Don Seraita
Owner
Don's love of music was passed down from his parents at a very young age. Whether it was car rides with his dad listening to The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Elvis or accompanying his mom while she played songs on guitar by Neil Young, the Eagles, and Cat Stevens—the music was never-ending.
When Don was about 13 years old, he discovered bands like Green Day, Blink-182, Rise Against, and Yellowcard and it launched an entirely new drive of inspiration. Don had dabbled in guitar since the age of 9 but it was at age 14 that he picked up his first electric guitar, got up on a stage in front of hundreds of people, strummed some chunky power chords, and tasted the life of a rockstar—the rest is history.
Don has been performing at venues such as The Knitting Factory, Sullivan Hall, Trash Bar, Paper Box, Don Hill's, and The Bowery Electric with various bands, ever since he was 17 years old.
One of his favorite memories was working in the Rock Shop at the sleepaway camp he went to as a kid. He was tasked with giving one-on-one lessons to children ages 6-18 as well as working with bands that would ultimately put on a rock show for the entire camp. While seeing his campers successfully perform was rewarding in itself, the real reward came almost a decade later, when some of his old campers reached back out to him to express their gratitude for everything he had taught them. At that moment he thought to himself, "I wish I could have a career that gave me the same rewarding feeling that working at camp gave me..."
After working various inside sales jobs in Manhattan, the pandemic pushed Don to pursue something that he was more passionate about, and eventually discovered the wonders of School of Rock! Don began his School of Rock career by owning and operating the School of Rock in Rockland, New York and after almost 3.5 years in Rockland, life again pushed Don in a new direction, and the Florida sun was calling his name! Don is very excited to begin this next chapter of ownership in St. Petersburg, Florida!
Jae Hughes
General Manager, Rookies Program Director
Since the age of 10, Jae Hughes has had a passion for teaching music and working with children. Her career began as a music tutor for percussion instruments at her high school in Rayland, Ohio. To further her career, she moved to St. Petersburg after graduation and has spent her time teaching band instruments, percussion, and piano, and working in the music industry. With experience in sales and lesson coordinating, she enjoys working with people and spreading the joy of music to everyone she meets.
Mel Walsh
Music Director, Guitar Teacher, Bass Teacher, Keyboard Teacher
Melbourne "Mel" Walsh picked up his first guitar at 15 years old. Inspired by his father's love of guitar, Mel's natural musical aptitude ensured local success in his hometown of Marathon, Florida. He started his formal musical education in Gainesville, Florida at Santa Fe Community College but was quickly lured away by the opportunity to study at The Players School of Music. There he took part in weekly jazz ensembles with the inimitable Jeff Berlin, studied theory, harmony, scales and chord tones, learned to read chord charts and sheet music, received one-on-one guitar lessons and ear training, and a multitude of other musical concepts. He has played a myriad of venues from Florida to North Carolina, including Hard Rock Cafe and Jannus Live. Mel's musical background includes rock, blues, jazz, fusion, progressive rock and funk.
Zach Short
Music Director, Guitar Teacher, Bass Teacher, Vocal Teacher
Zach Short is a guitarist and vocalist of 13 years from Tulsa, Oklahoma. He has written and recorded two albums with cog and lantern recordings, both of which have been released on iTunes and other music platforms. Zach has played multiple venues, ranging from small sizes such as restaurants, bars and weddings to larger venues that host national acts like Cains Ballroom in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He has toured the Midwest, playing in multiple bands either as a hired guitarist, session guitarist or permanent member of the band, and has performed at festivals such as SXSW in Austin, Texas playing showcases and opening up for artists including Leon Russel and The Nixons. Zach has eight years of experience teaching students of all ages, both in group settings and private lessons. He currently plays guitar for the Safety Harbor-based band Viewers Like You and is regularly gigging throughout the Tampa Bay and St. Petersburg areas.
Sydney Snyder
Studio Coordinator
Sydney Snyder is the Studio Coordinator at School of Rock St. Petersburg with several years of administrative experience under her belt. Born and raised in St. Pete, Sydney earned a BA in Political Science from the University of South Florida, before working as a Field Organizer and Event Coordinator on numerous political campaigns and nonprofit initiatives, where she recruited and managed dozens of volunteers. Sydney is passionate about her community and excited about working alongside the rest of the School of Rock team to create a fun and inviting atmosphere for all of our students.
