Highwood
School of Rock

Explore School of Rock

Highwood

Map
School of Rock Highwood
9 Prairie Avenue
Highwood, IL 60040
(847) 433-7625

Location Specifics

Located at the corner of Green Bay Rd. and Prairie Ave.

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Hours
  • Monday: 2 PM - 8 PM
  • Tuesday: 2 PM - 8 PM
  • Wednesday: 2 PM - 8 PM
  • Thursday: 2 PM - 8 PM
  • Friday: Closed
  • Saturday: 10 AM - 4 PM
  • Sunday: Closed

Music programs at School of Rock Highwood combine one-on-one lessons with group band practices

Programs we offer

Rock 101 music program in Highwood for kids and beginners
Rock 101
Ages 8-13

Rock 101 is one of School of Rock Highwood's top programs for kids and beginners. Students have one weekly group rehearsal where they learn to play classic rock songs that have been simplified for beginner musicians. Additionally, Rock 101 students in Highwood have a weekly private music lesson with an instructor who helps them learn the concepts and skills behind their performance songs.

What To Expect
  • 1 WEEKLY PRIVATE LESSON
  • 1 WEEKLY GROUP REHEARSAL

The Path to Take the Stage

Our music programs for kids in Highwood are designed to get students on stage performing, with the goal of building strong musical proficiency. Younger students at School of Rock Highwood who have participated in the Rookies program can move to our Rock 101 music program once they’re ready. Additionally, students (typically ages 8 to 13-years-old) can begin Rock 101 without any prior experience. The goal of this rock program is to quickly develop a basic competence on students’ chosen instruments before moving on to our famous Performance Program.

Performance music program for teens in Highwood
Performance
Ages 8-18

The Performance Program at School of Rock Highwood is our hallmark music program, where tens of thousands of students enroll each year. It consists of a weekly group rehearsal where kids and teens learn by playing rock music's most iconic songs with a band composed of their peers. Students are assigned songs and parts that are tailored to them based on their age, experience and ability to learn new skills and concepts. Students then work through their parts in weekly private music lessons, refining the skills and concepts that those songs introduce. The goal of this curriculum is to prepare kids and teens for live performances. Every few months, School of Rock Highwood Performance Program students take the stage and play at local Highwood music venues in front of a live audience.

What To Expect
  • 1 WEEKLY PRIVATE LESSON
  • 1 WEEKLY GROUP REHEARSAL

The Path to Take the Stage

School of Rock Highwood's music programs for kids and teens are designed to inspire by getting students on stage and performing. All of our other music education programs focus on readying students for our famous Performance Program. This is where students develop incredible musical skills. Performance Program students have often gone through our Rock 101 program first or have some previous basic music experience. These young musicians will have custom development plans outlined by their instructors with key concepts reinforced during private lessons and group rehearsals, all with the goal of performing live at a Highwood music venue.

Rookies music program for children in Highwood
Rookies
Ages 6-7

At School of Rock Highwood, our music program for children with no previous musical experience (typically ages 6 to 7-years-old) is called Rookies. Rookies students have one weekly group music lesson where they learn fundamentals like chords, rhythm and song structure. Kids get to learn and experiment with multiple instruments so they can later decide which one they ultimately want to continue pursuing in Rock 101. Every few months, School of Rock Highwood Rookies Program students take the stage and play at local Highwood music venues in front of a live audience.

What To Expect
  • 1 WEEKLY GROUP LESSON
  • USE OF SIMPLIFIED ROCK INSTRUMENTS TO TEACH KIDS TO PLAY MUSIC

The Path to Take the Stage

All of our music programs are designed to inspire students to learn and develop a strong musical proficiency. At School of Rock Highwood, younger students who are not ready for a more comprehensive program like Rock 101 can start in Rookies. Additionally, students who have completed the Little Wing program will progress into the Rookies music program. No prior musical experience is needed for Rookies. Once your child is ready for private music lessons (typically older than first or second graders), they will graduate into our Rock 101 program.

Songwriting
Age 12 and over

Our Songwriting program for kids and teens teaches the fundamentals of songwriting, arrangement and music theory, and helps students compose original works.  At School of Rock Highwood, songwriting students receive one weekly private lesson where they learn concepts, technique and theory on an instrument of their choice. These principles are then applied in a weekly group lesson where students work together on songwriting exercises and lyrical workshops.  Every few months, Songwriting students take the stage to perform or band together to record their original songs.

What to Expect
  • 1 weekly private lesson
  • 1 weekly group lesson

The Path to Take the Stage

Our Songwriting program for kids and teens in Highwood is designed to create musical proficiency through the creation of original music. Students at School of Rock Highwood who have completed our Rock 101 program can move to our Songwriting program once they’re ready. Additionally, new students who have prior experience with and basic knowledge of an instrument can also begin Songwriting. The program culminates with a live showcase where students perform their original compositions in bands at a local music venue. Students taking the Songwriting Program online will remotely record their original songs to produce a demo of the class's music.

