Louie Novotny
General Manager
Louie is a working Cleveland musician as well as School of Rock Rocky River’s General Manager, and School of Rock Cleveland’s Sales Manager. Louie has been with the school since 2009. Louie is the bass player for local rock act Hot Ham & Cheese, which has also toured regionally and nationally. Louie also holds down bass duties for the acoustic/cover act Duo-Ish.
Joe Stefano
Director of Staff Training and Development
Playing drums since the age of eight, and playing in rock bands steady since the age of 11, Joe has been a part of the music scene for 20 years. Dabbling in all genres, he is well-versed in funk, jazz, reggae, afro-cuban, drum corps and is deeply rooted in rock. In high school, he was the recipient of the Louis Armstrong Jazz Award in 2001, and was the percussion section leader in marching band. He has played in various groups such as Detagoh, The Recent Vintage, Drop Notion, Switchblade Scarlett, The Stereo Riot and many more. One of the original staff members at both the East and West Side School of Rock, Joe loves teaching music and gives students every bit of knowledge that he can.
Scott Heisel
Vocal Teacher
After a few years of dabbling with each discipline, Scott Heisel began seriously studying both voice and percussion at age 12. In high school, he was forming bands and playing gigs while also touring North America and Europe every summer with the professional youth choir Kantorei and being active in his high school's choral, band, and jazz programs.
Accepted to Augustana College on a vocal performance scholarship, Scott continued to study voice under Dr. Angela Hand. He also performed in the world-renowned Augustana Choir and Opera@Augustana, in addition to playing in multiple jazz ensembles and combos. (Also, he once won his college's version of "American Idol" and still has the oversized check for $1,000 in his basement to prove it.)
In addition to pursuing music performance, Scott is an accomplished music journalist, previously serving as an editor of the national music magazine Alternative Press for 10 years and currently contributing to several arts and entertainment publications. Locally, Scott can be found hosting and DJing various parties all around Cleveland.
Griffin Pereksta
Guitar Teacher
What do you get when you mix elements of classic rock, funk and Weird Al Yankovic? You get Griffin Pereksta. He decided he wanted to play guitar after hearing Angus Young from AC/DC play on the “Live at Donnington” recordings. His affinity for classic rock grew when he heard Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin. With time he branched out to funk with influences like James Brown, George Clinton and a different kind of P-Funk with The Red Hot Chili Peppers and their punk-funk. Naturally after hearing the funk you just want to get groovy, so Griffin picked up the bass and drums. After high school, he graduated Cuyahoga Community College with a degree in applied sciences from the Recording Arts and Technology program. Griffin currently is playing with The Whiskey Hallow and The Tim Moon Band.
Russell Richards
Piano Teacher
Russ has been teaching at School of Rock for over 10 years now. Prior to that he earned his living doing nothing but playing music with a variety of R&B and Motown bands, including Heart and Soul, Gratitude and Cruisin. He's been in the rock bands Calabash and Easy Street from Thunder Bay, Ontario to Key West, Florida. Locally he works with I-Tal, Darryl Green and the Power House Band, and Lazy Ted and the Big Hurry. He studied music at the Cleveland Music School Settlement, CCC, Baldwin Wallace Music Conservatory and Cleveland State. He has a senior kitty named Baja.
Jeff West
Drum Teacher
Jeff started playing gigs when he was 15 years old. While in Cleveland, the notable area bands he played with were Strutter, Club Wow and the infamous Baloney Heads. In 1978, he moved to NYC to get deep into the punk rock explosion. His punk band, Testors, toured, and was on Bleeker Bob’s great punk label (punk fans, look this up!). With the Testors guitar player Gene Sinigalliano, he built and ran Ultra Sound Rehearsal studios for 33 successful years. It was one of the biggest, longest-running rehearsal complexes in New York.
Some great musicians he has had lessons with are Steve Smith, Thomas Pridgen, Marvin ‘Smitty’ Smith, Pat Petrillo, Neal Smith and Norman Grossman. He has recorded at most of the great NYC studios (like HIt Factory and Right Track) and been signed to Atlantic, Geffen and MCA Records. He is a drum teacher at School of Rock Cleveland West.