Vince Montemarano
Drums Teacher, Bass Teacher, Vocal Teacher
A consistently gigging and touring drummer for over 14 years, Vincent plans to use his additional experience in songwriting, guitar, bass, vocals and percussion to help strengthen students’ understanding and appreciation of music. He knew that being a musician was his calling when he started playing guitar at age 10, but it wasn’t until age 13 that he realized he felt most comfortable behind a drum kit. From that point, he began taking drum set lessons and also joined the Countryside High School drum line, where he would spend the next four years developing and honing his drumming skills.
Vincent continues to use his multi-instrumental experience in his two current bands, for which he writes and arranges music. With his comprehensive skill set, he hopes to create a unique lesson plan that caters to each student’s individual musical aspirations.
Vinny Svoboda
Bass Teacher, Drums Teacher, Keyboard Teacher
Vinny Svoboda picked up his first musical instrument, the violin, when he was 10 years old. Shortly after this musical introduction, he received his first bass guitar. In his early teens, after a few years of being a part of his school's orchestras and bands, Vinny became intrigued by the mechanics of percussion and overall rhythm. He immersed himself in learning how to play any percussion instrument he could get his hands on.
His education progressed when he was accepted into the Music Performance program at the University of South Florida. Studying under the principal bass player of the Florida Orchestra, Vinny received his Bachelor's Degree in Music Performance with an emphasis in Classical Upright Bass in 2013. Since graduation, Vinny has made great strides within his local community and abroad as a live and studio musician for many musical acts. He's also an active audio engineer who specializes in full-band tracking, mixing and mastering. He is a bass guitar teacher, drum teacher and piano teacher at School of Rock St. Petersburg.
Austin Llewellyn
Keyboard Teacher, Bass Teacher, Guitar Teacher
Austin Llewellyn is a multi-instrumentalist with 25 years of experience. Starting off on guitar at age 10 and quickly picking up the bass shortly thereafter, he finally settled on keyboards as his primary instrument in college. With a musical background spanning from Rock and Funk to Reggae and Jazz, Austin is currently playing in 4 local bands including Row Jomah, with whom he toured the Southwest, playing in Georgia, North Carolina, and numerous locations in Florida. He has also played notable venues like the Hard Rock and Jannus Live, as well as participated in the Clearwater Jazz Festival. With decades of performance experience and a love for teaching, Austin has come on board as a guitar, bass, and piano teacher here at the School of Rock St. Pete.
Ian McNerney
Drum Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Bass Teacher
Growing up in a military family and moving frequently, Ian relied on music as a creative outlet and source of entertainment and solace. He started out playing the piano and guitar, but it wasn’t until his family settled east of the Tampa area that Ian found a love of percussion. He quickly joined his middle school orchestral program and became interested in jazz and classical percussion. Ian continued to hone his skills as a member of the Indoor Percussion Group at his high school, where he was chosen to compete in the WGI Indoor Percussion World Championships Scholastic Open Division and was recognized for visual and technical performance.
After moving to St. Pete in 2018, Ian participated in the Music Industry Recording Arts (MIRA) Program at St. Pete College, focusing primarily on recording, mixing and production. Around that time, he also helped form the alternative rock band The Opportunists, and began gigging around St. Pete, writing, recording and producing original music. In 2020, The Opportunists released their debut album, including the track "Mr. Take It Slow," a collaboration with the Florida Orchestra.
Ian’s passion for music and love of teaching make him a perfect fit for drum instruction at the St. Pete School of Rock.
Chris Kinney
Vocal Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Bass Teacher, Keyboard Teacher
Chris’ varied background includes church choirs, musical theatre, and live stage performances as a solo act as well as part of a band. A native of St. Pete, Chris is a Gibbs High School graduate where his focus was musical theatre and performance. He joined the LA music scene after high school, honing his songwriting, production, and engineering, and playing as part of “All Day Breakfast,” an indie rock band which toured throughout the Southern US in 2019. Upon moving to St. Pete, he also began playing as a solo act under the name “Topher Kinney.” In addition to vocals, Chris is also a talented multi-instrumentalist, proficient in guitar, keys, and bass.
Nico Panasiuk
Guitar Teacher, Bass Teacher, Keys Teacher, Vocal Teacher
Nico picked up the guitar at the age of fifteen and never put it down. Quickly developing a taste for blues and folk music, he fell in love with artists like Simon and Garfunkel, The Beatles, and Hozier, and decided to pursue his passion for music and music education through his high school’s band, choir, and theater programs, before pursuing a degree in music education at Toccoa Falls College and later the University of South Florida. During his time in college, Nico picked up piano, bass, and vocals, and performed in various Manhattan choir productions at venues like the Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall. Nico teaches guitar, bass, piano, and vocals to the students here at the St. Pete School of Rock.
