Monica
Owner
Monica didn't know when she was younger that this was where she wanted to be but her life has led her to School of Rock Queens. Monica grew up in a talented home where everyone had a musical talent except for her. Her dad, a self-taught musician, could play anything you put in front of him. Monica, on the other hand, was musically challenged. She would sing at the top of her lungs not really caring that she was pitchy and off-beat (and still does). Her parents sent her to piano lessons even though she really wanted to play the drums. After the second month of lessons, the instructor told Monica that he would pay her to stop going if she promised not to tell anyone she had been his student (true story!).
Monica's son, Michael, became interested in playing the guitar at a young age. She and her husband, Gene, encouraged Michael to play but quickly realized that taking lessons just wasn't enough. Coming home and practicing on his own wasn't fun. After some internet research, Monica learned about School of Rock.
Monica and Gene quickly scheduled an appointment thinking this was all just too good to be true. They had no idea that School of Rock would not only change her son's life but the lives of her entire family! Throughout Michael's years at School of Rock, Monica turned her photography to the concert world. She was fortunate to have met some incredible artists and is lucky to now call them her friends. They introduced her to the music business, teaching her about recording, managing, touring, and the list goes on. It was around this time that Michael's band, The Inoculated Canaries, started to develop into more than a garage band. It was also at this time that Gene told Monica he knew what her calling was, and he was right!
Monica and Gene operate School of Rock Queens with the knowledge that it changes the lives of those who walk through the doors. School of Rock Queens is a clubhouse for our students. They have a place to express themselves musically and are challenged by the incredible teachers that are here.
Dylan
Regional Manager, Regional Music Director
Dylan is a Long Island-based multi-instrumentalist and educator who has been working at School of Rock since 2015, shortly after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in music education from Five Towns College. Dylan is well-versed in many genres, having performance credits in various rock bands, jazz groups, chamber orchestras, theater orchestras, and more. He has performed at NAMM’s Winter Show in Anaheim CA & South by Southwest in Austin, TX, as well as several local venues including Revolution, 89 North, KJ Farrell’s, Fordham University’s Winterfest, and more.
In the studio, Dylan has played electric bass, upright bass, drum set, percussion, keys, ukulele, and laid down vocal tracks on many songs and albums across multiple genres. A lesson with Dylan means a lesson in theory, ear training, performance, and exposure to multiple genres of music. He is the Regional Manager and Regional Music Director at School of Rock Huntington, Queens, Rockville Centre, Roslyn, and Syosset/Oyster Bay.
Dorianna
Regional General Manager
Dorianna has extensive experience working with children, including being an Assistant Director at a sleep-away camp for underprivileged children and adults with special needs. She has also worked at several local day camps, as well as after-school programs.
Dorianna has a bachelor's degree in Psychology from Mount Saint Mary College and a master's degree in Social Work from Adelphi University.
Dominick
Music Director, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Vocal Teacher
Dominick was a jazz major at Manhattan School of Music's Precollege program and went on to study jazz trumpet, classical voice, and music education at William Paterson University of New Jersey. Dominick is an experienced musician and trained educator whose lessons are focused on engaging students in musical experiences and adapting instruction to meet the needs of every learner.
Along with performing, Dominick is also passionate about composing and arranging music. Dominick possesses a wealth of knowledge regarding music theory in a variety of traditions and helps students grow in musical literacy, enhance musical awareness, and achieve songwriting goals. In addition to their role as the Music Director, Dominick is a keyboard + piano teacher and vocal teacher at School of Rock Queens.
Oliver
Studio Coordinator
Oliver is a guitarist from Queens who studied at School of Rock Queens for four years, and is now back! Oliver was a member of the School of Rock Queens House Band for two years, and traveled across the country with Tripwire. He currently studies Music at University College Cork where he continues to perform while navigating the Irish Music scene in his band rafters, who are gigging across the country and releasing music. Oliver is a Studio Coordinator at School of Rock Queens.
Alexis
Vocal Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Alexis is a singer, pianist, and music teacher. They love helping students build confidence, discover their sound, and have fun while learning. Music has been a part of their life for as long as they can remember, and Alexis is passionate about creating a space where students, whether they’re beginners or more advanced, feel supported, encouraged, and inspired to grow. Alexis is a vocal teacher and keyboard + piano teacher at School of Rock Queens.