David Romweber
Guitar Teacher
David was hooked as a young boy after watching The Beatles on "The Ed Sullivan Show" in 1962. A veteran of the Cleveland music scene, David has been involved in retail and the club management side of the music business as well. He welcomed the opportunity to return to teaching and joining the staff at School of Rock Cleveland West. Dave can be seen on the weekends with his original band, The Velvematics. And yes, he is cousins with Dex and Sara Romweber.
John Koury
Studio Coordinator
Obsessed with music from an early age, John Koury was given a drum set for Christmas when he was around 5 years old. Within a day, the kit was smashed to bits, thrown out on the curb and John was told by his father that he would never buy him another instrument EVER. Fifteen years later, John decided to learn how to play guitar and drums and started kicking around Youngstown’s original music scene, writing songs and playing in bands such as the Infidels, Slack Jaw, The Deadbeat Poets, and Snowmen Of Boise.
John's bands have shared the stage with many national artists and still hit the road for the occasional domestic and European tour. John has sat behind the drums with bands like the Dead Boys and Rick Derringer and played bass in Harper with members of the legendary NRBQ. In the "real world," John was a sales and marketing rep for Warner Music Group for fifteen years and had the opportunity to meet and work with some of the finest musicians in rock and roll. He is the Studio Coordinator at School of Rock Cleveland West.
Tim Moon
Music Director
Vocal enthusiast, Pianist, writer and composer Tim Moon began his musical journey as a backup singer to his Mom at the ripe old age of 3. Soon, at 4 years old, he began playing piano, writing endlessly complex music by hitting random notes on the piano all while insisting all notes were musically intentional.
Tim started his first band and began playing in every high school show he could. Being an acoustic guitar rock singer was DEFINITELY in his future. Then, at the ripe age of 19, Tim saw Ben Folds play piano and decided that being in a piano rock band was DEFINITELY in his future. He obsessively read every theory book he could find in the learning of this process.
But as High School rolled into college, Tim continued his classical voice and piano development. College was boring and nothing happened….Until Tim started Don’t Fear the Sun and went on tour, had a stint on Warped Tour, quit his job, moved to Cleveland because of a national tour in support of this big band at the time but ultimately the tour ended in catastrophic train wreck which left him unemployed and living in a new city.
In his first stint at School of Rock, which lasted 7 years, he at one point had 44 students a week and developed a pedagogy teaching classical mechanics to sing contemporary music.
While this story can continue, the next chapter included a new band, working for an artist, writing for other artists, working with professional vocalists and being a Creative Director for a Warner Music Group Recording Studio.
But nothing was better than working with the kids at SoR, so he came back, proceeding the legend himself, Tommy Rich.
Dan Molina
Guitar Teacher, Vocal Teacher
“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything.” - Plato
While his personal tastes in musicality didn’t start to truly take shape until college, 8-year-old Dan was introduced to his first stringed instrument—the violin—in Solon, OH. After four years of “fiddling” around with more traditional orchestral strings, he deemed it necessary to further his music career and look like less of a nerd when he picked up his first acoustic guitar at 12 years old...and the rest is history.
Since first picking up the guitar, Dan went from acting in high school and being in show choir to going to school at the Butler School of Music in Texas for operatic and contemporary vocal performance. After learning about his voice and dabbling in music production with friends and fellow artists, Dan had a brief stint back in Cleveland to regroup and then headed off to Miami, FL to chase more studio and production opportunities. Seven years later, he’s back in the CLE to further bolster his musical resume and acumen.
Dan has worked with incredible artists in and out of studio sessions for the past nine years including Kent Jones, Takeoff, Kris Kollins, That Dude Stu, Robot Disco Puma, Rey Richh, Karlos Slimm, and more.
Jim Cook
Guitar Teacher
Jim is a guitarist, songwriter, and Dark Lord of the Sith.
