Rockland
School of Rock

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Rockland

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School of Rock Rockland
135 East Erie Street
Blauvelt, NY 10913
(845) 977-0275

Location Specifics

Across from Bailey's Smokehouse and next to Mia Cucina in Blauvelt.

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Hours
  • Monday: 3 PM - 9:15 PM
  • Tuesday: 3 PM - 8:15 PM
  • Wednesday: 3 PM - 8 PM
  • Thursday: 3 PM - 8:45 PM
  • Friday: 3 PM - 7:45 PM
  • Saturday: Closed
  • Sunday: Closed

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

School of Rock in Blauvelt is proud to offer music classes to help teach our community and surrounding Rockland County area in New York how to play instruments with skill and confidence. We teach everything from keyboard to bass guitar, songwriting, and vocals for all levels. Blauvelt is home to 914 Studios where bands and artists such as Bruce Springsteen and The Ramones have recorded. At School of Rock, students can learn songwriting, perform live shows and develop their musical ability in a supportive and encouraging learning environment. Budding musicians of School of Rock can go on to perform at one of the many live music venues in Rockland County.

Programs we offer

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

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

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

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

At School of Rock Rockland, 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 Rockland, 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 Blauvelt
Little Wing
Ages 4-5

At School of Rock Rockland 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 Rockland, 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 Rockland, 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 Blauvelt is designed to create musical proficiency through the creation of original music. Students at School of Rock Rockland 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 Rockland, 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 Blauvelt for students over 18
Adult Program
Ages 18+

School of Rock Rockland'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 Rockland 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 Blauvelt.

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 Rockland 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 Blauvelt.

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

The School of Rock Rockland 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 Rockland's House Band. Once selected, House Band members become leaders in their School of Rock community and perform live shows at NY 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 Blauvelt and the rest of NY. 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 Rockland

Kid learns to play guitar at School of Rock Rockland

Guitar Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Guitar Lessons for Kids

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

Kids learn to drum at School of Rock Rockland

Drum Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Drum Lessons for Kids

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

Singing Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Singing Lessons for Kids

School of Rock Rockland 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 Rockland, 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 Rockland 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 Rockland, 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 Blauvelt.

Kid learns to play bass at School of Rock Rockland

Bass Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Bass Lessons for Kids

School of Rock Rockland 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 Blauvelt 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 Rockland, 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 Blauvelt 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 Rockland, 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 Rockland

Keyboard Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Keyboard Lessons for Kids

At School of Rock we teach differently than other music schools in Blauvelt. 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 Rockland, 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 Blauvelt 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 Rockland Adult Program puts beginner keyboard students in a band. Adult Program students in the Blauvelt 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 Blauvelt 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 Rockland, 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 Blauvelt, 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 Rockland'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, General Manager Don Seraita
Don Seraita
Owner, General Manager
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. He also recorded an EP with his post-college band, Suburban Drag, which can be streamed on Spotify.

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..."

Recently, Don was working in sales at various start-up companies in the digital advertising space. While he was adapting to a life in corporate sales, the pandemic pulled him in a different direction; a direction where he could combine his natural skills as a salesperson, his undying love for music, and the rewarding feeling that comes along with teaching others how to play and perform music that inspires them...School of Rock!
Music Director, Singing Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Guitar Teacher Scott Foster
Scott Foster
Music Director, Vocal Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Guitar Teacher
As a singer and actor, Scott has performed in two Broadway shows, five Off-Broadway shows, and recorded seven original cast albums. He has been on shows like Blue Bloods and Shades of Blue, been in a Super Bowl commercial, and even was a voice on the Red Dead Redemption 2 video game.

For over 15 years, Scott has also been a member of the Jersey cover band, Toy Canon, where he has sung lead and played keys and rhythm guitar. The band has played various clubs up and down the Jersey Shore, Manhattan, and all over North Jersey. Toy Canon performs everything that is awesome, from the Stones to My Chemical Romance, specializing in Zeppelin, Van Halen, Journey, and any other really loud bands!

Scott loves rock and roll and enjoys passing on his knowledge to people who want to share in the awesomeness of rock and singing.
Drum Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher Jacob Morales
Jacob Morales
Drum Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Jacob Morales is a multi-instrumentalist, drummer, and songwriter who began playing drums in bands when he was 11 years old. Coming from a musical background, he was able to experience an inside look into the music business through the lens of his father Richie Morales, a well-renowned jazz and fusion drummer and educator in his own right.