Connor Fass
Drums Teacher
Connor fell in love with drums at the age of 7, after spotting a drum kit in a music store window, and went on to join the Patel Conservatory’s rock band program at age 10, performing live on stage. His love for classic rock artists such as Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, and AC/DC propelled him into his high school marching band and subsequently to Berklee College of Music and SPC’s Mira program, where he learned from John Blackwell (the late drummer for grammy award winning artists Prince and Justin Timberlake). Connor’s experience in a broad range of styles and passion for teaching make him an excellent addition to the St. Petersburg School of Rock staff.
Clarke Jacobson
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Drum Teacher
A native of St. Petersburg, Clarke credits local professional musicians Chris LeFever and Joe Braccio for spurring his journey to become a professional musician. He attended John Hopkins Middle School and then the Pinellas County Center for the Arts at Gibbs High School. Clarke was accepted to Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he continued with his formal study of music theory, performance, and production.
During this time, Clarke became proficient on multiple instruments including guitar, drums, keys, and bass. When Clarke left Boston, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue his professional music career. He joined the pop-punk band Sound Parlor and then later toured with All Day Breakfast, an indie rock-influenced band.
Clarke’s experience ultimately led him to St. Petersburg where he hopes to inspire his students to have a lifelong passion for music.
Matt Aaland
Guitar Teacher, Bass Teacher, Keyboard Teacher, Drums Teacher, Vocal Teacher
Matt Aaland is a multi-instrumentalist who comes from the jazz rich community of Fargo, North Dakota, where he grew up attending big band jazz concerts. Picking up the violin as his first instrument, Matt quickly added guitar, bass, piano, voice, brass and woodwind instruments to his repertoire all before high school graduation. Performing with jazz greats like Maynard Ferguson and Ramsey Lewis ignited a passion for music performance in him. Following his favorite local musicians into the collegiate world, Matt attended North Dakota State University with an emphasis on Music Education, studying with the incredible team of Dr. Matthew Patnode and Dr. Kyle Mach. While in college Matt enlisted in the US Army, where he performed with the 188th Army Band as well as the 215th Army Band all around the world. Accepting a scholarship to Berklee College of Music in Boston, he then studied Guitar Performance.
After Berklee, Matt relocated to the Los Angeles area to pursue a career in the music industry, performing in local bands and studio projects in the LA and Las Vegas metro areas. After relocating to the Chicago area, Matt began to focus on offering private instruction as well as group masterclasses. He accepted an instructor position at School of Rock in Geneva, Illinois where he taught guitar, bass, piano and vocals, as well as directed performance groups. Matt continues to use his extensive experience to offer custom designed musical instruction to each of his students. He focuses on student’s goals and interests to help each student find their unique musical voice and direction. He is a guitar teacher, bass guitar teacher, piano teacher and vocal instructor at School of Rock St. Petersburg.
Matthew Bistok
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Vocal Teacher
Matthew Bistok has performed over 1000 shows with his own bands since 1993, and currently, Banjoe Steve, Attica, Brokenman, Fall on Purpose, Polka Cowboyz, and Around the Bonfire, and has recorded 10 full albums and is featured on multiple artist tracks
Matthew has opened for and worked with artists such as George Clinton, Parliament-Funkadelic, Ziggy Marley, Sister Hazel, War, Alien Ant Farm, Night Ranger, Black Flag, Bubba Sparks, Modern English, The Alarm, Jimmy's Chicken Shack, Cypress Hill, Rehab, Afroman, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Everlast, Everclear, Bubba Sparks, Rusted root, Grand Funk Railroad, Redman, Method Man, Geto Boys, Puddle of Mud, Saliva, Bad Company (Brian Howe), Tom McDonald, and Struggle Jennings.
Matthew Bistok Productions has produced five short films that won best soundtrack and the 48 Hour Film Project competition using Matthew's original compositions.
Instruments played: Voice, guitar, banjo, bass, ukulele, mandolin, piano, sitar, mandola, Greek Bouzouki, Russian balalaika, percussion
Erik Sokolowski
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Erik began playing guitar at 14 years old as an avid fan of rock and metal music. When School of Rock came to his hometown of St. Petersburg in 2019, Erik knew immediately that he wanted to take lessons there. As a member of this location's first House Band, Erik quickly grew into a well-versed musician and fell in love with the school. He then became a member of the school’s adult band, where he picked up bass and keyboard.
