Tory Ridder
Owner
Tory, having grown up in lower Westchester, was driven to bring a school to the Sound Shore area in 2014 after seeing an incredible performance by School of Rock students with Jon Anderson of the epic band Yes. Tory has been a local professional musician as a drummer and multi-instrumentalist in a number of local bands such as Sway, Heathcote Hill, Mullen, and most recently, The Hara Band along with instructor Johnny Andriani.
Tory has had a long-standing career as Associate Publisher of his family-owned company, School Guide Publications. He has performed at awesome venues such as The Capitol Theatre Port Chester, Webster Hall NYC, BB Kings NYC, CBGBs, The Iridium NYC, Arlene's Grocery, The Bitter End, The Emelin Theater, and the Bowery Electric as well as numerous local community parties and festivals. Tory and his wife, Vanessa, graduated from Fairfield University in Connecticut and are proud to have raised their two teenage sons in the School of Rock Mamaroneck Performance Program since they were in grade school.
Vanessa Ridder
Co-Owner, General Manager
Vanessa has rocked many roles over the years before opening the school and becoming General Manager in charge of day-to-day operations, event planning, and promotions. She is originally from New York City and grew up mostly in northern New Jersey. Before opening the school in 2014, Vanessa was Creative Director for an NYC-based branding firm and also served as Public Information Officer for the Mount Vernon City School District as well as a PTA Council Board member.
When her husband mentioned the concept of School of Rock, Vanessa was immediately sold because she had wished she had the program as a young vocal student. A talented vocalist and performer, Vanessa has performed with a number of bands over the years including Heathcote Hill and All About the Blues as well as the School of Rock Mamaroneck Adult Program Band, Sorry Not Sorry. Her greatest joy is having had her “rhythm section” teenage boys grow up musically at School of Rock Mamaroneck as the drummer and bassist for the school's House Band.
Mike P.
Music Director
Mike has been a leader at our school since joining the team in 2017. He is a James Madison University School of Music graduate with a passion for extreme sports and metal shredding. Mike also plays every instrument and is a professional pit guitar player for local theater performances.
Mike is known at the school for lighting up the room with his positive vibes. He has been a valued instructor and director and has seen students go from Rock 101 to House Band. He has had years of experience playing and taking music lessons in various instruments, and studying the history and cultures surrounding rock music.
Tylee Shenk
Manager
Tylee started as a student parent in 2015 and as a valued Rock & Roll PTA mom for her son’s performances when he enrolled at age 6. In 2017, Tylee was invited to be Assistant Manager supporting studio coordination, parent relations, scheduling, and most recently as a manager overseeing day-to-day communications and enrollment. She is also a talented singer and performer in the Adult Program as well as a fan of her son who plays bass and guitar and sings in the House Band. Tylee grew up in New York City and is a graduate of York Preparatory School and College of Westchester. She also works as a Tarot Card Reader and Dialysis Technician and loves the art of dance.
Samantha D.
Vocal Teacher, House Band Director
Sam is the advanced vocal teacher and House Band director at the School of Rock in Mamaroneck, New York. She is a School of Rock graduate herself, an active member of the Brooklyn music scene, and a touring professional musician.
Sam is a graduate of the music program at Sarah Lawrence College with a concentration in vocal performance. She has had years of experience performing at the highest level as a former School of Rock student and is classically trained as a vocalist. It's also important to note that Sam is an avid Hello Kitty fan.
Vinicius D.
Show Director, Guitar Teacher, Drum Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Vinicius (“Vinny”) is an advanced guitar and drum teacher as well as an advanced show director at the School of Rock in Mamaroneck, New York. He is a Berklee College of Music graduate and actively performs throughout the tri-state area in various original, tribute, and wedding bands. As an active touring musician, Vinny has years of experience playing music and performing.
Vinny loves listening to and playing many genres of music and specializes in rock and roll. He is also a left-handed musician which always makes shows interesting! He is adored by his students of varying levels. Vinny and his wife, Carol are originally from Brazil but now call New Rochelle home.
Johnny A.
Guitar Teacher, Drum Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Vocal Teacher
Johnny is the primary drum teacher and guitar teacher at School of Rock Mamaroneck. He is also a local Larchmont/Mamaroneck lifelong resident and legend as both a musician and performer. He had great success on EMI’s label in the '90s and toured with The Ramones.
Johnny has the style of a genuine rock star and everyone who meets him or sees him perform wants his autograph. He is also deeply interesting and funny. He is close to publishing a vegan cookbook titled "Freak Show and is a dedicated animal rights activist and New York Mets fan.
Sean N.
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Drum Teacher, Vocal Teacher, Show Director
Sean has been teaching at School of Rock Mamaroneck since opening day in 2014. He is a multi-instrumentalist and teaches guitar, keyboards/piano, bass guitar, drums, and vocals.
Sean is also an active member of the Brooklyn and NYC music scene. He has performed in original bands as a key songwriter and in cover bands for private events performing all genres of music including jazz, reggae, yacht rock, rap rock, and progressive rock. Sean is also a cantor in his local church and runs marathons for fun!
Emily D.
Bass Guitar Teacher, Rock 101 Director
Hailing from the Kansas City area with Nashville as her adopted home for two decades, New York City-based artist Emily Davies’s style has been fueled by KC’s jazzy BBQ, Nashville’s hot chicken pickin’, and the deep roots of NYC’s Harlem Renaissance jazz scene.
In Nashville, Emily performed with a diverse group of musicians, from alt-rock group Audra and the Antidote to Americana sensation Runaway Home. She also performed with various ensembles at the Nashville Jazz Workshop and with a revolving door of Music City’s singer-songwriters.
Emily graduated with a bachelor's degree in commercial music/bass guitar from Belmont University and also holds a master's degree in jazz performance/bass from NYU’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development.
Emily has been an adjunct electric bass instructor at NYU and is active in the NYC music scene.
Paige D.
Drum Teacher
Paige is an advanced drum instructor at the School of Rock in Mamaroneck, New York. She has been performing in Broadway musicals as "Maria" the drummer for Six the Musical on the first US National tour!
Paige graduated from James Madison University School of Music with a master's degree in percussion performance. She has had the pleasure of studying under Casey Cangelosi, Laurel Black, Bill Rice, Dr. Michael Overman, and Robert Marino. Paige also has an undergraduate degree in music education from James Madison University. She is licensed to teach band, orchestra, choir, and general music in grades K-12. Paige has participated in the JMU Brass Band, Wind Symphony, Percussion Ensemble, and Steel Band, Marching Royal Dukes, and worked as an instructor for the James Madison University Marching Royal Dukes.
Paige has had a passion for teaching for over six years. Through all of her experiences writing, teaching, and playing, it is a great honor to have been named a Vic Firth Sponsored Marching Artist.
June G.
Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Vocal Teacher, Guitar Teacher
June is an experienced musician and songwriter who is one of our primary keyboard, vocals, and guitar instructors. June is a former School of Rock student, a former Berklee College of Music student, and a music composition student at Purchase Conservatory of Music.
June is also an active member of the local music scene. With many years of experience playing and taking music lessons in various instruments, June is over the moon to inspire young musicians to learn, perform, and create their own music. June is also a Rookies class director.