Charlie
Guitar Teacher
Charlie is a musician from Queens, New York known for his stage presence and ability to blend technical playing with unorthodox sounds to catch the listener's ear. Growing up being exposed to music in the car, Charlie developed an ear for music with a range from Punk to Metal, to Pop and much more molding him to the musician he is today. He strives to blend classic sounds and innovative ideas.
Charlie is a School of Rock Alumni, where he met and formed his band SAMSARA. having graduated from the program going onto graduate from Berklee College of Music and writing his own music as well as developing both an online and local following respectively. He has experience playing guitar on stages from food truck festivals to the Paramount in Huntington, and has played guitar for musicians ranging from indie, to pop, to all things rock. He won first place in Tom Morello's Guitar Revolution Shred Competition, and is a regarded audio engineer recording and mixing not just his own music but for others as well. Operating with an emphasis on building community from offering screen printing merchandise to bands for cheap, to playing with bands such as Autumn Rhythm, The Mercurys, The Earthlings, and more. Charlie is a guitar teacher at School of Rock Queens.
Christian
Drum Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Show Director
Christian is an NYC native from the Bronx. His journey playing the drum kit began as young as 5. At 12, he joined a choir in a Baptist church as a tenor for two years with his father as choir director. Then, he joined the high school marching band on bass drum at 16, playing in a few parades.
Taking drums more seriously in his early 20s, Christian took on extensive mentorship with five drum teachers who deepened and enriched his relationship with rhythm. His music taste is variegated and includes Michael Jackson, Radiohead, Massive Attack, Megadeth, Frederic Chopin, The Roots, Fishbone, and more.
While primarily a drummer, Christian is also a multi-instrumentalist with experience in piano, guitar, and bass. His favorite drummers are Art Blakey, Nate Smith, Tomas Haake, Cyndi Blackman, Bernard Purdie, and Dave Weckl.
His favorite perk of teaching at School of Rock is being surrounded by teachers and students who are just as passionate about the ongoing world and history of music as he is. Christian is a drum teacher, guitar teacher, bass guitar teacher, keys & piano teacher, and show director at the School of Rock in Queens.
Devontay
Rookies Director, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Vocal Teacher
Devontay is a passionate Piano and Vocalist Instructor with years of experience in teaching and performing focused on helping students grow their skills and love for music. He is skilled with adaptable teaching methods to accommodate each student’s learning style and experience with piano performance, music theory, and sound management for live performances. He graduated from POLYTECH Highschool with a Vocational Degree in Visual Communications and a minor in Performing Arts.
His areas of expertise are improvisation, jazz, music theory, classical, video Game, pop and Broadway in piano; For vocals he has a Broadway and choir background but is no stranger to rock. He has performed at various venues Stage Performances at the Westin in Pittsburg, PA, Community Theatre Productions, POLYTECH High School chorus, drama & marching band, Schwartz Center of the Arts in Dover, DE; Piano Recitals and Anime and pop culture conventions. Devontay has taught and supervised at POLYTECH High School Marching Band and Chorus for eight years and has taught private lessons for five years.
His philosophy is it's never too late to learn how to play an instrument! His goal is to get you to a level where you have your own personal style of playing and are able to accomplish performance at a high level with patience and care. Devontay is a keyboard + piano teacher, vocal teacher, and Rookies director at School of Rock Queens.
Dylan
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Piano + Keyboard Teacher, Vocal Teacher
Dylan is a multi-instrumentalist and singer from New York, NY. He is a former School of Rock student who learned guitar and bass and performed in his school's House Band. He performed at venues such as the Met, Bryant Park, and the Bitter End.
Dyland wrote and recorded music for four EPs through the School of Rock Songwriting program, along with writing and producing a full-length solo LP on Garageband. In college, he arranged and performed pieces for his a cappella group, After Dark, and simultaneously taught newer members of the group how to create a cappella arrangements. During this time, he also trained in Jazz Theory and Keyboard Skills, ultimately receiving his Minor in Music.