Following this newfound passion, Erik pursued a degree in music at Eckerd College and now at Full Sail University, where he is pursuing a degree in music production. As a former student of the program, Erik aims to inspire his students just as his instructors did for him. Erik teaches guitar, bass, and keyboard at the School of Rock in St. Pete.
Kimi Tortuga
Vocal Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Kimi Tortuga is a singer-songwriter, guitarist, and pianist known for her velvety vocals, instrumental prowess, and warm stage presence. A Tampa Bay native, she began her musical journey at just 5 years old, forming an immediate and inconvertible bond with music that transcended all other ambitions. She performed classical music and jazz in various ensembles through the age of 18 before turning the page to songwriting.
By age 21, Kimi began composing original works on piano and taught herself to sing, play ukulele, and then guitar, gleefully making her rounds at local open mics, blues jams, and other musical get-togethers in the bustling Tampa Bay music scene. By age 24, she began performing full-time while living in Central America and traveling to Europe.
Fast forward to 2024: now having performed in over ten countries around the world, Kimi has developed an ethereal and soulful virtue all her own. Most recently she has:
- recorded and produced her first full-length, all-original album “Be Still,” which is streaming on all major platforms,
- released additional singles from her upcoming album, "Cage the Sparrow,"
- landed exciting performance contracts with major local and international events, and
- produced original music concert events such as “Metamorphosis: An Artist Becoming.”
Seth Rodden
Guitar Teacher
Seth Rodden is an Indiana native with deep family ties to the arts. His earliest influences included choral music (thanks to his choir director mother and grandfather) and Irish Folk music. Over time his interests have branched out to include the Great American Songbook, early country, bluegrass, blues, classic rock, and jazz.
Although guitar and voice are his primary instruments, Seth is also proficient on mandolin, Irish whistle and recorder, violin, bagpipes, piano and flute. He has appeared in over 20 musical productions, and competed in Barbershop singing with his group “On the Fritz.” Seth holds a B.A. in music business with a minor in voice performance from Anderson University, and an MBA from Ball State, both in Indiana.
Seth speaks German and has worked for German-based companies in the plastics industry for the last several years in sales and marketing roles. Teaching the awesome students at the School of Rock in St. Petersburg, Florida is the highlight of Seth’s week!
Nicole Verdecia
Vocal Teacher
Nicole has always been heavily influenced by the world of music. From her first concert being derived from The Beatles' greatest hits in elementary school to playing Rafiki in a small production of Lion King by Stetson University’s Summer Program, music has always been an important part of her life. From a young age, Nicole has been a part of performing arts programs in Miami like New World School of the Arts High School, where she had the opportunity to perform with her ensemble all around New York including Carnegie Hall.
At Stetson, she graduated with a degree in aquatic & marine biology and a minor in music performance. While the world of science took up most of her endeavors like her study abroad in Costa Rica for her Tropical Diversity & Conservation course, music always found a way to stick around. Showing through the regular choir performances at her church job and school, the seasonal recitals where she’d switch up the mood with a comical musical theater piece, and her university’s “Uncouth Nights” where the allure of an open mic could never be resisted. After completing her summer as a summer samp teacher at The Clearwater Marine Aquarium Nicole is also excited to get back to teaching, this time finally giving music the center stage it craves in her life.
Johnnie Dannenbaum
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Johnnie D. is a songwriter and musician. He began playing guitar in the 7th grade and is an alum of the School of Rock of New York City and of the School of Rock in Chatham, New Jersey. He started writing his own songs from the start and formed bands with friends during high school. He attended Elon University in North Carolina where he received his B.S. in music production. After graduating, he moved to California where he collaborated and performed with a variety of artists ranging in genres from hip hop, alternative rock, and jazz, and composed for multiple films, for which he was awarded best original score on two short films.
His primary instruments are guitar and bass guitar, and he also enjoys playing the piano and mandolin. He records and engineers his own music in Logic Pro X, performing the guitar, bass, and vocals, and producing the drums. His main influences growing up were the Red Hot Chili Peppers, U2, Nirvana, Jimi Hendrix, blink182, and Led Zeppelin. More recently, he has been listening to Animals as Leaders, The Grateful Dead, John Coltrane, Penguin Cafe, and TOOL.
He moved to Florida in 2021 where he has continued to pursue his passion for music. He performs live in the St. Petersburg area and releases his own music which can be found on all music platforms.