Remote student playing guitar
Online
All Ages

At School of Rock Highwood, our students can take online, one-on-one music instruction from the comfort of their homes. We call this program School of Rock Remote. This online music program contains weekly one-on-one instruction conducted by our expert School of Rock instructors in a safe virtual lesson room.
 
Students will receive their training using our proprietary education program, The School of Rock Method™, which couples live video lessons with our proprietary Method App™, SongFirst Approach™ and Method Books™. 

What To Expect
  • ONE WEEKLY 1-ON-1 LESSON
  • LESSONS CONDUCTED USING SECURE VIDEO TECHNOLOGY

THE PATH TO TAKE THE STAGE

All of our music programs for kids, teens, and adults are designed to help students gain amazing musical proficiency. School of Rock’s online music lesson program is no exception. Online guitar lessons, online piano lessons, online drum lessons, online singing lessons and online bass guitar lessons are all offered through the School of Rock Remote online program.

Adult music program in Highwood for students over 18
Adult Program
Ages 18+

School of Rock Highwood's Adult Program is for students over 18 years old who are looking to either improve their musical proficiency or pick up an instrument with no prior musical experience. As with most School of Rock music programs, the Adult Program uses a performance-based music education approach. This means the curriculum focuses on learning music concepts and applying them in a live performance setting. Our Adult Music Program includes one weekly private music lesson and a weekly group rehearsal. Every student at School of Rock Highwood is placed in a band of fellow adults and then assigned specific songs as a way of learning key music concepts and skills. Adult students then take the stage to play at a live show in Highwood.

What To Expect
  • 1 WEEKLY PRIVATE LESSON
  • 1 WEEKLY GROUP REHEARSAL

The Path to Take the Stage

All of our music programs are designed to inspire by getting students on stage and performing, with the goal of building strong musical proficiency along the way. The School of Rock Highwood Adult Program is open to all experience levels and each student will follow a customized learning plan developed by their instructor. Adult students will work together during rehearsal to prepare for a live performance at a real rock venue in Highwood.

House Band program for gigging at local venues in Highwood
House Band
Age 17 and Under

The School of Rock Highwood House Band music program gives students under 18 the opportunity to join a gigging band composed of fellow musicians from their school. These students perform additional live shows throughout the year. All students in the Performance Program have the opportunity to audition for a spot in School of Rock Highwood's House Band. Once selected, House Band members become leaders in their School of Rock community and perform live shows at IL rock venues throughout the year.

What To Expect
  • A GIGGING MUSICIAN'S EXPERIENCE
  • FREQUENT LIVE PERFORMANCES IN COMMUNITY

The Path to Take the Stage

Performance is the core of School of Rock's educational approach. Therefore, we create additional opportunities for students to perform on stages throughout Highwood and the rest of IL. The House Band music program allows each school's most talented students the opportunity to join a band and play routinely in front of live audiences. Once a member, students will gain real music experience associated with gigging musicians and will become leaders and mentors inside the School of Rock community.

The AllStars national tour features the best child and teen musicians
AllStars
Age 17 and Under

The School of Rock AllStars Tour takes the very best students from around the world and sends them on a nationwide summer tour across the United States. Less than 1% of School of Rock students are selected each year to represent School of Rock as an AllStar. All Performance Program students are eligible to audition for this prestigious program. The intensive audition process starts off with video submissions followed by live auditions. Once selected, AllStar students will have an authentic touring experience including traveling on a tour bus, doing tour publicity and starring in nightly performances at famous venues and festivals during a two-week tour.

What To Expect
  • A MULTI-CITY, COUNTRY-WIDE MUSIC TOUR EXPERIENCE
  • PERFORMING ON SOME OF THE BIGGEST AND MOST FAMOUS STAGES IN THE WORLD

The Path to Take the Stage

Becoming an AllStar is the highest level of achievement for a School of Rock student. They play on legendary stages large and small, including The Knitting Factory, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, The Troubadour and Lollapalooza. AllStar students often go on to have accomplished careers in the music industry. Former AllStars have gone on to become touring artists, star in Broadway musicals, get signed to record deals, become finalists on talent competitions like "The Voice" and "American Idol" and have other notable roles in the music industry.

Music Lessons in Highwood

Kid learns to play guitar at School of Rock Highwood

Guitar Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Guitar Lessons for Kids

At School of Rock Highwood, we offer beginner guitar lessons for kids. Our expert guitar instructors guide your child from start to finish with private instruction and weekly group band rehearsals. Every instructor at School of Rock Highwood is an experienced musician, and they emphasize foundational music theory and technique when teaching guitar lessons to kids. Unlike other Highwood guitar lessons and programs, School of Rock is designed to get students performing in a band.

