Wilbur
General Manager
Wilbur has always had a love for guitar-focused music. When he was young, he gravitated towards hard rock from the '80s, '90s, and early 2000s. In his early teens, Wilbur was fascinated with pop punk and metal and decided to pick up the guitar as a result. Immersed in music theory, he sought out more challenging theoretical and technical music, ultimately leading him to metal songwriting. By the age of 16, he had become a core songwriter for his first metalcore band, and was playing in various towns across his home state of Alaska.
After high school, Wilbur pursued higher education at Willamette University, where he studied jazz and classical guitar. He went on to graduate with honors from Berklee College of Music with a bachelor's degree in Composition. Wilbur has led metal bands in the Boston scene and is always working on new music. He believes that music is the purest form of self-expression and that talent can always be taught, as long as you practice!
Michael
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Assistant Music Director
As a former School of Rock student, Michael discovered a passion for music and art that helped him find his path in life. Writing and performing around Chicago led him to attend Berklee College of Music and he graduated magna cum laude with a degree in contemporary writing and production, with guitar as his primary instrument.
Though fundamentally a rock musician, Michael has experience playing, writing, and producing in multiple styles including punk, ska, electronic, funk, orchestral, and progressive rock. He has a strong understanding of music theory and an exceptional ear for production, and he deeply values experimentation, independence, and the power of art to make a positive impact in the world. Michael shares these things with his students through a belief in practical application and helping others find themselves through music the way School of Rock helped him.
Olivia
Studio Coordinator
Olivia is a bassist and multi-instrumentalist hailing from Long Island, New York. She graduated from the School of Rock in Huntington in 2019, which led her to Berklee College of Music where she currently studies music education. Primarily a rock musician, she plays in rock, folk, and pop groups around Boston, Rhode Island, and New York. Olivia has shared the stage with acts such as Electric Light Orchestra and Foreigner and has played notable venues such as Paul Colby’s The Bitter End and The Tillies Center. She has a passion for education and is very big on instilling confidence in her students as well as a strong foundation in music theory and history.
Matt
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Matt started playing guitar at the age of 12 and quickly made a name for himself by receiving the Louis Armstrong Award for Jazz Improvisation. After high school, he attended the Musicians Institute, a private college of contemporary music in Los Angeles. He's had the pleasure of studying with instructors like Danny Gill, Scott Henderson and Joe Diorio, and has attended seminars with Joe Diorio, Al DiMeola, Paul Gilbert and Steve Vai. Since graduating, he's taught music in Massachusetts for 25 years. He's done session work, international touring and plenty of local gigs, including the Ultrasonic Rock Orchestra. Matt has taught at School of Rock Watertown for the last 5 years and specializes in Rock, Blues, Funk and Jazz.
Shiva
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Shiva cycled through several instruments before he settled on guitar at age 10. Over time he developed his musicianship exploring different styles and slowly became a working musician regularly performing and doing recording sessions with different groups of many genres, including jazz, fusion, rock, r&b, funk, neo-soul, and pop. He was offered a scholarship to Berklee College of Music and graduated with a BA in professional music with concentrations in contemporary writing/production and jazz composition. He has worked with artists around the U.S and abroad, but is most active in the Boston music scene. He has regularly performed, collaborated with, and/or recorded with artists like Rilla Force, Billy Dean Thomas, and Teamarrr, and has played shows opening for H.E.R, Ja Rule, Moon Hooch, Sammy Rae, and others. Shiva specializes primarily in guitar as well as bass, and believes in helping students bring out their own unique voice while learning at their own pace and keeping in touch with their love for music.
Niko
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Niko is a guitar, bass, and piano teacher from Berkeley, California. Currently a student at Berklee College of Music, he started as a high school jazz guitar player performing at weddings and shows in the California Bay Area. Since coming to Boston, he’s had the opportunity to play with great musicians and learn more about his craft. In love with production just as much as playing, he’s been on short films and podcasts as a musician and producer. Niko spends most of his free time writing and recording new songs with his friends and deeply loves theory, arrangement, and “the math behind the music.”
