Aurora
School of Rock

Explore School of Rock

Aurora

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School of Rock Aurora
13750 E Rice Place Suite 100
Aurora, CO 80015
(720) 789-8866

Location Specifics

We're located one block south of the Parker Rd and Quincy Ave intersection.

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Hours
  • Monday: 2 PM - 8:30 PM
  • Tuesday: 2 PM - 8:30 PM
  • Wednesday: 2 PM - 8:30 PM
  • Thursday: 2 PM - 8:30 PM
  • Friday: 2 PM - 8:30 PM
  • Saturday: 10 AM - 3:30 PM
  • Sunday: Closed

Music programs at School of Rock Aurora combine one-on-one lessons with group band practices

We are proud to offer music classes to help teach students from Aurora, Colorado and surrounding areas such as Parker, Centennial, Lonetree, Greenwood Village, and southeastern Denver. Students can learn how to play instruments with skill and confidence - we offer everything from drums, guitar, keys, and vocals in a supportive and encouraging environment. We even offer more unique instruments here such as mandolin, ukulele, and harmonica. Aurora boasts a great selection of live music venues for students to see bands and even perform at including Red Rocks, The Oriental Theater, Soiled Dove Underground, Levitt Pavilion, The Fillmore, Mission Ballroom, Fiddlers Green, and the Pepsi Center.

Programs we offer

Rock 101 music program in Aurora for kids and beginners
Rock 101
Ages 8-13

Rock 101 is one of School of Rock Aurora's top programs for kids and beginners. Students have one weekly group rehearsal where they learn to play classic rock songs that have been simplified for beginner musicians. Additionally, Rock 101 students in Aurora have a weekly private music lesson with an instructor who helps them learn the concepts and skills behind their performance songs.

What To Expect
  • 1 WEEKLY PRIVATE LESSON
  • 1 WEEKLY GROUP REHEARSAL

The Path to Take the Stage

Our music programs for kids in Aurora are designed to get students on stage performing, with the goal of building strong musical proficiency. Younger students at School of Rock Aurora who have participated in the Rookies program can move to our Rock 101 music program once they’re ready. Additionally, students (typically ages 8 to 13-years-old) can begin Rock 101 without any prior experience. The goal of this rock program is to quickly develop a basic competence on students’ chosen instruments before moving on to our famous Performance Program.

Performance music program for teens in Aurora
Performance
Ages 8-18

The Performance Program at School of Rock Aurora is our hallmark music program, where tens of thousands of students enroll each year. It consists of a weekly group rehearsal where kids and teens learn by playing rock music's most iconic songs with a band composed of their peers. Students are assigned songs and parts that are tailored to them based on their age, experience and ability to learn new skills and concepts. Students then work through their parts in weekly private music lessons, refining the skills and concepts that those songs introduce. The goal of this curriculum is to prepare kids and teens for live performances. Every few months, School of Rock Aurora Performance Program students take the stage and play at local Aurora music venues in front of a live audience.

What To Expect
  • 1 WEEKLY PRIVATE LESSON
  • 1 WEEKLY GROUP REHEARSAL

The Path to Take the Stage

School of Rock Aurora's music programs for kids and teens are designed to inspire by getting students on stage and performing. All of our other music education programs focus on readying students for our famous Performance Program. This is where students develop incredible musical skills. Performance Program students have often gone through our Rock 101 program first or have some previous basic music experience. These young musicians will have custom development plans outlined by their instructors with key concepts reinforced during private lessons and group rehearsals, all with the goal of performing live at a Aurora music venue.

Rookies music program for children in Aurora
Rookies
Ages 6-7

At School of Rock Aurora, our music program for children with no previous musical experience (typically ages 6 to 7-years-old) is called Rookies. Rookies students have one weekly group music lesson where they learn fundamentals like chords, rhythm and song structure. Kids get to learn and experiment with multiple instruments so they can later decide which one they ultimately want to continue pursuing in Rock 101.

What To Expect
  • 1 WEEKLY GROUP LESSON
  • USE OF SIMPLIFIED ROCK INSTRUMENTS TO TEACH KIDS TO PLAY MUSIC

The Path to Take the Stage

All of our music programs are designed to inspire students to learn and develop a strong musical proficiency. At School of Rock Aurora, younger students who are not ready for a more comprehensive program like Rock 101 can start in Rookies. Additionally, students who have completed the Little Wing program will progress into the Rookies music program. No prior musical experience is needed for Rookies. Once your child is ready for private music lessons (typically older than first or second graders), they will graduate into our Rock 101 program.