Beginner Guitar Lessons for Adults

It’s never too late to learn to play the guitar. Similar to our kids guitar lessons, School of Rock Highwood's beginner guitar lessons for adults utilizes a performance-based curriculum. Our experienced instructors teach adult students through popular rock songs, and teach students to play guitar in a way that’s challenging and fun. We believe the best way to learn is by doing, which is why we combine weekly private guitar lessons with group band rehearsals. At School of Rock Highwood, we teach beginner guitar lessons for adults in our Adult Program. This program gets students performing onstage at a local Highwood venue.

Key Concepts
  • Technique
  • Solos
  • Chords
  • Theory

Intermediate to Advanced Guitar Lessons

As students gain skills and experience, we move them along to more challenging programs at higher skill levels. Intermediate and advanced students take the skills they learned in beginner guitar lessons, and layer on more difficult techniques and concepts. School of Rock Highwood offers advanced guitar lessons for kids and adults that teach by playing challenging classic rock songs and emphasize playing the guitar in a real music venue. Our Highwood guitar teachers will work with each student to develop a custom learning plan.

Kids learn to drum at School of Rock Highwood

Drum Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Drum Lessons for Kids

School of Rock Highwood is the best option for anyone looking to learn the drums. Our beginner drum lessons get kids behind the drum kit and on their way to taking the stage. That’s why at School of Rock Highwood we combine private drum lessons for beginners with weekly band rehearsals—it prepares students to perform live. With years of experience teaching drums in Highwood, our drum instructors teach beginner drum students core techniques, including how to groove, play rudiments and more.

Beginner Drum Lessons for Adults

Our drum lessons for adults are designed to accommodate all skill levels. At School of Rock Highwood, our beginner drum lessons for adults are built for musicians with little to no experience. We teach adults using the same core performance-based education philosophy as our drum lessons for kids—performing with a band accelerates the learning process. Adult students will perform live at a venue in Highwood. Unlike other Highwood drum lessons for beginners, School of Rock combines private drum lessons with weekly band rehearsals so students are ready to play in front of real, live audiences.

Key Concepts
  • RUDIMENTS
  • TIME SIGNATURES
  • TECHNIQUE
  • GROOVE

Intermediate to Advanced Drum Lessons

More experienced to advanced drum students need a drum lesson curriculum that builds upon foundational skills and continues to grow musical proficiency. That’s why at School of Rock Highwood, our drum lessons are customized for each student and his or her goals. Our Highwood drum instructors integrate more complex techniques and concepts—intermediary grooves, shifts, meters and more—into a student's individual lessons and group band rehearsal, and will also select more difficult songs for his or her live performances.

 

Kid learns to sing at School of Rock Highwood

Singing Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Singing Lessons for Kids

School of Rock Highwood offers beginner singing lessons for kids. Our unique, performance-based approach develops students' musical proficiency by preparing them to perform live. At School of Rock Highwood, our vocal coaches are practicing musicians who integrate key music fundamentals—breathing, posture and more—into a curriculum based on performing with a band. Each week, beginner singing students participate in a private singing lesson and a band rehearsal.

Beginner Singing Lessons for Adults

School of Rock Highwood teaches adults how to sing in our innovative Adult Program. Students develop vocal skills at a challenging pace designed to help you see results with every singing lesson. Adult vocalists learn how to keep tempo, stay on-key and master advanced vocal techniques for a powerful and healthy voice. Our curriculum teaches students how to sing by using popular rock songs that emphasize key concepts. Each week, Adult Program students have a private singing lesson for beginners and group band rehearsal.

Key Concepts
  • TECHNIQUE
  • HARMONY
  • POWER
  • READING

Intermediate to Advanced Singing Lessons

At School of Rock Highwood, our singing lessons for kids and adults are designed to help our students reach a high degree of musical proficiency. Intermediate and advanced singers take skills learned from previous singing lessons and layer on more difficult techniques and concepts. Our advanced singing lessons teach students to sing by performing popular rock songs that illustrate a specific vocal concept or technique. We pair weekly private singing lessons with weekly band rehearsals with the goal of getting musicians to perform live in Highwood.

Kid learns to play bass at School of Rock Highwood

Bass Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Bass Lessons for Kids

School of Rock Highwood offers beginner bass guitar lessons for kids that blend weekly private instruction with weekly band rehearsals. This performance-based approach results in a high level of musical proficiency because it engages and inspires students. Every School of Rock bass instructor is a practicing musician in Highwood and teaches bass lessons for kids that get great results. Beginners learn to play bass guitar by using popular rock songs that illustrate key concepts and techniques.

Beginner Bass Lessons for Adults

Adults looking to learn bass guitar can enroll in School of Rock’s Adult Program. No experience is necessary in our beginner bass guitar lessons for adults. At School of Rock Highwood, our experienced, local bass guitar instructors have the patience and skills to help adult students gain musical proficiency. As with all School of Rock music programs, our bass guitar lessons for adults ciriculum is performance-based, and include both weekly private instruction and weekly band rehearsals.

