Faculty/Staff

OUR INSTRUCTORS LIVE TO PLAY AND PLAY TO LIVE

Our Music Directors, Show Directors and Instructors are the best of the best in the world of music.  They are first and foremost musicians - you know, they play regular gigs in top venues, are respected in the music community, both locally and nationally, and truly walk the talk.  They have that great combination of mad skills and years of experience that speak volumes. Our music staff are are not only talented,  they are also dedicated to helping each student reach their highest music potential. 

Bio Picture ARNELL BYRD
Guitar/Vocal Instructor
Arnell Byrd is special combination of guitar virtuoso and talented vocalist and he loves to share the language of music with his students.  Rock, blues, jazz, classical – you name it he’s got it covered.  He studied classical music at PGCC for 2 years before heading to Howard University for his degree in classical guitar with a voice...
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Bio Picture BILL GRIER
Drum Instructor
Bill Grier teaches drums for the Ashburn and Vienna Schools of Rock. Bill started playing drums when he was thirteen and living with his family in Taipei, Taiwan. He had formal training with Bill Reichenbach who played drums with Charlie Byrd for years. Bill spent ten years in Los Angeles playing at famous venues like the Troubadour on...
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Bio Picture BRAD MACPHERSON
Bass/Guitar Instructor, Show Director, Rock 101 Group Director
Brad Macpherson teaches bass and guitar at the Ashburn and Vienna Schools of Rock along with directing shows and running the Rock 101 program in Ashburn. Brad Mac (as he is affectionately called by his students) bought his first bass at the age of thirteen. It was a Fender Squier bass, and despite the fact that the bass weighed roughly...
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Bio Picture CLINT GREENLEE
Bass Instructor/Rock 101, Show & Camp Director
Clint Greenlee teaches bass and produces shows at Vienna School of Rock along with inspring our Rock 101 groups. Born and raised in Alexandria, he has been playing music since the young age of ten. He currently plays bass for the DC based band The B-Film Extras and plays out venues such as Jammin' Java, Rock n' Roll Hotel, and 930 club. The group...
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Bio Picture COLIN BEHRAM
Silver Spring Music Director/Drum Instructor
Colin has worked as a drummer, composer, recording engineer and producer in the DC area for the last several years and is a product of the best musical influences to come out of Washington DC. Due to his father being a musician and fixture on the DC Music scene (he played guitar in the seminal Washington DC band Razz, Artful Dodger and Johnny...
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Bio Picture DANIELLE SPAETH
Studio Manager
Danielle Spaeth is the Studio Manager at the Silver Spring School of Rock where she keeps the kids in-line, the parents informed and the teachers on time.  She recently earned a Master of Music degree from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee with an emphasis in flute performance where she studied with Caen Thomoson-Redus and served as a...
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Bio Picture DOUGLAS WELCOME
Guitar/Bass Instructor
Douglas Welcome was born among the deodorant-free peoples of the Pacific Northwest. He found his first musical inspiration in an old player piano covered in dust, buried among junk in a friend's basement. Through adolescence, he constantly explored music and technology through learning to play piano, guitar and trombone as well as attempting to...
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Bio Picture Emily Ehrens
Vocal Instructor
Emily Ehrens, the daughter of a jingle writer, grew up in the world of music and music production.  A Washington DC native, Emily started singing professionally in commercials when she was 9 years old.  She grew up participating in theatre, performing in musicals and choirs. After studying to become a journalist at Elon University for 2...
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Bio Picture Greg Messa
Little Wing Instructor/Percussion Instructor
Originally from Santa Cruz, California, Gregory Messa has been teaching and playing percussion for over twelve years, in genres including classical orchestral, musicals, drum and bugle corp, and pop, rock, and jazz music. He currently resides in Bowie, MD pursuing his career in performing and teaching. Greg has traveled around the world playing...
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Bio Picture JACK SIMCHAK
Guitar Instructor
Jack Simchak studied music and the guitar at Skidmore College where he earned his bachelor's degree in Music. He is a veteran of many gigs in the upstate New York music scene. As a member of the band Bipolar he won the coveted Northern Lights Battle of the Bands competition which led to opening for national touring acts including LoPro, Shinedown...
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Bio Picture JIM MASON
Keyboard/Piano Instructor
Inspired and encouraged by a friend (whose family owned a baby grand piano two doors up), Jim started piano lessons at age 7. His early attempts at writing short pieces were a distraction to learning classic piano literature. The distraction eventually won the battle. He was introduced to multi-track recording by age 12 and...
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Bio Picture JAKE DEAL
Drum Instructor
Jake Deal is a musician hailing from Clarksville, Maryland. After classical training in concert percussion, he learned drumset and began playing in many different bands.  Jake studied under legendary DC/Baltimore drummer Scott Peaker who taught Jake how to be a musician – not just a drummer. Under Scott’s tutelage, Jake received training in...
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Bio Picture Kim Cameron
Vocal Instructor