Jacob has performed at venues in New York City and the surrounding area like The Knitting Factory, The Bowery Electric, Rockwood Music Hall, The Delancey, Desmond’s, and many more with various bands. He spends his free time playing with his different bands and recording his own music from his home in Suffern, NY. After spending time working in the legal world, Jacob is now pursuing his passion for music through his work at the School of Rock.
Guitar Teacher Juan Canteli
Juan Canteli
Guitar Teacher
Juan was 3 years old when a commercial for Elvis Presley commemorative plates popped up on his television between episodes of Sesame Street, and that moment changed his life forever. It was his first time hearing rock’n’roll, and he was hooked. The following few years were filled with banging on pots and pans, running around playing air guitar, and briefly mimicking the sounds of a wounded duck in his elementary school’s music program. Finally, at age 10, Juan heard Metallica for the first time and decided on the spot that he was going to be a guitarist.

Juan took private guitar lessons in his local music store until he began teaching there at the age of 17. By 18, he was teaching 50 private lessons per week while attending SUNY Oneonta’s Music Industry program and playing in several local bands up and down the east coast. Over the next 20 years or so Juan went on to work in and then manage a number of music stores, pro audio companies, and private lesson studios all over the country. He also began doing marketing and filming commercials for retailers and manufacturers about musical instrument-related products. Juan is a stringed instrument repair tech, does a fair amount of recording session work, and also releases music with his band Into Shadow (yes, that’s a Lord of The Rings reference).

In 2021, with a pandemic in full swing and the birth of his daughter approaching, Juan decided to go back to school to further his marketing and audio production knowledge. Juan is currently attending Berklee College of Music online to complete an Interdisciplinary Music Studies degree while working out of his home studio.

Though he’s a lover of all music, Juan is a rock, metal, and blues player at heart and is equally at home teaching beginners as he is advanced players. Students can expect a lot of laughs (or groans) at a seemingly never-ending series of dad jokes, puns, and general silliness. After all, music is supposed to be fun! With over 20 years of teaching experience, Juan prides himself on adapting his teaching style to any learning style so that every student has the tools that they need to excel and thrive.
Studio Coordinator, Bass Guitar Teacher Jim Donica
Jim Donica
Studio Coordinator, Bass Guitar Teacher
Jim Donica is a bassist, composer, teacher, sideman, and bandleader who has performed and recorded with some of the finest artists in the world.

Jim can be heard on landmark recordings such as Maynard Ferguson's "Big Bop Nouveau," the soundtrack recording of "Permanent Record" and "Trash City," and on "Long Peter Madsen" and "Siberian Express." His long-standing and ongoing gig as bassist for the legendary Chita Rivera has taken him around the world playing for audiences who just can’t get enough of Broadway royalty.

Jim completed a Jazz Studies degree and received the coveted Performance Certificate from the Jacobs School of Music at IU, Bloomington in 1995. While there, he played in the 20th Century Be Bop Band for jazz legend David Baker. Afterward, Jim set out for New York where he continued his professional pursuit of jazz and improvisation creating his own groups and collaborations such as Urban Survival, which produced two recordings and toured nationally, as well as the Jim Donica Group (featuring Peter Erskine, Randy Brecker, Bruce Barth, Frank Kimbrough, and Tim Armacost) and the group Quantum Mechanics.

On Broadway, Jim has held the bass chair in Chita Rivera's The Dancer's Life, Kander and Ebb's The Visit, and Allegiance with George Takei and Lea Salonga. Jim has also performed with orchestras in the pit on the Broadway productions of Avenue Q, Evita, If Then, Cats, Girl From the North Country, Strange Loop, and currently, Some Like It Hot.

Jim lives in the Hudson Valley hamlet of Nyack, with his wife Carol. He loves and is inspired by the beautiful Hudson Valley. He is an official endorser of Overwater Basses, UK.
Achille Antonelli Bass Teacher, Guitar Teacher
Achille Antonelli
Bass Teacher, Guitar Teacher
Achille Antonelli always had a passion for studying music since the age of six. Achille does everything from studying classical guitar and violin training to composition and studio recording at SUNY Purchase’s music conservatory. Achille plays guitar, piano and bass with a main focus in the genres of RnB, hip hop, and soul. While in high school, singles produced and mixed by ACHILLE received thousands of plays. This eventually led to the development of his rap group 329. As the main instrumentalist and producer for the group, he streamlined singles on his college campus to bring some attention to their music. As a result of all of the local buzz, they started to perform shows in White Plains to New York City to Greece all without a publically released single. Other acts also reached out to Achille as a session musician and side man. Currently a resident of Purchase College hoping to gain more experience in the music industry and rock hard with the School of Rock.
Vocal Teacher Chiara Navarra
Chiara Navarra
Vocal Teacher
Chiara Navarra (known as the artist Kiahra) showed early signs of her love of performing and writing. She turned professional at the age of 10 booking her first Equity production and later joining SAG. Success followed into her teens with rave reviews for her featured role on Broadway at the Music Box Theatre earning her a Theatre Choice Award Nomination ( Best Featured Actress in a Musical ).