Key Concepts
  • GROOVE
  • TECHNIQUE
  • THEORY
  • TONE

Intermediate to Advanced Bass Lessons

Our intermediate to advanced bass guitar lessons teach Highwood students the skills they need to become the backbone of a band. Students take skills from previous bass lessons and layer on more difficult techniques and concepts. At School of Rock Highwood, our bass instructors use popular rock songs as a way of teaching students advanced concepts and techniques. We pair weekly private bass lessons with weekly band rehearsals to inspire and engage students throughout the learning process.

Kid learns to play piano at School of Rock Highwood

Keyboard Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Keyboard Lessons for Kids

At School of Rock we teach differently than other music schools in Highwood. Our curriculum is performance-based, meaning that we prepare students to perform. Our piano lessons for beginners combine weekly private instruction with weekly band rehearsals. At School of Rock Highwood, our beginner keyboard lessons for kids take key concepts and music fundamentals—finger placement, scales, key differentiation and more—and teach them through popular rock songs. This approach inspires and engages students, which results in attaining a high level of musical proficiency. Our piano teachers have years of experience teaching music in the Highwood area, and know how to coach and motivate students of any skill level to play the keyboard.

Beginner Keyboard Lessons for Adults

The School of Rock Highwood Adult Program puts beginner keyboard students in a band. Adult Program students in the Highwood area learn to play piano through a combination of weekly private beginner piano lessons and weekly band rehearsals. At School of Rock, our piano lessons give adult students the chance to perform in a band at local Highwood music venues, taking them out of the classroom and onto the stage.

Key Concepts
  • TECHNIQUE
  • TONE
  • THEORY
  • READING

Intermediate to Advanced Keyboard Lessons

At School of Rock Highwood, our keyboard lessons for kids and adults are designed to help students get results. Intermediate and advanced students take skills learned from beginner keyboard lessons and layer on more advanced piano techniques with concepts. Our local keyboard instructors are all practicing musicians in Highwood, and use popular rock songs as a way of teaching complex skills. We pair weekly private piano lessons with weekly band rehearsals to inspire and engage students throughout the learning process.

Our Experienced Music Teachers

All of School of Rock Highwood’s music teachers are experienced musicians devoted to helping students attain musical proficiency. Our instructors guide students one-on-one to personalize learning, inspire confidence and build social skills.

