Schaumburg
School of Rock

Explore School of Rock

Schaumburg

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Map
School of Rock Schaumburg
1409 Wright Boulevard
Schaumburg, IL 60193
(847) 565-5700
Hours
  • Monday: 2 PM - 9 PM
  • Tuesday: 2 PM - 9 PM
  • Wednesday: 2 PM - 9 PM
  • Thursday: 2 PM - 9 PM
  • Friday: Closed
  • Saturday: 10 AM - 5 PM
  • Sunday: Closed

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

School of Rock Schaumburg serves Schaumburg, Barlett, Hoffman Estates, Streamwood, Roselle, Hanover Park, and surrounding areas with quality music classes taught by real, practicing musicians. While guitar and drums are most popular at this school, students are taught everything from bass to vocals, piano to keyboard, and more. Students at School of Rock Schaumburg are given the opportunity to perform a variety of musical styles (although the kids here have been loving '90s, pop punk, and classic rock recently) and at great local venues like QBar.

Programs we offer

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

Rock 101 is one of School of Rock Schaumburg'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 Schaumburg 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 Schaumburg are designed to get students on stage performing, with the goal of building strong musical proficiency. Younger students at School of Rock Schaumburg 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 Schaumburg
Performance
Ages 8-18

The Performance Program at School of Rock Schaumburg 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 Schaumburg Performance Program students take the stage and play at local Schaumburg 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 Schaumburg'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 Schaumburg music venue.

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

At School of Rock Schaumburg, 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.

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 Schaumburg, 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.

Little Wing music program for toddlers and preschoolers in Schaumburg
Little Wing
Ages 4-5

At School of Rock Schaumburg our Little Wing music program for preschoolers and toddlers teaches students foundational music skills by playing games and participating in other interactive musical activities. Little Wing students have one weekly group music lesson in which they use classic rock songs to learn about rhythm, song structure, melody and dynamics through play.

What To Expect
  • 1 WEEKLY GROUP LESSON
  • USE HAND PERCUSSION & OTHER TOOLS TO LEARN RHYTHM PATTERNS & MUSIC SYNTAX

The Path to Take the Stage

The Little Wing music program is the first step in a young musician's journey. At School of Rock Schaumburg, toddlers and preschoolers who show an interest in music should start with Little Wing. As they get older, they will progress into the Rookies program, followed by Rock 101 and the Performance 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 Schaumburg, 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 Schaumburg is designed to create musical proficiency through the creation of original music. Students at School of Rock Schaumburg 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 Schaumburg, 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 Schaumburg for students over 18
Adult Program
Ages 18+

School of Rock Schaumburg'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 Schaumburg 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 Schaumburg.

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 Schaumburg 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 Schaumburg.

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

The School of Rock Schaumburg 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 Schaumburg'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 Schaumburg 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 Schaumburg

Kid learns to play guitar at School of Rock Schaumburg

Guitar Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Guitar Lessons for Kids

At School of Rock Schaumburg, 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 Schaumburg is an experienced musician, and they emphasize foundational music theory and technique when teaching guitar lessons to kids. Unlike other Schaumburg 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 Schaumburg'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 Schaumburg, we teach beginner guitar lessons for adults in our Adult Program. This program gets students performing onstage at a local Schaumburg 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 Schaumburg 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 Schaumburg guitar teachers will work with each student to develop a custom learning plan.

Kids learn to drum at School of Rock Schaumburg

Drum Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Drum Lessons for Kids

School of Rock Schaumburg 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 Schaumburg we combine private drum lessons for beginners with weekly band rehearsals—it prepares students to perform live. With years of experience teaching drums in Schaumburg, 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 Schaumburg, 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 Schaumburg. Unlike other Schaumburg 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 Schaumburg, our drum lessons are customized for each student and his or her goals. Our Schaumburg 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 Schaumburg

Singing Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Singing Lessons for Kids

School of Rock Schaumburg 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 Schaumburg, 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 Schaumburg 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 Schaumburg, 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 Schaumburg.

Kid learns to play bass at School of Rock Schaumburg

Bass Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Bass Lessons for Kids

School of Rock Schaumburg 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 Schaumburg 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 Schaumburg, 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 Schaumburg 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 Schaumburg, 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 Schaumburg

Keyboard Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Keyboard Lessons for Kids

At School of Rock we teach differently than other music schools in Schaumburg. 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 Schaumburg, 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 Schaumburg 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 Schaumburg Adult Program puts beginner keyboard students in a band. Adult Program students in the Schaumburg 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 Schaumburg 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 Schaumburg, 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 Schaumburg, 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 Schaumburg’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.