Songwriting
Age 12 and over

Our Songwriting program for kids and teens teaches the fundamentals of songwriting, arrangement and music theory, and helps students compose original works.  At School of Rock Aurora, songwriting students receive one weekly private lesson where they learn concepts, technique and theory on an instrument of their choice. These principles are then applied in a weekly group lesson where students work together on songwriting exercises and lyrical workshops.  Every few months, Songwriting students take the stage to perform or band together to record their original songs.

What to Expect
  • 1 weekly private lesson
  • 1 weekly group lesson

The Path to Take the Stage

Our Songwriting program for kids and teens in Aurora is designed to create musical proficiency through the creation of original music. Students at School of Rock Aurora who have completed our Rock 101 program can move to our Songwriting program once they’re ready. Additionally, new students who have prior experience with and basic knowledge of an instrument can also begin Songwriting. The program culminates with a live showcase where students perform their original compositions in bands at a local music venue. Students taking the Songwriting Program online will remotely record their original songs to produce a demo of the class's music.

Remote student playing guitar
Online
All Ages

At School of Rock Aurora, our students can take online, one-on-one music instruction from the comfort of their homes. We call this program School of Rock Remote. This online music program contains weekly one-on-one instruction conducted by our expert School of Rock instructors in a safe virtual lesson room.
 
Students will receive their training using our proprietary education program, The School of Rock Method™, which couples live video lessons with our proprietary Method App™, SongFirst Approach™ and Method Books™. 

What To Expect
  • ONE WEEKLY 1-ON-1 LESSON
  • LESSONS CONDUCTED USING SECURE VIDEO TECHNOLOGY

THE PATH TO TAKE THE STAGE

All of our music programs for kids, teens, and adults are designed to help students gain amazing musical proficiency. School of Rock’s online music lesson program is no exception. Online guitar lessons, online piano lessons, online drum lessons, online singing lessons and online bass guitar lessons are all offered through the School of Rock Remote online program.

Little Wing music program for toddlers and preschoolers in Aurora
Little Wing
Ages 3-5

At School of Rock Aurora our Little Wing music program for preschoolers and toddlers teaches students foundational music skills by playing games and participating in other interactive musical activities. Little Wing students have one weekly group music lesson in which they use classic rock songs to learn about rhythm, song structure, melody and dynamics through play.

What To Expect
  • 1 WEEKLY GROUP LESSON
  • USE HAND PERCUSSION & OTHER TOOLS TO LEARN RHYTHM PATTERNS & MUSIC SYNTAX

The Path to Take the Stage

The Little Wing music program is the first step in a young musician's journey. At School of Rock Aurora, toddlers and preschoolers who show an interest in music should start with Little Wing. As they get older, they will progress into the Rookies program, followed by Rock 101 and the Performance Program.

House Band program for gigging at local venues in Aurora
House Band
Age 17 and Under

The School of Rock Aurora House Band music program gives students under 18 the opportunity to join a gigging band composed of fellow musicians from their school. These students perform additional live shows throughout the year. All students in the Performance Program have the opportunity to audition for a spot in School of Rock Aurora's House Band. Once selected, House Band members become leaders in their School of Rock community and perform live shows at CO rock venues throughout the year.

What To Expect
  • A GIGGING MUSICIAN'S EXPERIENCE
  • FREQUENT LIVE PERFORMANCES IN COMMUNITY

The Path to Take the Stage

Performance is the core of School of Rock's educational approach. Therefore, we create additional opportunities for students to perform on stages throughout Aurora and the rest of CO. The House Band music program allows each school's most talented students the opportunity to join a band and play routinely in front of live audiences. Once a member, students will gain real music experience associated with gigging musicians and will become leaders and mentors inside the School of Rock community.

The AllStars national tour features the best child and teen musicians
AllStars
Age 17 and Under

The School of Rock AllStars Tour takes the very best students from around the world and sends them on a nationwide summer tour across the United States. Less than 1% of School of Rock students are selected each year to represent School of Rock as an AllStar. All Performance Program students are eligible to audition for this prestigious program. The intensive audition process starts off with video submissions followed by live auditions. Once selected, AllStar students will have an authentic touring experience including traveling on a tour bus, doing tour publicity and starring in nightly performances at famous venues and festivals during a two-week tour.