Kim Cameron is a veteran in the music world.  She started at age 6 playing the clarinet and was quickly moved to front and center to the singing stage.  Over the years, Kim has performed in a variety of bands, but more recently, she fronts, leads and song writes for her original band 'Side FX' which hit Billboard Top 40 in 2011, as well...
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Bio Picture Laura Mills
Vocal Instructor
Laura Mills has been teaching vocals in and around the DC area for many years.  With her musical background in string orchestra, jazz and classical opera training, Laura has in recent years reacquainted herself with her love of rock and roll. She always knew she wanted to do meaningful work, but what was still unclear until her early 20s was...
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Bio Picture MANUEL CONTREAS
Guitar Instructor
Manuel Contreras is a guitar player, music teacher and composer with over 16 years of experience. Manuel is a native of Italy. He started taking guitar lessons at the age of 14 in his hometown Gaeta (LT), focusing on the styles of his musical heroes: The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, S.R. Vaughan and Kurt Cobain. In 2001 he moved...
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Bio Picture MANDI MEROS
Vocal Instructor
Mandi has been a vocal coach to members of many DC and Baltimore area original and cover bands in her years teaching. She also has taught privately at Dematha High School in Hyattsville, MD since 2006, where many of her students have achieved goals including All State Chorus, Superior ratings at District and State Solo and Ensemble festivals and...
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Bio Picture MARK FOSTER
Bass Instructor
Mark Foster hails from Buffalo,New York. His professional experience spans a plethora of musical styles: jazz, funk, reggae, rock, salsa, samba, flamenco, blues, and odd hybrids thereof. He has lived and played music in Buffalo, St. Louis,Santa, Fe, Los Angeles,  and Washington,DC. He has played at The Kennedy Center, The Strathmore...and...
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Bio Picture MARTHA CARRIGAN
Vocal Instructor
Martha Carrigan teaches voice for the Ashburn School of Rock. She's been singing since she could make sound and studied voice with Broadway star Susan Hight Denny. Before moving back to her hometown of Alexandria, Virginia, she spent some time recording in San Diego, California, both singing for a production company and doing voiceover work....
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Bio Picture MARY BOWERS
Studio Manager Ashburn, Billing Manager - All Locations
Mary Bowers is the Studio Manager at the Ashburn School of Rock, where she keeps the kids in-line, the parents informed and the teachers on-time. In addition to her duties in Ashburn, Mary makes sure that all billing is run smoothly and is the go to person for any billing questions or issues for all of our customers. Mary is a long-time music fan...
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Bio Picture Michelle KIRKPATRICK
Studio Manager - Vienna Studio
Michelle Kirkpatrick is the Studio Manager who keeps the kids in-line, the parents informed and the teachers on-time. Michelle is super fan of the local DC music scene and is the go-to person for information on up and coming bands. Even more than her love of music, she is constantly putting her heart and ...
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Bio Picture MIKE MILLER
GUITAR INSTRUCTOR/SHOW DIRECTOR
Mike Miller, known to many as Mikey, started his musical journey at an early age.  Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Mike quickly developed a passion for the guitar.  Mike notes one of his earliest memories being a plastic Kiss guitar that he thrashed around the house as if he were  fifth member of the band.  He was certain of his...
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Bio Picture MIKE STETSON
GUITAR INSTRUCTOR
Mike Stetson is a guitarist, singer, songwriter, and music teacher. He was born in Massachusetts and raised in New Hampshire. Mike began playing guitar at age nine and his passion has never ended. While still in high school Mike studied with Vermont jazz guitarist Draa Hobbs, who gave him a solid foundation in music theory and technique....
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Bio Picture PAUL OTTINGER
Music Director - Ashburn, House Band Director
Paul Ottinger is the Music Director for SOR Loudoun in Ashburn Virginia. In this role Paul leads all music activities is responsible for the quality of our music instruction and performance.Paul grew up in Alexandria, VA. A product of TC Williams High School, he is a combination of classical training and self-taught multi-instrumentalist/...
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Bio Picture Rachel Milbourne
Little Wing Instructor/Electric Violin Instructor
Rachel Milbourne has been playing violin for over 15 years and pursued her music education and violin performance degrees at San Jose State University in California. She moved back to the D.C.-Baltimore area in 2010 and is currently pursuing her Masters of Arts in Teaching degree and MD Certification at Bowie State University. She was an active...
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Bio Picture SHAWN LEONARD
Drum Instructor/Artist Development
Shawn Leonard grew up in the suburbs of Washington DC. Music has always been a part of his life, from his childhood years listening to his folks Beatles albums to his adult years teaching and performing behind the drum set. Most of his early training was informal. A family friend and talented bass player, Jay Andriot, taught him about song form...
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Bio Picture TRAVIS ADAMS
Guitar/Bass/Drum Instructor and Show Director
Travis is a multi-faceted musician who frowns on anyone limiting their creative potential.  He started drumming lessons at the age of 3 and in high school added guitar and bass to his repertoire.  His passion for music led him to Full Sail University where he earned his degree in audio engineering and entertainment management....
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