Maggie Weber
General Manager
Maggie was born and raised with an undeniable ear for music. Singing has always been her passion. Her mother told her that she sang before she ever spoke. Maggie has always had a knack for music. When she was 18 months old, she would hum to songs happily in key. Maggie believes that everyone has music inside of them, no matter what the age. She has been involved in many projects and studio recordings including The Rip Chords (University of Illinois), Molehill and Willy Dynomite. Her passion for music, paired with her obsessive organization, has led her to be the General Manager of School of Rock Evanston and Highwood. Maggie hopes to open the door to musicians in a way that she never experienced.
Danielle Piccolomini
Operations Manager
Danielle Piccolomini was born and raised in Wilmington, Delaware, where she was very active in local community and professional theatre. Her passion for music was sparked at an early age by her grandmother, who would sing to her every chance she got. She was immersed in theatre at age nine and started playing the flute, piccolo, piano and handbells soon afterward. After high school, she studied at The Young Americans College of the Performing Arts in Corona, CA, where she had the opportunity to travel and teach music to kids all over the world for almost seven years. She moved to Chicago on a whim in August 2019 and found a way to combine her love of music and love for typing emails at School of Rock Highwood as an Assistant Manager. She hopes to continue sharing her musical and organizational skills.
Drum Teacher
Bryan Resendiz
Drum Teacher
Bryan Resendiz is a Music Director at the Highwood school. He teaches drums and manages the ensemble rehearsals. His path through the world of rock n' roll began when he got his first drum set in the 3rd grade. Bryan's musical inspiration came initially from his older sister's record collection. Throughout his teens, Bryan performed live in bands and in studio settings. In the summer of 1995 as a part of the Hello Dave Band, Bryan played in venues from San Francisco and New York to Key West. Between 2002 and 2005, Bryan played rock 'n' roll in the Pacific Islands, Asia, Europe, Africa and across the Middle East, culminating in an intense tour across Iraq. Bryan recorded a full-length album for Hello Dave, "Perfect Day," in 2003. Bryan left the Hello Dave band in 2005 in order to focus on freelance music projects and a successful teaching practice at Kevin Connelley Drum Instruction in Skokie. Bryan continues to maintain a busy gigging schedule with a number of Chicago bands.
Guitar Teacher, Singing Teacher
Scott Balmoos
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Vocal Teacher
Scott Balmoos is a singer, songwriter, guitarist and music educator. He started on his path in music while in middle school when he fell in love with the sound of The Beatles. It wasn't long before he was singing and playing guitar in his first rock and roll band. Over the subsequent years, the music in his life grew and expanded, so he continued to pursue his passion by studying at the Eastman School of Music with a focus in Vocal Performance. While at Eastman, along with singing opera, art songs and musicals, and against his teacher's wishes, he continued playing with his band The Shift. This energy eventually provided the spark for him to move to Chicago. Since 2003, Scott has been performing, writing and recording in and around Chicago, most notably with the roots reggae band Akasha. As a lover of all types of music, he believes that through it you can learn about yourself, how to use your voice, and reach out to the world from almost any song. He is a guitar teacher, bass guitar teacher and vocal instructor at School of Rock Highwood.
Bass Guitar Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Keyboard Teacher, Singing Teacher Ait Fetterolf
Ait Fetterolf
Bass Guitar Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Keyboard Teacher, Vocal Teacher
Ait Fetterolf is a multi-instrumentalist, singer, and award-nominated screenwriter from South Carolina. Ait has been playing piano since the age of five, where his teacher told his parents after his first lesson that he had perfect pitch. After a brief stint as a piano performance major at Furman University and several years in punk bands, jazz ensembles, drum lines, and orchestras, his affections tended towards the theater where he performed in numerous musicals including as an actor and singer in The Lost Colony outdoor symphonic drama in North Carolina. He has also served as musical director and conductor for several stage productions, arranging harmonies and rehearsing vocalists for The Rocky Horror Show, Belz!, The Last Five Years, and more. In addition to teaching private voice, guitar, & drum lessons for more than a decade, he has also performed stand-up comedy at the world famous Comedy Store on the Sunset Strip. Ait loves to discover new genres and artists, and believes that a key component of musical education is providing a musician with a drive & desire to explore the totality of humanity’s harmonies.
Studio Coordinator, Vocal Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher Miranda Dianovsky
Miranda Dianovsky
Studio Coordinator, Vocal Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Miranda is an artist at heart, born and raised in Chicago. Her musical inclinations started at a very young age; her mom would often find her at the piano clumsily accompanying her own fanciful voice compositions. She was soon enrolled in piano lessons and later studied classical voice at ChiArts. Since then she has honed her songwriting craft and continues to release music under Rain Garden, her band which has been performing around Illinois for over five years. She also gigs as a cantor at churches in the Chicagoland area.

When Miranda is not performing, teaching, or in the studio recording she enjoys reading, fostering cats, and being outdoors!
Macklin Suhre
Drum Teacher
Macklin Suhre was born July 21st, 1991 in Lake Bluff, Illinois and has been drumming since the age of 10. He attended Lake Forest High School, studying music and drumming in the jazz band and wind ensemble. In 2009, he was accepted to Berklee College of Music in Boston as a drum set principle, where he spent four years studying with celebrated faculty members such as Mitch Haupers, Mike Mangini, Kim Plainfield and many more. Macklin graduated from Berklee in 2013 with a degree in Professional Music, and continues to perform with his band, Tanzen.
Drew Littell
Drum Teacher
Drew Littell is a professional drummer, percussionist and music educator from Chicago, IL. With over 20 years of playing experience, 10 years touring nationally and eight years teaching, Drew brings a wide spectrum of experience to private lessons at School of Rock. Starting as a percussionist in grade school, and all the way through a Jazz Studies major at the Chicago College of Performing Arts, Drew has been trained in music at the academic level, but also has always been involved in some sort of independent, original music project. With 10 years of touring experience, he has played many styles of music from metal to bluegrass and everything in between.
Zoey Witz
Guitar Teacher
Zoey has been playing guitar since 1987, playing music professionally since 1997 and teaching guitar since 2001. He has played all over the country and in Mexico at clubs, festivals, concerts, theaters and private events playing jazz, rock, country, R&B, bluegrass, blues, zydeco and pop. Over the years he has played with local and national artists like Maggie Speaks, Tributosaurus, The Jersey Boys, Nicholas Barron, Cathy Richardson Band, CJ Chenier and many others. Zoey is thrilled to be a part of the teaching staff at School of Rock.
Alex Zeravica
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Drum Teacher
Alex Zeravica was born in Georgia in 1990. He had a bad habit of banging on anything he could find around the house. When his parents realized it wasn't a phase, they bought him a beginner drum set when he was six or seven. After moving to Lake Bluff, Illinois at the age of nine, Alex started taking drum lessons and enrolled in school band. In middle school, Alex joined the jazz band, and also joined Midwest Young Artists, enrolling in their jazz ensemble and advanced percussion ensemble. He continued all of these throughout his time at Lake Forest High School. After graduating, he moved to Boston to study at Berklee College of Music, studying Film Scoring. Alex currently plays with a handful of different groups and records as a session musician, having played on dozens of different projects, from demos to full-length albums. He is a guitar teacher, bass guitar teacher and drum teacher at School of Rock Highwood.
Drum Teacher Tyler Damon
Tyler Damon
Drum Teacher
Tyler Damon is a drummer and instructor who has been drumming on everything within arm’s reach from an early age. Recognizing this, his parents presented him with a Pearl student model snare drum for his 10th birthday, unwittingly inviting years of percussive clangor into their basement.

