of being a young rocker. He can inspire students, cultivate a hard-working and disciplined mindset, and create versatile, passionate musicians.
JC Hannon
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Drum Teacher
JC is a professional musician with over 15 years of dedication to his primary instrument, the drums. Growing up, he was heavily involved in School of Rock. Being a student from 2011-2017, He participated in countless Performance Programs, 4 years of HouseBand, and 2 years of AllStars. His years at School of Rock led to him learning guitar, bass, and keyboard, shaping him into a multi-instrumentalist.
JC went on to attend Florida State University, earning undergraduate degrees in commercial music production and human resource management, as well as a master’s in business administration. While in school, JC made his living as a professional musician. He worked for over 5 years as the drummer for weddings and corporate events, Tallahassee cover bands, a live karaoke band, as well as a handful of original musical projects
Since returning to West Palm Beach in 2024, JC has continued to work as a professional drummer picking up gigs across Palm Beach, Martin, and Broward counties. He is dedicated to his original projects Strictly Liquid (psychedelic rock) and Cold Moments (hard pop, fronted by Ben Rothschild). JC is passionate about inspiring the same musical development in his students through the School of Rock method!
Adesh Balraj
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
If you're looking to broaden your musical experience beyond the confines of rock and roll and step into a new world of guitar, Adesh just might be the teacher for you. Adesh has spent as much time as an educator and as an active player in multiple music scenes. Originally from West Palm Beach, Adesh began playing professionally around the age of 14, playing with local jazz and blues groups. While attending the FSU School of Music he continued to play and tour with bands such as Big Daddy and Red Hot Java, Sway Jah Vu, and other various artists based in the Southeast. After leaving Tallahassee, Adesh began to work in the public school system as an assistant band director at Pahokee Middle and High School, and Jeaga Middle, as well as being a supplementary educator at other public schools in Palm Beach County.
Adesh now works full-time at the School of Rock in Palm Beach, while continuing to perform locally. He also has made a name for himself as a recording artist, recording on numerous hip-hop, pop, and Dancehall/Afro-Carribean records.
If you're looking to understand your role better in a band, expand your playing beyond the rock classics, or just starting out, Adesh is a great educator for all.