Conner teaches a range of instruments at the West Des Moines school. He says being involved with School of Rock was something he dreamt of as a teen. Every day, he has one goal.

That goal, Roark says, is making at least one person smile every day.

"At School of Rock, I get to complete that goal six days a week," he said.

The ambition started at his first job as a rental specialist for inflatable games and bouncy houses at carnivals. Since then, that's something he strives to achieve every day.

His passion for music started early, even as a toddler. He was in vocal and bell choirs along with the school band in elementary school. That became a more serious commitment when he went to the Musicians Institute in Hollywood.

"I don’t really have a memory of not being in or around music," he said. "After graduating, I started my audio company, Refrigerator Records. I record, mix, master, and produce any genre of music." 

His music dream started early on, and so was his dream to be part of the School of Rock family. He's finally able to share that interest with our students as an instructor, teaching guitar, bass, keyboard, drums, and vocals, while making people smile.

More about Conner:

Favorite song to perform: Anything Metallica, but his all-time favorite: All Nightmare

Long Fun fact: Conner is a big fan of video games. He says “I made a lot of memories because of video games. I wanted to be a rockstar when I first played Guitar Hero and Rock Band. While I have never been good at video games, they did help me find my calling.”