Tyler has been recognized internationally for his work with Bhutanese guitarist Tashi Dorji and Chicago saxophonist Dave Rempis, in duos and as the trio Kuzu, as well as for his drumming with Haley Fohr’s chameleonic Circuit Des Yeux. He can often be found performing around the city with Gerrit Hatcher & Joshua Abrams, Mars Williams, Eli Winter and many others. He also performs as a solo percussionist.

Over the last decade he has performed on over 50 recordings and has toured extensively in North America, Europe, Vietnam, & Colombia. In addition to his own teaching, Tyler is fortunate to study with world-renowned drummer, percussionist and educator Pete Magadini. His recorded output has been offered by a myriad of labels including Family Vineyard, Astral Spirits, Matador, Drag City, Trost, Aerophonic, Magnetic South, Feeding Tube and Auris Apothecary, among others.

Photo by Ricardo Adame.
Parker Carls, Singing Teacher, Keyboard Teacher
Parker Carls
Vocal Teacher, Keyboard Teacher
Parker, a soprano from central Illinois, has been involved in music for over twenty years. She has experience with a wide variety of musical styles, including art song, opera, jazz, choral, and musical theatre, as well as pop and rock. Past opera and musical theatre roles include Susanna (Le Nozze di Figaro), Gretel (Hänsel und Gretel), Gertrude (Seussical), and Belle (Beauty and the Beast), among others. Parker received her Master of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of North Texas in May 2022 and her Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Western Illinois University in May 2020. While her own training has been predominantly classically-focused, Parker loves applying healthy vocal technique and pedagogical concepts to any genre, helping students to understand the inner workings of the voice in the context of their favorite types of music. She has taught students
aged six through adult, and past students have received “1” ratings in Solo and Ensemble, passed auditions to sing in All-Region choir, and perform extensively in theatre and musical ensemble settings. Parker believes music is for everyone and is excited to share the joy of music with her students, no matter their age, experience level, or preferred genre. She hopes to inspire students to find confidence and power in the voice through incorporating healthy vocal technique and diction with true emotion and meaning in order to achieve genuine performance that is individual to the singer.
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher Justin Eisenbraun
Justin Eisenbraun
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Chicago-based musician Justin Eisenbraun has been performing professionally for years as a soloist and in groups throughout the U.S. and abroad. He has also recorded with a variety of artists on dozens of records. He holds a degree in Classical Guitar Performance from Northeastern Illinois University and has taught guitar at UpBeat Music and Arts and After School Matters in Chicago. He currently performs with the Lydia Cash Duo.

Justin has been with School of Rock since 2012 and his goal as an educator is to inspire a lifelong love of playing music in his students.
Daniel Jackson Guitar Teacher, Singing Teacher
Daniel Jackson
Guitar Teacher, Vocal Teacher
Daniel Jackson is a multi-instrumentalist who hails from Birmingham, AL. He spent the first 7 years of his career traveling in musicals like: Green Day’s American Idiot, Rock of Ages and the Buddy Holly story in the titular role. As a songwriter, Daniel has worked with artists like: Blondie Chaplin, Jason Robert Brown, Tom Kitt, Scott Weiland & more. Daniel feels honored to get to teach the next generation about the ups and downs of the performing industry.
Steve Grissette Singing Teacher
Steve Grissette
Vocal Teacher
For over 30 years, Steve Grissette aka Steve "Mac180" has worked in the music industry as an accomplished singer, songwriter, and producer. He has produced many gold and platinum albums including Nick Lachey & 98 Degrees, Regina Belle, Steve Bell, and The Dead Presidents' SoundTrack. For years, Steve's unforgettable soulful R&B voice and dynamic performance style has made him one of the most sought after lead male vocalists.

Steve has either written, produced or shared the stage with such artists as Stokley Williams, Jesse Campbell, Nick Lachey, Ellis Hall, Randy Jackson, Elton John, Dennis Edwards of the Temptations, Brian Simpson, Tony Bennett, Howard Hewitt, Billie Beck of the Ohio Players, Peter Cetera of the band Chicago, Richard Marx, Kashif, Marlon Jackson, Everette Harp, DC Talk, Walter Afanasieff, Pops Staples, Mavis Staples, Jeffrey Osborne, Commissioned, Fred Hammond, Marvin Sapp, Michael Omartian , Donnie McClurkin, Alan Gorie from the Average White Band, Alex Ligertwood formerly of Santana, David Hollister, and many more.