Owner
Jason Fein
Owner
Jason's musical journey started very early. He started piano lessons at the age of seven and it wasn't long after that he decided he wanted to learn how to play the guitar. Still not feeling like he had found his true musical calling he decided to give his school chorus a try when he entered high school. Things started moving fast from there. He formed his first band as the lead singer and by the time he graduated high school he went away to college on a vocal performance scholarship. While in college he formed his first touring band called Next Best Thing. They had some success including two albums and a song placed in a very popular motorcycle DVD that pressed over 500,000 copies. After college NBT broke up and Jason was left searching for a new musical outlet. Little did he know he would soon find it in multiple forms. He co-founded The Run Around. In the ten years The Run Around has been together they have played shows all across this country, sold thousands of albums, have a successful music video and shared the stage with such national acts as Tom Petty, Bowling For Soup, Local H, Blues Traveler, Alien Ant Farm, Mest, Head Automatica, Lucky Boys Confusion, Nine Days, Gavin Degraw and many, many more.

In the midst of all this, Jason was hired on as a vocal instructor at another School of Rock in the area. It wasn't long before he was recognized for his ability to direct and put on an impressive live show and was asked to direct the performance program. From there he went on to be the General Manager. He learned that he loved the School of Rock mission and everything it represented and decided he wanted to make School of Rock his life. Schaumburg has always been a favorite town of his and just minutes away from where he grew up so he thought it was a great place to set up shop and start the next great chapter of his life. He can't wait to help mold the next generation of rock n' roll royalty.
Regional Manager Brandy Boska
Brandy Boska
Regional Manager
Brandy is the General Manager of School of Rock Schaumburg and the Regional Manager of the School of Rock locations in Geneva, Plainfield, and Schaumburg, Illinois! She began music very young and continued her keys and vocal studies through college. She attended Loyola University Chicago where she studied English Literature, Classical Voice, and Opera Vocal Performance.

Brandy has a wide variety of musical tastes but Tom Petty will always be her favorite. Brandy leads an exciting life outside of work–including hanging out with her husband, two children, and dogs Charlotte and Axle.

Fun Fact: She is not your typical Muggle.
General Manager Eric Justen
Eric Justen
General Manager
Eric is a lifelong music educator with over 20 years of experience teaching students of all ages and he is so excited to be a part of the School of Rock community in Schaumburg, IL.

In addition to his experience teaching music, Eric also has an extensive performance résumé. He got his start playing guitar and drums as a swing musician for the Broadway in Chicago production of the Tony Award-winning musical, Jersey Boys. In addition to his theater work, he has also toured the entire country with several national acts and currently holds the lead guitar chair in Trippin Billies, the nation's most successful touring Dave Matthews tribute act.
Music Director Kyle Gentile
Kyle Gentile
Music Director
Kyle Gentile has been a performing musician for over 15 years. He started as a self-taught drummer and recorded his first EP with his high school band Auxiliary at the age of 16. Kyle went on to receive a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies from Capital University’s Music Conservatory.

While attending the university, Kyle was head of the percussion work study crew and performed all over Ohio with various rock/jazz/chamber groups. he also premiered a taiko piece for PASIC while touring Texas with a chamber percussion ensemble. Kyle became a teaching assistant at the University of Colorado Boulder’s Thompson Jazz Studies program. Here he received a Master of Music degree in Jazz Performance and Pedagogy.

Kyle has performed over the years with artists of all genres all over the U.S. as well as internationally. Some of these artists and groups include Brad Goode, Safety Squad, Maria Schneider, Jonathan Saraga, Brian Casey, and Bill Boggs. Kyle recently returned to the northwest suburbs and continues performing, recording, and teaching in various settings.
Phil Chester
Bass Guitar, Guitar Teacher
Phil Chester is a bassist, trombonist, composer, teacher, and arranger. He began trombone when he was 9 and picked up bass guitar when he was 14. It was at this time he started performing with a handful of bands covering a broad spectrum of genres. His early influences were wide-ranging, including classic rock and jazz fusion. In 2006 he was introduced to the upright bass through his high school's jazz combo and pit orchestra.

In 2012 he graduated from DePaul University with a Bachelor's Degree in Jazz Studies. Since then he has contributed and collaborated with countless ensembles and local and international artists in virtually every genre in the Chicagoland and surrounding area. Phil is currently involved with a number of active performing groups and provides studio bass tracking for Fox River Recording, Thirdfire Records and Lerah Productions. Phil is inspired by players of all instruments and artists of all mediums.
Vocal Teacher Madelynn Rumsey
Madelynn Rumsey
Vocal Teacher
Maddy Rumsey has been singing since a very young age. At the age of 6, she joined a community choir and began piano lessons. Throughout her school career, Maddy learned to play the flute and piccolo as well as continuing with her piano and voice. When she was 11, her family moved to the Philippines for missions work and Maddy had the opportunity to get involved at her school, leading vocal jazz ensembles, teaching piano and flute lessons, and coaching vocals in musical theater.