Hunter
Bass Guitar Teacher, Guitar Teacher
Hunter Ryan is a versatile bassist, songwriter, producer, and sound engineer. Originally from New Jersey, she relocated to Boston in 2020 and has since become heavily involved in the local music scene. Hunter plays and writes for multiple bands and serves as a freelance studio musician for various artists. In addition to her performing and recording work, she is the operations manager and talent buyer for WeBookThings.
Hunter studied Electronic Production and Sound Design at Berklee College of Music, where she also minored in Acoustics & Electronics. She is deeply committed to providing students with a comprehensive music education and is passionate about nurturing the next generation of talented Boston-based musicians.
Matt
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Matt is a seasoned musician with experience in a multitude of genres, particularly but not limited to jazz and heavy metal styles. In his mind music is all just rhythms and notes, and he is more than happy not just to play or to teach, but also to learn. Recently he has been most interested in songwriting and using that as a platform for full band improvisation.
Matt is a guitar teacher and bass guitar teacher at School of Rock Watertown.
Jonny
Vocal Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Drum Teacher
Jonny’s musical pursuits probably began while running around his parent’s house singing into a tape recorder at an early age. He pursued the Alto saxophone at age 8 and eventually learned the clarinet, guitar, bass, drums, and piano; he even formed several bands and performed his own music in local clubs before he headed to Boston to attend Berklee College of Music.
Since then, Jonny has become not just an accomplished performer, writer, arranger, synthesist, and producer, but also a dedicated teacher with over two decades of experience helping children of all ages find their passion for music.
"All music is joy and music should be fun. If there is no fun, then there is no joy. Who would want that?"
Robert
Drum Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Robert is a Boston-based multi-instrumentalist and music educator with experience playing bass, guitar, drums, and keyboards in a wide variety of genres and ensembles. Robert attended the Walnut Hill School for The Arts where he received training in Jazz and Classical music before attending The New England Conservatory where he studied Contemporary Improvisation.
Robert studied with various professors from the New England and New York music scene, such as Anthony Coleman, Joe Morris, and Ted Reichman, while attending The New England Conservatory. Rock, R&B, Klezmer, and Pop are some of the genres he’s studied and performed, and Robert continues to play music, compose, and teach around the Boston area.
Malaina
Vocal Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Malaina was born and raised in Marin County, California, and has been passionate about singing from an early age. At just 9 years old, Malaina began taking private voice lessons and quickly became involved in vocal competitions, choirs, and musicals. Her dedication to her craft led her to attend the Marin School of the Arts in high school, where she developed her skills as a jazz vocalist and was a member of the award-winning a cappella group, Til Dawn. Malaina's love for music continued to grow as she participated in various jazz ensembles and rock bands.
Currently, Malaina is pursuing her bachelor's degree in Screen Scoring as a vocal principal at Berklee College of Music. When she is not instructing students, she is the lead singer of her own rock band, Slumber Party, and performs and emcees at various events. With her versatile background in jazz, rock, pop, and R&B, Malaina is an experienced working musician who loves songwriting and composing for various ensembles.
Maddi
Vocal Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Maddi has had a passion for music since before she was born. She grew up in a musical family that fostered her love of singing and later found more of herself by bearing her heart through her own compositions.
Maddi started songwriting at a very young age, inspired by artists like Adele and Sara Bareilles, and performed in many musical showcases over the years. She played and sang in bands and ensembles in college, and today, she writes and performs in a folk duo called the SOL Project. Maddi loves inspiring young children through music and is thrilled that School of Rock allows her to combine her love of playing and sharing the power of music with children.
Felicity
Vocal Teacher, Guitar Teacher
Felicity has used music as her creative escape going back to when she sang backup in a blues band in Saigon, Vietnam at 15 years old. She worked her way up in the expatriate music community, eventually touring the country of Vietnam as a lead singer in The Horizon Band, playing at high-class hotels until her move to the States. She now writes and performs in an indie folk duo while attending Berklee College of Music as a vocal principal.
Felicity's love for teaching began when she started a music workshop for toddlers called Singing Monkeys. She hosted this class for three years and spent time teaching at Guitar Center as well as private tutoring. She loves working with young children, helping them develop a passion for music in a way that is approachable and takes the kids where they want to go.
