Darek Bloch
Co-Owner, General Manager
Darek found and fell in love with the School of Rock concept over seven years ago. He started as a multi-instrumentalist instructor and soon became General Manager of School of Rock Boca Raton. After running the school for five years, Darek was promoted to partner and co-owner in 2020. He is excited to bring his experience and knowledge to Georgia.
Darek has been active in the music scene for over 15 years, performing around South Florida in several bands. Darek has performed at such venues as Meyer Amphitheater, West Palm Beach to High Dive in Gainesville, as well as Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, and more. Darek works diligently to create a welcoming, safe, and unique musical atmosphere at School of Rock. Darek loves to share his passion for music and performance to educate the future generation of young musicians!
Shannon Krieger
Studio Coordinator
Shannon has a Master of Art from Florida Atlantic University and has taught writing courses at the college level. She has over 19 years of customer service experience. When she is not welcoming you into our School of Rock facility, Shannon spends the vast majority of her time reading, hiking, and hanging out with her weird dog, Olive.
Shannon grew up in South Florida on a healthy dose of classic rock and sunshine. She moved to Georgia in early 2024 and is very excited to be a part of the School of Rock Alpharetta team. While she admits to having zero musical talent, Shannon is an excellent “woo girl” at live shows and is eager to support all of the students. Now wearing the proud badge of studio coordinator at the school, she is interested in learning the piano and acoustic guitar.
Grant Duffy
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Vocal Teacher
Grant Duffy's musical prowess is not limited to a single instrument. He is proficient in the guitar, keyboards, mandolin, and many other instruments, demonstrating his versatility and dedication to his craft.
Grant has played music for over 30 years and in many rock bands in multiple states. He is excited to teach at the School of Rock in Alpharetta, GA.
Jeremy Keen
Guitar Teacher, Drum Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Vocal Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Jeremy Keen has been chasing the wonder of music his whole life. While the first instrument he learned was piano, lots of '60s and '70s groups like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones inspired Jeremy to want to pick up his great grandmother's old beat-up Harmony guitar and learn to play. Growing up in Texas, it was impossible to escape the sounds of country acts like Willie Nelson and George Jones. As Jeremy got older and into '90s bands like Nirvana, Soundgarden, and The Smashing Pumpkins motivated him to get an electric guitar and a distortion pedal.
Later, in high school, Jeremy started a band with some friends and they played shows around the Houston scene. He also joined the jazz band in high school playing bass. Jeremy has recorded original music and led music weekly at church.
Jeremy still plays live music regularly both as a solo acoustic artist and with a band. Along the way, Jeremy has picked up the drums, banjo, and ukulele and he is currently trying to learn to play the fiddle.
Jeremy is excited to join the team at the School of Rock in Alpharetta to inspire kids and adults to pursue the lifelong joy of listening to, learning about, playing, writing, and performing music.
Destin Betsill
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Vocal Teacher
Destin is a multi-instrument musician and choir instructor from Dawsonville, Georgia. Destin's love for music began at a very early age through his grandfather, who was an accomplished guitarist. At age 7, Destin received an electric guitar from his parents, learned three chords from his grandfather, and the rest was history.
Destin has an amazing wife, and together they share six children. He enjoys hiking with his wife in his spare time and, of course, shredding whenever possible.
Christopher Andrews
Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Chris Andrews is primarily an autodidactic jack-of-all-trades with a passion for learning and teaching others. At the young age of ten, Chris attended his older sisters’ school variety show. As the music swelled and the lights came up, he felt his soul come alive. He knew right then and there that he wanted to be a part of it. A few years later he found an old Casio keyboard and took it to his mother who showed him “Joy to the World”; straight down the C Major scale.
As a freshman in high school, Chris had his first audition. With zero confidence or experience, he got on stage for one song and dance and somehow made the cut. By his senior year, Chris was fully absorbed in the arts: dance, choreography, drama, band, choir, piano, guitar, music theory, orchestration, vocal arrangement, and directing.
At 20, Chris took his first steps into “the industry.” Rehearsals, concerts, festivals, managers, agents, contracts, labels, studios, DAWs, production, recording, and mixing. At 24, his passion took him to Los Angeles where he continued learning songwriting and composition techniques.
Chris is excited to share the magic and mystery of music with others. Whether your child dreams of joining the closest Phil-harmonic or simply finds joy in the meditative and healing nature of music, Chris believes we all have a talent of some sort and he loves to see another’s soul come to life the way his did so many years ago.
"Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent." - Victor Hugo
Hayden Yard
Drum Teacher
Hayden has always been a huge music nerd, having been behind a drum set since the age of three.
However, his real musical journey started a few years later when he began to take private lessons at School of Rock during middle school. During that time he was also very active in concert band, achieving first chair placements in all three years.
It was in high school that he learned more advanced techniques and rudiments through concert band and marching band, elevating his rhythmic skill to new heights. During that time he was also very active with jazz band after school and was working hard to discover and cultivate his personal sound and style.
During college, he shot up the ensembles to land a spot in the highest group available in his freshman year alone, playing many challenging pieces, and becoming a reliable percussionist.
Now, he looks to spread his acquired knowledge and experience to aspiring musicians everywhere, ensuring that their dreams and goals as musicians can be met!
Keep an eye out for his books, and he looks forward to seeing you at the School of Rock in Alpharetta!
Yingling Zhu
Vocal Teacher
Born and raised in Shanghai, Yingling took the stage at the age of 5 and began studying and training in singing at 10. She started her professional singing career at 15, specializing in pop, musical theater, and jazz. As a former soloist with the Shanghai Light Music Troupe, she has won 12 singing competition awards, including several national prizes, and has appeared on "Happy Camp."- one of the most famous TV shows in China. Yingling has extensive experience in stage performances and band collaborations. After moving to the U.S., Yingling frequently performs as a guest at various large events in Atlanta.
Since 2019, she has been involved in musical theater, and her credits include "South Pacific," "Avenue Q," "Disaster," "The Sound of Music." and “Kim’s Convenience”.
Since 2021, she has participated in film and television, featuring in commercials and movies. Yingling is passionate about vocal coaching!
Stanley Parker
Drum Teacher
Stanley was born and grew up in the Metro Atlanta area. Some of his earliest memories are of having an intense interest in watching drummers he would see on television. From early on, his favorite style of playing the drums has been rock and roll. His teachers were some of the greatest drummers in Rock and Roll. He accomplished this by spending countless hours after school, sitting behind his drum kit, listening to his favorite records with the headphones on, and playing along with his favorite drummers. Stanley’s hope is to inspire his students to see the joy of performing live with a group of other musicians.
Although he has had many careers in his life, from electronics technician to hardware and software engineer, to environmental activist, to High School physics teacher, his first love has always been music. For most of his life, he has been in at least one band. He currently plays in a local Atlanta band called Fisheye. He would love for you to come see them play if you get the chance.
Mackenzie Gumper
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Vocal Teacher
Mackenzie’s musical journey began at 14 when her uncle gifted her a guitar. Mackenzie started by teaching herself songs through YouTube tutorials before taking formal lessons to master the fundamentals. What began as casual performances for family and friends soon blossomed into a deeper passion for music.
Inspired to expand her skills, Mackenzie borrowed a bass guitar from her uncle and added it to her repertoire. Along the way, Mackenzie also trained her voice, honing her ability to perform across several musical styles.