Steve and his wife, Amy, created "Read Along With Wayne", an edutainment CD that has been featured as part of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's Toddler Rock program since 2005. This critically acclaimed CD has received top reviews by Ebony Magazine and Sesame Street consultants.
Trevor Mooney, Bass Teacher
Trevor Mooney
Bass Teacher
Trevor Mooney is originally from Germantown, Maryland and has a passion for electric bass! He grew up taking music lessons and playing in bands at an organization very similar to School of Rock. Throughout his teenage years, Trevor would be performing regularly, writing music, and preparing himself for Berklee College of Music. In 2014, Trevor attended Berklee where he met two friends he would later form a band with, and after graduating in 2017, he relocated to the Chicago area to pursue music with his band. Some of Trevor's favorite bands are the Grateful Dead, Yes, Bob Marley, and anything put out on Motown. Aside from his love of teaching and music, he can be found outside enjoying the sunshine or playing Dungeons & Dragons with his friends
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher Michael Salgado
Michael Salgado
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Michael discovered his love for music at the age of 13 when he listened to “Master of Reality” by Black Sabbath. From there, he bought his first guitar and started learning songs by ear until high school. Michael then went on to start a jazz trio, which exposed him to the great musicians in the Chicago scene under the guidance of Victor García.

In high school and college, Michael played in the top bands focusing on double bass with a major in composition. While studying at Loyola University New Orleans, he immersed himself in the jazz scene while balancing an intense gigging schedule. Since then, Michael has toured multiple countries in South America and Europe along with various U.S. states and has played with Grammy nominees and winners.
Andrew Pridmore, Keyboard Teacher, Guitar Teacher
Andrew Pridmore
Keyboard Teacher, Guitar Teacher
Born and raised in Park Ridge, IL, Andrew began taking piano lessons around the age of four. It wasn’t until he was in middle school that he would join a band and music would become his greatest passion. Originally learning how to play classic rock songs on piano by transcribing guitar tabs, Andrew began picking up guitar as a teenager. In the decade since, Andrew has remained active in Chicago’s music scene and earned a BA in Music Business from University of Illinois at Chicago. When Andrew isn’t writing, recording, or performing with various groups, he enjoys watching classic films, and going to Sox games.
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Singing Teacher Daniel Olsson
Daniel Olsson
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Vocal Teacher
Daniel is a musician, instructor, songwriter, and producer with over a decade's worth of experience. Having spent years in music education and in the music, recording, and touring industry, he has been teaching music lessons to students of varying ages and skill levels for the last several years.

Daniel takes a fun and intuitive approach to lessons and loves fostering skills in all his students. He loves making music, writing, creating, and going for walks with his family. Daniel is currently working on a few musical projects in the pop, sync, and songwriter genres.
Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher Daniel Jonak
Daniel Jonak
Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Daniel Jonak is an enthusiastic world-music composer and multi-instrumentalist specializing in guitar and piano, as well as being deeply steeped in rhythm and percussion. At 9 years old, Daniel began his adventure on the baritone euphonium which gave him a first-hand appreciation of brass and orchestral music, all the while fiddling on his older brother’s guitar with great intrigue. By his sophomore year of high school, Daniel had joined the jazz band, HP jazz trio, and the band “Xazz” playing guitar. During this time he displayed a strong interest in fusion music, and would later delve into the Indian Carnatic tradition.

At the age of 18, Daniel received a platinum scholarship to Berklee College of Music for writing a rap song and studied under Jack Pezanelli for chordal jazz guitar. Daniel’s teaching style focuses on elements of the Suzuki method, literacy in reading music, jamming with our instrument, and music theory supplemental material.

Daniel has worked with names such as Frank Catalano, Artur Wnorowski, and Justin Boyd, as well as various artists around Chicago. Daniel looks forward to playing, teaching, and investigating more types of music from around the world!
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher Jackson Foellmer
Jackson Foellmer
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Jackson started his musical journey at the age of 5 with piano lessons from his mother. His focus turned to the guitar at age 9 when he received lessons from his father's friend, bluesman Detroit James.

Jackson built his musical foundation on blues improvisation, playing in several bands around Chicago from age 9 through 18 when he moved from Chicago to Montreal. There he majored in music at Canada's top music school, McGill University. It was in Montreal that Jackson started music production and produced records for many artists around the Montreal and Toronto areas. These artists performed his productions all over Canada and one even opened for Imagine Dragons on every stop of their Canadian tour. Jackson just moved back to Chicago and is excited to play with his band here and teach at School of Rock Highwood.
Bass Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher Jesse Lear
Jesse Lear
Bass Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Jesse Lear is an up-and-coming acoustic and electric bassist, composer, arranger, teacher, and audio engineer in the Chicago area. His aim as a musician is to create accessible music deeply rooted in the visceral, human experience to inspire movement and dance. Be it a rock concert or a jazz orchestra with strings, his performances initiate interactive and organic dialogues with his audience. Diverse music genres inform Jesse’s artistic expressiveness. He draws connections between rock, pop, jazz, Afro-Cuban, classical, and other styles to creatively craft songs into a magnetic, musical journey. His artistry as a musician is emboldened by the works of Steely Dan, Chicago, and the Beatles, as well as artists like James Jamerson, Ahmad Jamal, and Avishai Cohen.