Jim has toured extensively and recorded in Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and the three “C’s” of Ohio. He worked in the music industry in L.A., has music credits in film and TV, and sang lead in an international commercial. You’d think he’d be super famous by now.
Jim has coffee and rambles about Eddie Van Halen. I mean, have you seen that guy play? See, there Jim goes again!
Anyway, Jim wishes the best for his students and hopes they’re too young to realize he has no idea what he’s doing.
Lyle Quimby
Guitar Teacher
“You can play a shoestring if you’re sincere.” - John Coltrane
Lyle Quimby is a producer, songwriter, performer, and above all, a teacher.
Lyle’s love of music started as a child. His family has deep roots in big band and country music. He got bit by the guitar bug and started playing at age 13. Before he knew it, he was playing in clubs and recording in studios. Although Lyle had taught private lessons in high school, he never gave teaching much thought until he heard about a new kind of music school opening in Cleveland. He joined School of Rock in February of 2007 and has enjoyed every minute of it.
Lyle loves helping others find their passion in music. Let him help you! On the weekends you will find him playing guitar with The Friday Nite Blues Band (his original group), Maiden Voyage (Cleveland’s finest Iron Maiden tribute band), D.I.O. (a tribute to the music of Ronnie James Dio), and many other groups. Tune it and turn it up!!!
Chris Walker
Drum Teacher
Chris Walker began teaching himself to play the drums when he was 5 years old. He took piano, guitar, clarinet, flute, and cello lessons as a child, so, naturally, he ended up following in his dad’s footsteps and became a drummer. His solos landed him in the Guitar Center Drum-Off store finals when he was 13 years old and he competed in the competition for years and eventually became a judge.
Chris' musical tastes range from hip-hop and live electronic music to jazz and heavy metal (and of course rock n' roll!). Chris has been an avid concertgoer for his entire life. He played in the jazz and jazz improv bands throughout high school before moving to New Orleans to begin his college career in 2005. After spending a few years in Louisiana, he returned to Cleveland and started a band, Broccoli Samurai, in 2010. The project grew from a local improv trio to a nationally touring entity, playing in over 30 states for several years, and continues to play reunion shows sporadically at both festivals and venues today.
Chris has been privileged to play on stage and in the studio with artists such as DJ Logic and the Sugarhill Gang, while his band grew from a basement jam band to playing at legendary venues around the country and at major festivals like Euphoria Festival in Austin, TX and Electric Forest in Michigan. Chris also played with other bands: The Lorax Tree, Jones for Revival, EP3, Octopus Prime, and his DJ/Drum project Chris/Tucker.
Chris has been an intern and volunteer at the Bop Stop Music Settlement and is honored to have had the opportunity to play music for so many people over the years. Chris enjoyed teaching students in the fourth grade in East Cleveland through a program called We the People at John Carroll University, where he eventually graduated in 2019 with a degree in Integrated Marketing Communication. Now he is excited to begin his journey as a drum instructor at School of Rock and he teaches at the Highland Heights, Strongsville, and Westlake locations.
Noah Knoblock
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Noah Knoblock began playing guitar at 10 years old. After banging out his first classic rock riffs he fell in love. Noah is a former School of Rock student and participated in all show seasons and became a member of the School of Rock Headliners at 16. After graduating from Strongsville High School, he went on to pursue a degree in Recording Arts from Cuyahoga Community College. Noah continues to pursue his passion for recording, production, and live performance playing in groups such as Salty Roads Band as well as recording whenever he is able. Noah primarily plays guitar although also dabbles in drums, keys, bass, and vocals.
Camara Rhodes
Vocal Teacher
Camara is a singer, songwriter, guitarist, and vocal instructor from Pittsburgh, PA. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Studies from Kent State University and is in pursuit of his Estill Figure Proficiency certificate.
Camara specializes in stylizing voices to create signature pop and rock sounds. Using Estill Voice Training, he teaches the anatomy and physiology of the voice and concentrates on the 12 isolated muscles that are responsible for making specific sounds when speaking and singing. He believes that craft and artistry are both essential and should be in unison.