With combined professional experience in education and music, Dylan is both passionate about creating music and inspiring musical creativity in others. He now teaches guitar, piano, bass, and vocals at School of Rock Queens.
Elijah
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Elijah is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist based in New York City. Originally from Marlboro, NJ, Elijah came to New York City to study music at The New School of Jazz. It is at the New School where Elijah developed his love and skill for songwriting.
Elijah has been playing guitar in the band, Mojohand, since its inception in 2016, and has been the primary singer and songwriter of the band since 2019. Mojohand has released 9 singles, their debut album, Songbook, and played well over 100 shows all around the country since 2018 both as headliners and openers for national acts like Oteil Burbridge, Whitey Morgan, Jesse Daniel, and Taz Neideraur.
Griffin
Drums Teacher
Griffin is a Long Island-based drum teacher, producer, composer, and heavy metal band member. He started his journey at age 9 playing in his school band, and now plays in multiple bands within the underground New York heavy metal scene.
Griffin has gone on to learn all styles of music, including rock, jazz, funk, and of course metal. He has received a Certification in Studio Recording Technology from Nassau Community College. At age 18, Griffin started teaching students drum lessons privately, as he took them when he was younger, and wanted to carry on the knowledge. Griffin is a drum teacher at School of Rock Queens.
Jani
Drum Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Jani Farias is a rapper, beatmaker and multi-instrumentalist from the Bronx. Jani has been playing drums and piano for over a decade and strives to educate students on learning fundamentals, technique and playing in group settings, while opening up their understanding of different genres of music and the ways in which they are connected. Jani believes that through developing a deeper recognition of different styles of music, it bridges gaps and helps people gain a newfound appreciation of music and the communities that create it. Jani is a drum teacher and keyboard + piano teacher at School of Rock Queens.
Michael
Guitar Teacher
Michael was born in Whitestone, New York. His parents introduced him to music while in utero, listening to Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Zappa—the classics. It was his grandfather who handed him his first guitar and that one Christmas gift forever changed his life. Guitar Hero was fun to play but when he actually held a guitar he knew the game wouldn’t be enough. From that moment on his passion for the instrument began his journey into songwriting.
Michael was a School of Rock student by the age of 10. He felt at home there with other kids just like him. It was School of Rock that introduced Michael to performing. The school had such a profound impact on him that he is now one of the top instructors and directors at three New York area School of Rock locations in which he is also the co-owner.
At the age of 13, Michael formed his band, The Inoculated Canaries. He was in his science class when the instructor mentioned inoculating canaries during the bird flu. The band’s first EP, The Blue Laws, was soon followed by their single “Don’t Be Late” and an acoustic version of the song “Jericho.” Their second EP, Trying Times, was also followed by singles “Count Me Out,” “Who Are You?,” “The Lawyer’s Wife,” “Sneakers,” “Donna,” and “Hypocrite.”
Michael formed a second band, King Falcon. They released their debut single “Shake! Shake! Shake!” in early 2020. Both bands are actively writing, recording, and performing.
Today, Michael is endorsed by ESP Guitars. Matt Masciandaro, President and CEO of ESP Guitars comments: “ESP works with many of rock’s leading guitarists, and Michael’s amazing technique, stylistic range, tone, and phrasing make him a welcome addition to our team.” Tony Rauser, Director of Artist Relations, adds: “We are happy to welcome Michael of King Falcon to the ESP artist family! Michael’s unique and melodic playing style is showcased perfectly in his first ESP video lesson series.”
Nnamdi
Drum Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Guitar Teacher
Nnamdi Onyeike is a guitarist, producer, and DJ from Queens, New York. With a background in R&B, gospel, jazz, and Afro-beat, Nnamdi encourages students to embrace whatever music they love and let it be the medium in which they develop musically. Starting with violin at age 8, he started learning guitar at 9 and soon became infatuated with music.
Nnamdi participated in the school jazz band, marching band, orchestra, NYSMMA, and sang baritone in the choir. He got accepted to Berklee College of Music on scholarship, where he studied jazz guitar and audio engineering from some very highly accomplished and respected professors. He also gigged professionally on piano and electronic bass.
Nnamdi, a music teacher at School of Rock Queens, hopes to use his formal background, as well as his genuine passion for music, to guide and inspire students!