Jesse received his bachelor’s degree in Jazz Studies at Northwestern University. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jesse began exploring composition and arranging as well as audio engineering. These three fields, in addition to his groove-driven bass playing, have taken him to performance venues across the country including the Gary Marshall Theater in Los Angeles, Prudential Hall (NJPAC) in New Jersey, and the 2020 Detroit Jazz Festival.
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher Mitch Galgan
Mitch Galgan
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Mitch Galgan is a songwriter and string-instrumentalist, whose main instrument is the bass, but also plays guitar and piano. They studied classical and jazz music from elementary school to graduation at Illinois Wesleyan University and explored pop, rock, and more playing in a variety of bands independent of their schoolwork. This varied experience led Mitch from playing virtuosic concertos to improvising in jazz groups to theater productions, to jamming Hendrix songs on stage.

Mitch currently plays in several bands around Chicago: the Righteous Sound, the Noble Bautista Band, and Jared Jones & the Wild Ride. Mitch is also gearing up to release an album in 2024 of original songs under the moniker Silje Sweets.

Just having moved to Skokie, Mitch is thrilled to begin teaching at School of Rock, and to help cultivate each student’s love for music.
Vocal Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher Andie Williams
Andie Williams
Vocal Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Andie Williams (she/her) is a soul, blues, and jazz-inspired songwriter, vocalist, guitarist, bassist, and bandleader of ANDIE & The Bandits. She has been involved in Chicago’s music scene for over seven years, having attended Columbia College Chicago for her bachelor’s degree in Contemporary Music while playing at venues across Chicago.

In 2022, ANDIE’s NPR Tiny Desk Submission for her song “He’s Not What You Need Blues” garnered national attention and an article highlighting her work on NPR’s website. ANDIE & The Bandits recently concluded their 4-month-long residency at Golden Dagger and have just begun their 2024 residency at Epiphany Center for the Arts.
Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher Jack Considine
Jack Considine
Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Jack is a guitarist and multi-instrumentalist from Savannah, Georgia. He began playing guitar at age 8 and was playing in his school jazz band and performing solo gigs with a focus on rock and funk at 12. In high school, he began playing with multiple local bands/jazz combos as well as local singer/songwriter Danielle Hicks, with whom he played in a duet with from 2014 through 2016.

After high school, Jack went to CU Boulder where he continued his jazz studies and began exploring several instruments such as the piano, bass, kalimba, tongue drum, and cajon. His areas of influence include jazz, funk, rock, bluegrass, R&B fusion and electronic.
Drum Teacher Benji Shefler
Benji Shefler
Drum Teacher
Benji has been playing drums for over 17 years and began by learning through playing classic rock. At 16 years old, Benji was playing with seasoned musicians and teachers in Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones, and Nirvana cover bands. Now he plays in a variety of bands throughout Chicago ranging from alternative hip hop to live dance music. He recently recorded drums for local artist Kweku Collin’s album Then Spring and plays drums supporting several bands with their performances throughout Chicago.

Benji is a patient teacher who excels in instructing beginner students. He is excited to help students of all age ranges and abilities hone their craft and be proud drummers through fun lessons and constructive feedback!
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher Daniel Gordon
Daniel Gordon
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Daniel Gordon is a musician whose primary instrument is the guitar. He has been around music his whole life, with his mother playing oboe professionally and piano being a high priority on his father’s side. Dan studied piano from an early age, developing his ear, and eventually taught himself guitar. He has played in bands whose styles have ranged from '90s punk to jam bands to Americana.

Dan finds one-on-one in-person lessons as the best way to inspire students to focus their minds on the skills and mindset they need to develop further.
School of Rock is where music and learning come together

For over twenty years, our amazing instructors have transformed hundreds of thousands of students across the world into skilled musicians. Become a musician at School of Rock.

Reviews

We Teach Music Differently!

Honestly, I could not recommend School of Rock more. My daughter has been playing for two years and her talents have grown tremendously because of the quality instruction. The style here is all about learning in a fun environment.

They Play REAL Rock Venues!

School of Rock is a fantastic place that has provided my son with the opportunity to discover and develop his passion for music. The instructors are dedicated professionals and the kids have the opportunity to perform in high-profile venues.

They Have Quality Instructors.

I think the instructors are the best! They all are very talented musicians in their own right and are able to translate those skills into teaching.

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