His favorite performance roles in theater include Rent (Angel), Hairspray (Seaweed), and Little Shop of Horrors. Camara released his debut single "Better Now" in Spring 2021.
Sophia Price
Vocal Teacher
Sophia Price is originally from Hudson, Ohio, and started her music and songwriting journey at the age of 12 teaching herself how to play guitar, piano, and bass, as well as being classically trained on the flute. She began performing at local coffee shops and community music festivals when she was just 14 and later attended Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan where she received intensive singing and songwriting training. This led her to study at Loyola University of New Orleans where she majored in Commercial and Popular Music with a concentration in singer/songwriting as well as music production, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Music.
In New Orleans, Sophia was fortunate enough to have performed at legendary venues such as Tipitina’s, The Howlin’ Wolf, and Zony Mash Beer Company, and she also started teaching at School of Rock Metairie. After graduation, Sophia moved back home where she is beyond excited to be working as a vocal instructor again and teach even more students between the Highland Heights, Strongsville, and Cleveland West schools.
Preston Murphy
Bass Guitar Teacher
Preston has been musically inclined since the age of 8. Starting on violin and acoustic guitar for a few years, he would later switch to bass and electric guitar after discovering School of Rock. Preston was a student for six years and was a part of his school's House Band and successfully auditioned to be a School of Rock AllStar. During his time as a School of Rock student, he also picked up vocals, drums, and a bit of keyboard.
After Preston graduated from high school he attended the British and Irish Modern Music Institute (BIMM London - University of Sussex) where he received his bachelor's degree in Popular Music Performance (BMUS - Bass). While in London, Preston performed with multiple artists from a wide range of countries. He is very excited to bring his skills to School of Rock Cleveland West to teach and inspire a new generation of musicians.
Nate Tabanji
Vocal Teacher
Ever since he can remember, Nathan loved to sing. As he got older, he quickly realized that his passion for music would grow beyond just a hobby. At the age of 11, he started taking keyboard lessons at School of Rock and was instantly obsessed with the environment. Directly after his first show (Michael Jackson vs. Prince), he enrolled in vocal lessons and dove into the journey of learning vocals.
Over the next decade, Nathan continued to perfect his craft by performing in multiple audition choirs, a capella groups, 10+ School of Rock shows, and even recorded with multiple studio artists. During college he began producing and sound engineering as a hobby which quickly turned into a new passion that he then studied professionally, adding Studio Recording and Songwriting to his toolkit. Nathan has never been more excited to share his passion and skills, inspiring the next generation of rock stars.
Aaron Smith
Drum Teacher
Born with an extraordinary gift for music, Aaron Smith (he/they) emerged as a true musical prodigy at the tender age of 2. With an innate talent that couldn't be ignored, it was clear that music was not just a hobby but a calling. At the age of 10, Aaron took their first step into the world of professional music, setting the stage for an incredible journey ahead.
With a focus on drumming, Aaron honed his skills over the years to reach a professional level that was nothing short of remarkable. This dedication led them to the renowned Berklee College of Music in 2012, where he immersed himself in the world of musical theory and performance. Two years later, in 2014, Aaron continued his musical education at Indiana University, adding depth and diversity to their musical repertoire.
Throughout his career, Aaron has had the privilege of collaborating with an impressive array of artists, leaving his rhythmic mark on the music industry. Notable names in their portfolio include The Williams Singers, Pop Ukrainian Superstar Tina Karol, and the incredibly talented Doobie Powell, among many others.
One of Aaron's significant milestones is the creation of their album "765," a project that showcased their versatility and creativity. Now, they're embarking on an exciting new venture with his upcoming project, "1991," promising a fresh musical journey that's bound to captivate audiences.
Aaron is also the driving force behind the dynamic jazz/fusion band, Aaron Smith & RDAA, where their drumming prowess and musical leadership take center stage, creating an unforgettable fusion of sounds that resonate with audiences of all backgrounds.
With an extraordinary musical journey spanning from childhood prodigy to a seasoned professional and collaborator with some of the industry's finest, Aaron Smith continues to push boundaries, redefine genres, and leave an indelible mark on the world of music.