Now a voice major at Wheaton College, Maddy has been able to pursue many different aspects of pedagogy. She has been heavily involved in performance at both church and school, having participated in many different musicals and playing in several pit orchestras. Also an English major, Maddy's passion is helping students learn how to effectively communicate through music.
Keyboard + Piano Teacher Eric Rumsey
Eric Rumsey
Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Eric has been playing piano for over 14 years and has studied under some of the leading experts in piano technique and pedagogy. He has been trained in the Taubman Approach to piano playing under the Golansky Institute to both play and teach their technique. Additionally, he has both private lesson and large group teaching experience, primarily preparing students for ensemble work in both settings.

Eric has collaborated with several musical artists on keyboard parts and has experience with songwriting both for vocalists and instrumentalists. He is the eldest of six children and is looking forward to being a father, so he has much experience working with kids both within a music setting and without.
Singing Teacher Mathieu Mieling
Mathieu Mieling
Vocal Teacher
Mathieu Mieling is a vocalist/composer based out of Chicago. He studied under renowned studio singer, Cheryl Wilson, and received a degree for performance in Jazz Studies. Since then, Mathieu has performed around the Chicago area in many genres including Jazz, Rock, R&B, and Christian Rock. Mieling enjoys mixing genres and creating new ideas with other musicians. He is currently working on his debut album.
Guitar Teacher, Basse Guitar Teacher Jesse Greco
Jesse Greco
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Jesse Greco has been a guitar player for over two decades. He grew up playing guitar or bass in various bands and numerous solo acoustic gigs.

Jesse has previously performed in backing bands for music improv comedy shows around Chicago. He can most commonly be seen playing at iO Chicago.
Drum Teacher, Little Wing Teacher, Rookies Teacher Joe Cavaliere
Joe Cavaliere
Drum Teacher, Little Wing Teacher, Rookies Teacher
Joe Cavaliere (he/they) is a musician and instructor living in Chicago. Growing up in Florida and Libertyville, Illinois, Joe developed an early love for music, taking piano and guitar lessons from a young age. After learning the fundamentals of the drum kit, he began giving drum lessons to friends and neighbors and quickly formed bands in both high school and college.

After college, Joe moved to Chicago and joined the local music scene, playing in rock bands and organizing shows across the city. They have performed at Chicago venues such as the Empty Bottle, Elastic Arts, Cole’s Bar, Experimental Sound Studio, and the Museum of Contemporary Art. Since drummers are often in high demand, Joe will occasionally be rehearsing with up to four bands weekly, playing everything from hard rock and electronic music to country and blues tunes.

In addition to music, Joe’s hobbies include literature, cycling, and spending time in nature. As an instructor, Joe’s beliefs about teaching perfectly align with the School of Rock Method™, where fundamentals are introduced and reinforced through learning how to play songs. When it comes to rock and pop songs, Joe secretly believes that expression is always more important than perfection and that having fun while doing something is just as important as doing it correctly!

As a drummer, Joe grew up listening to The Who religiously and has a great deal of fondness for experimental music from the 1970s. Some of his favorite drummers include Clyde Stubblefield, Yoshimi P-We, Jaki Liebezeit, Damon Che, Elvin Jones, Karen Carpenter, and Bill Bruford.
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher Jimmy Douglas
Jimmy Douglas
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Jimmy Douglas started playing guitar at the age of 7, taking lessons from his father. After a few years of playing, he got his first live and studio experience playing guitar in his junior high school's jazz band. In his teen years, Jimmy's love of rock n' roll, metal, and punk led him to start playing in original bands. From the late '90s through the mid-2000s, he played with several bands based in Chicago, playing clubs and theaters in the Midwest.

Jimmy moved to Los Angeles, CA in 2007 where he attended the Musician's Institute in Hollywood and earned an associate's degree in Guitar Performance. After playing in the L.A. music scene for eight years, he made the move back to Chicago.

While Jimmy specializes in rock, metal, punk, and blues, he feels players can learn from all styles of music. He enjoys sharing his knowledge of guitar with players of all experience levels!
Bass Guitar Teacher, Guitar Teacher James Doyle
James Doyle
Drum Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Guitar Teacher
James Doyle is a drummer, guitar player, and recording/mixing engineer who specializes in all types of heavy music. James began his musical journey at the age of 11 when he fell in love with drums, and has envisioned a life in music ever since. Coming up in the early 2000s Lexington, KY local music scene, James (known to many as JD) performed with numerous punk, hardcore, and pop-punk bands before he landed with (now disbanded) Kentucky metalcore legends Society’s Plague in 2008. He performed on all three of the band's professional releases with two record labels and over 350 shows and multiple tours across the nation before their assumed permanent hiatus in 2018. With the release of the band's 2010 debut full-length “The Human, The Canvas” (via Stand And Deliver Records), the drumming on this album was cited as “a breath of fresh air” by editors with DRUM! magazine.