Chiara has appeared on television and radio and became the “IT girl” for the Target Black Friday advertising campaign. She has performed at many venues including Papermill Playhouse, Playrights Horizon, New World Stages, Tarrytown Music Hall, The Apollo, Madison Square Garden, and Yogi Bear Stadium. Chiara has also worked with Ice-T, Heidi Klum, Cheech Marin, Joseph Brooks, and Alex Lacamoire and had the privilege to share the stage with Chaka Khan, Jonathan Groff, Sarah Hyland, and Eric McCormick. She has also performed with Catherine Russell and drummer Tommy Campbell.

Chiara was signed to Streamline Records and has performed for some of the top music executives and record labels in New York and LA. Her discovery unraveled when she started posting covers on Instagram where she has racked up over 18.5 million views. After deciding to go independent, her debut single "Train Wreck" has gained over 50,000 streams. When Chiara is not working on her next release, she is excited to share her time with the School of Rock community and looks forward to rocking out!
Babien Avila Singing Teacher
Babien Avila
Vocal Teacher
Babien is a singer, songwriter, performer, and recording artist. She holds a BFA in Theatre-Minor Music and studied for four years at HB Studios in NYC. Babien was the lead female singer in Fire & Ice and recorded “On The Case (Jump On It)” which made the top 100 Billboard R&B Charts. She opened for Chaka Khan, Temptations, and toured The United States and Canada.

Babien also worked and recorded with the late great Vickie Sue Robinson. She later formed her own self-titled Latin Rock/R&B Band with Billy Lee and subsequently co-wrote “Island Lover” which was released on DRG Records' “Rap to Rock” album.

Babien has performed at The Bitter End, Copacabana, Red Parrot, Sweetwaters, and other venues in NYC. She has ten published songs with BMI. Locally, Babien has taught in the Demarest School system as well as Spring School in Tenafly.
Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher Jerryl Bell
Jerryl Bell
Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Jerryl was born in Harlem, NYC and his interest in music dates back to his childhood listening to his musical influences including Ray Charles, Nat King Cole, and Errol Garner along with the likes of Sam Cooke, the Sounds of Motown, and various genres including calypso, reggae, R&B/jazz, salsa, rock, pop, etc.

His first love was playing the piano but Jerryl played saxophone throughout his junior high school years in Brooklyn, NY. By this time his interest in playing the guitar was more prevalent when he spotted a high school colleague playing rhythm guitar. Jerryl wanted to play just like him. So he dropped Spanish class in order to learn to play the guitar. During college Jerryl studied computers and business and took a wide array of accounting classes hoping to pursue a career in accounting, but the music bug was always there. Several classes short of getting a degree Jerryl returned to NYC from Rochester, NY, and pursued a career in music.

Jerryl attended the former Center for the Media of Arts in NYC to study music production while studying jazz piano. He also interned at various recording studios within the NYC metro area while working and playing in several bands. Throughout those years, Jerryl began producing demos for various unknown singers and performers.

Eventually, Jerryl landed a gig at Emmis Communications as a board op engineer/producer, producing various music and talk shows throughout the NYC airwaves. In 2011, Jerryl attended the Connecticut School of Broadcasting and earned a certificate in Broadcast/Video Production and New Media. In 2016, he took online courses in Film Scoring & Music Composition for Film & TV at Berklee School of Music.
Singing Teacher Sarah Valencia
Sarah Valencia
Vocal Teacher
From a very young age, Sarah was always drawn to the performing arts. Although she started out in dance, as she got older, she realized her love and passion were truly for music. By joining choirs as a child and winning talent shows, she realized how much she loved being on stage. Between the ages of 9 and 16, Sarah went to a theater camp every summer in her town and performed in musicals. At the age of 13, she recorded a Christmas album.

Throughout high school, Sarah was a part of other productions and choirs including an a capella group, an all-girls choir, and a mixed honors audition choir. Sarah has also performed in street fairs, churches, weddings, quinceañeras, and restaurants. After graduating from her theater camp, Sarah went back as a counselor in the role of music director where she worked with the kids on the music for their show, teaching them and also helping them get better technically.

Sarah currently attends Montclair State University and is studying linguistics and musical theater. She hopes to become a speech therapist and give children their therapy using the performing arts of singing and acting.
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

A great program for anyone!

I brought my son to learn how to play guitar. He loved it and ended up playing in a Black Sabbath/Iron Maiden show here. Nothing is more rewarding than watching your kids do something they love!

My children play music together now!

I put my son into Rock 101 and he enjoyed it so much! A few weeks later we ended up bringing my daughter as well! Now they have something to do together and they love it!

What a great School!

I played when I was younger but the skills faded. Since being at School of Rock I'm jamming with other adults similar in age on awesome songs and I just have a blast.

I got so much out of it.

I just wanted to take lessons at first but then I tried their performance program and ended up doing a show with them. Definitely a cool experience.

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