Aidan Forrey
Drum Teacher
Aidan Forrey picked up his first drumstick at the young age of 7 years old. Throughout his childhood, he was part of many of the school ensembles. As he got older and continued his involvement in music, he decided to pursue music as a career, graduating from Cleveland State University with a Bachelor of Music Performance in 2023. Aidan has played with various local bands, who all have a strong passion for creating music. All genres are welcome for any time of day for Aidan, though he primarily grew up on classic rock and later found love for many genres including jazz, hip-hop, Latin, country, metal, and more. Any kind of music is welcome!
Aidan loves teaching and showing everyone his love and passion for drumming. Every day is another step in his musical journey where he learns from not only his peers but also his students. Aidan hopes that you love music as much as he does. You can check out Aidan in his main band, Whiffler, which tries to take something from every genre of music. Always remember that music is the one thing that connects us all!
Nathan Tabaji
Vocal Teacher
Ever since he can remember, Nathan loved to sing. As he got older, he quickly realized that his passion for music would grow beyond just a hobby. At the age of 11, he started taking keyboard lessons at School of Rock and was instantly obsessed with the environment. Directly after his first show, Michael Jackson vs. Prince, he enrolled in vocal lessons and dove into the journey of learning vocals.
Over the next decade he continued to perfect his craft: performing in multiple audition choirs, acapella groups, 10+ School of Rock shows, and even recorded with multiple studio artists. During college he began producing and sound engineering as a hobby which quickly turned into a new passion that he then studied professionally, adding Studio Recording and Songwriting to his toolkit. Nathan has never been more excited to share his passion and skills, inspiring the next generation of Rock Stars.
Wes Cespedes
Guitar Teacher
Wes is a passionate guitar teacher who began their musical journey at the age of 12. Initially self-taught, Wes quickly developed a deep love for the guitar and decided to further their skills at the School of Rock. Over the years, they have progressed through all the programs offered, from regular shows to headliners, and even participated in the prestigious national program, School of Rock AllStars.
Drawing inspiration from a diverse range of artists such as The Police, John Mayer, Michael Jackson, Earth Wind & Fire, and Childish Gambino, Wes brings a unique and eclectic approach to their teaching. With a relaxed and cool demeanor, Wes leverages their extensive experience to help students of all levels find their groove and enjoy the process of making music. When he's not teaching or playing guitar, Wes loves indulging in a hearty bowl of pho, his favorite noodle soup. Whether you're just starting out or looking to enhance your skills, Wes is here at the School of Rock in Cleveland West to guide you every step of the way.
John Turner
Drum Teacher
John Turner is a native of Cleveland, Ohio. At the age of 5, John began a love for playing drums in church all over Cleveland and has not looked back since. John was known among his friends and teachers as a skilled drummer who played with a lot of passion.
After high school, John toured with several different artists and traveled the world with different gospel groups. He eventually started playing with smooth jazz artists and R&B artists including Johnny Gill, Eric Benét, and Chrisette Michele. John is now teaching at School of Rock Cleveland West and still playing in the city with the smooth jazz group Forecast.
Lauren Greer
Vocal Teacher
Lauren is from Painesville, Ohio, and grew up immersed in Motown, '90s R&B, and video game soundtracks. Inspired by legends like Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, and Billy Joel, she developed multi-instrument skills through private lessons, school groups, and musical theater camps. From 2015 to 2019, Lauren performed with The Singing Angels Chorus, showcasing her talents across Northeast Ohio, on TV, and during tours.
Lauren earned a music education degree from Cleveland State University, studying under Dr. Brian Bailey and Amanda Powell. She gained teaching experience in Solon and Berkshire schools and graduated in 2023 with a K-12 music teacher’s license. Lauren is skilled in guitar, piano, trumpet, and French horn, and attributes her diverse music taste to her family, chorus participation, college education, and work at a record store. Now, she brings her talents to the School of Rock in Highland Heights and the School of Rock in Cleveland West, teaching vocals.