Following relocation with his wife to Chicago in 2015, James joined several more bands including highly popular Dark Age-inspired death metalers Âstillian as well as forming groups such as Sins of Spira and The Oblivion Archetype. He also performed on singles and records for other acts. James was approached to join the pop-punk/punk rock outfit Doc Hayward in 2020, bringing him back to his more skate-punk style roots; James continues to perform and record with Doc Hayward today. JD also operates a small recording studio in Elgin, IL called Satellite Sound, offering several services for local and international musicians, including editing, mixing, production, and more.

When he is not playing and producing music, James is an extremely proud and dedicated husband and father of two, and and has other hobbies including video games, Japanese anime, his two goofy cats, and home repair. His love for his own kids, and watching them learn and grow, is part of what led him to pursue a career in teaching music to others. JD believes strongly that music surrounds us and is in everything we do, sometimes we don’t notice, but all it takes is a little bit of heart and a lot of fun.
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher Marcus Szuwald
Marcus Szuwald
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Marcus Szuwald is a self-taught musician, starting in high school when he and four of his closest friends all played guitar. But five guitar players do not a rock band make. Marcus switched to bass and would go on to study the instrument further as he earned a Music Education degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Since then, Marcus has taken up a “never-say-no” attitude to his musical career, which has given him considerable experience in many genres and settings, such as jazz, classical, rock, funk, metal, musical theater, and much more. Even while he studied and gigged as a bass player, Marcus always continued to play and practice guitar and also picked up many other instruments as a way to connect and better serve his fellow bandmates.
Drum Teacher Cory Nicolin
Cory Nicolin
Drum Teacher
Cory has been playing drums for over two decades! He found his passion for drumming at a young age when he got his first drum set for Christmas. His brother was learning to play the guitar and he wanted to be in a band with him. He learned the introduction to "Bawitdaba" by Kid Rock and hasn't stopped since.

Cory has been in bands of almost all genres and has had the privilege of learning from some of the greatest over the years. He currently plays for the band Embers Rise, a modern rock band that has been around for nearly two years and has released three original singles. Most recently, he took the opportunity to fill in on the drums for the band Lines of Loyalty during the first half of their tour with Pop Evil. Cory says, "It was an amazing and unforgettable learning experience that has really sparked my desire to help other drummers build up their skill set as much as possible."
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher Victor Pineda
Victor Pineda
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Growing up in a musical household, Victor was taught how to play guitar by his mom who has been teaching at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago where he assisted and then later studied. Victor developed his love for music at a young age and has been performing live since he was 10.

Victor's idols growing up were the guitar heroes in the rock and metal genres including Angus Young, Jimmy Page, and Kirk Hammett. He is a multi-instrumentalist with a main focus on guitar. He has played multiple venues and local events around Chicago assisting various artists.
Drum Teacher Ian Narcisi
Ian Narcisi
Drum Teacher
lan Narcisi has always understood one simple truth: If you have a dream, make it happen. lan's dream is to change the world through his music. With a spiritual-humanist philosophy and a penchant for complex synth-based melodic progressive rock, Ian believes in the power of the human race to become their dreams. He seeks to build a better world through music, prodding all who will listen to become the selves they have envisioned.
Vocal Teacher Rachel Milavec
Rachel Milavec
Vocal Teacher
Rachel Milavec began singing at an early age when she received a bright pink karaoke machine for her birthday. She hasn't stopped singing since, going on to join every school choir available in addition to private lessons and her own School of Rock journey as a student.

Rachel has since gotten her degree in Live and Performing Arts Management from Columbia College Chicago and now works at the Art Institute of Chicago planning events. Rachel is so excited to rejoin the School of Rock community and help students to grow and love their voices.
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

Be A Musician

It’s super fun and relaxed. The instructors are all so encouraging and helpful. I get to do something I’ve always dreamed of but was always afraid to- play music with other people and in front of an audience.

They always have a good time!

My kids love School of Rock! In addition to learning how to play an instrument, they're also learning valuable life lessons about team work, practicing to achieve your goals and friendship.

True Enjoyment is had.

Our daughter truly enjoys being a part of School of Rock. The teachers are very friendly and welcoming. It is very laid back, which gives our daughter a change of pace from school.

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