As someone who has grown up internationally, Felicity believes strongly in inclusion and wants to work to make pop music more culturally diverse by utilizing techniques and instruments from all over the world.
Chris
Drum Teacher
Chris was born and raised in the Republic of Mauritius in East Africa. A self-taught drummer, Chris started playing drums at the age of 11 and has never looked back. After moving to the US in 2004, he attended UMass Boston for Finance before becoming a drum instructor and performance director at the School of Rock Watertown for the last 6 years. Chris plays with multiple bands, touring both nationally and internationally. Current groups he performs with include JazzFirst, Proplydz (EDM), JD-MadMartian (Hip Hop), Lord Almighty (Metal), Vinal (Jam Band). Chris is a true music love who’s passionate about the drums and is currently pursuing a Master’s in Music Business at Berklee School of Music.
Joshua
Drum Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Music has always been an essential part of Joshua’s identity since childhood. Born in Kentucky but raised in Singapore, he is now back in the United States to pursue his undergraduate studies under a scholarship at Berklee College of Music. Joshua grew up learning classical music and theory with piano and violin, before finding new voices in drums and percussion at his high school Symphonic Band.
Joshua has a wealth of experience in performance, composition, conducting, teaching, leadership, and volunteering, and has been blessed with many opportunities to find different forms of expression. He advocates for the exploration and experimentation in the arts and is an eclectic musician who seeks to venture into new artistic terrain through collaboration with a diverse, multifaceted music community. As a firm believer in music education, Joshua strives to actively spread the fun and joy of music to those around him.
Luke
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Drum Teacher
Luke was raised in Bergen County, New Jersey, and played guitar starting in his early teenage years. His first musical job was in recording hold music. He would have to do ten or more in a weekend, giving him much experience in recording at a comparatively young age compared to his peers.
After moving to Boston to attend Suffolk University, Luke auditioned for Berklee College of Music, not expecting to get in. Upon acceptance, he took every opportunity to play he could, even taking up the bass and starting several funk projects. Now he works in wedding bands playing guitar and bass.
Dave McCarron
Assistant General Manager
Dave is a self-described film and fantasy enthusiast, whose love of movie scores brings an added perspective to our School of Rock team. From John Carpenter classics to social commentaries such as "Wild at Heart", rock music has played an instrumental role in shaping the movies we love -- a subject Dave could talk about at length.
Fueled by his passion for film, Dave hosts a Dungeons & Dragons podcast that he creates the music for. An excellent reminder that performance skills transcend our abilities beyond the stage.
In addition to extensive nerding, Dave is an endurance cyclist that's always in need of music recommendations for his long rides. Let him know your top picks for when you're on the open road!
Gudy Prada
Drums Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Gudy Prada is a drummer and mix engineer from Buenos Aires, Argentina. He has performed at a wide range of festivals and venues, including the Ibero-American premiere of "Die Soldaten" at Teatro Colón. In 2023, he toured Europe and worked with renowned artists like Chucho Valdés and Erika Ender at the "Gateway to Greatness Award Gala", organized by the Orchestra of the Américas. Gudy has also been involved in numerous recording sessions as a drummer and enjoys collaborating with rock-pop artists in large production shows. Alongside his drumming, he works as a mix engineer, helping artists shape and bring their music to life.
Liam Oulton
Bass Guitar Teacher
Liam, a bassist and songwriter from the Boston area, began playing music at a young age as a way to cope with health challenges. He spent eight transformative years as a student at School of Rock, which inspired him to pursue his passion for music at Berklee College of Music, where he currently studies songwriting and music production.
A devoted fan of the Grateful Dead and Phil Lesh, Liam regularly performs in jam bands around Boston. He embraces a wide range of styles, including progressive rock, funk, pop, and country. Liam's unique approach to teaching has been influenced by his studies with renowned musicians such as Mike Woods (Damone), Victor Wooten, Kevin Barry (Jackson Browne, J. Geils Band), and Daniel Morris. Liam’s journey from student to teacher at School of Rock reflects his deep commitment to the community and his love for music. With a focus on unlocking creativity and self-expression, he is dedicated to guiding young musicians as they explore and develop their unique talents.