What To Expect
  • A MULTI-CITY, COUNTRY-WIDE MUSIC TOUR EXPERIENCE
  • PERFORMING ON SOME OF THE BIGGEST AND MOST FAMOUS STAGES IN THE WORLD

The Path to Take the Stage

Becoming an AllStar is the highest level of achievement for a School of Rock student. They play on legendary stages large and small, including The Knitting Factory, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, The Troubadour and Lollapalooza. AllStar students often go on to have accomplished careers in the music industry. Former AllStars have gone on to become touring artists, star in Broadway musicals, get signed to record deals, become finalists on talent competitions like "The Voice" and "American Idol" and have other notable roles in the music industry.

Music Lessons in Aurora

Kid learns to play guitar at School of Rock Aurora

Guitar Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Guitar Lessons for Kids

At School of Rock Aurora, we offer beginner guitar lessons for kids. Our expert guitar instructors guide your child from start to finish with private instruction and weekly group band rehearsals. Every instructor at School of Rock Aurora is an experienced musician, and they emphasize foundational music theory and technique when teaching guitar lessons to kids. Unlike other Aurora guitar lessons and programs, School of Rock is designed to get students performing in a band.

Beginner Guitar Lessons for Adults

It’s never too late to learn to play the guitar. Similar to our kids guitar lessons, School of Rock Aurora's beginner guitar lessons for adults utilizes a performance-based curriculum. Our experienced instructors teach adult students through popular rock songs, and teach students to play guitar in a way that’s challenging and fun. We believe the best way to learn is by doing, which is why we combine weekly private guitar lessons with group band rehearsals. At School of Rock Aurora, we teach beginner guitar lessons for adults in our Adult Program. This program gets students performing onstage at a local Aurora venue.

Key Concepts
  • Technique
  • Solos
  • Chords
  • Theory

Intermediate to Advanced Guitar Lessons

As students gain skills and experience, we move them along to more challenging programs at higher skill levels. Intermediate and advanced students take the skills they learned in beginner guitar lessons, and layer on more difficult techniques and concepts. School of Rock Aurora offers advanced guitar lessons for kids and adults that teach by playing challenging classic rock songs and emphasize playing the guitar in a real music venue. Our Aurora guitar teachers will work with each student to develop a custom learning plan.

Kids learn to drum at School of Rock Aurora

Drum Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Drum Lessons for Kids

School of Rock Aurora is the best option for anyone looking to learn the drums. Our beginner drum lessons get kids behind the drum kit and on their way to taking the stage. That’s why at School of Rock Aurora we combine private drum lessons for beginners with weekly band rehearsals—it prepares students to perform live. With years of experience teaching drums in Aurora, our drum instructors teach beginner drum students core techniques, including how to groove, play rudiments and more.

Beginner Drum Lessons for Adults

Our drum lessons for adults are designed to accommodate all skill levels. At School of Rock Aurora, our beginner drum lessons for adults are built for musicians with little to no experience. We teach adults using the same core performance-based education philosophy as our drum lessons for kids—performing with a band accelerates the learning process. Adult students will perform live at a venue in Aurora. Unlike other Aurora drum lessons for beginners, School of Rock combines private drum lessons with weekly band rehearsals so students are ready to play in front of real, live audiences.

Key Concepts
  • RUDIMENTS
  • TIME SIGNATURES
  • TECHNIQUE
  • GROOVE

Intermediate to Advanced Drum Lessons

More experienced to advanced drum students need a drum lesson curriculum that builds upon foundational skills and continues to grow musical proficiency. That’s why at School of Rock Aurora, our drum lessons are customized for each student and his or her goals. Our Aurora drum instructors integrate more complex techniques and concepts—intermediary grooves, shifts, meters and more—into a student's individual lessons and group band rehearsal, and will also select more difficult songs for his or her live performances.

 

Kid learns to sing at School of Rock Aurora

Singing Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Singing Lessons for Kids

School of Rock Aurora offers beginner singing lessons for kids. Our unique, performance-based approach develops students' musical proficiency by preparing them to perform live. At School of Rock Aurora, our vocal coaches are practicing musicians who integrate key music fundamentals—breathing, posture and more—into a curriculum based on performing with a band. Each week, beginner singing students participate in a private singing lesson and a band rehearsal.

Beginner Singing Lessons for Adults

School of Rock Aurora teaches adults how to sing in our innovative Adult Program. Students develop vocal skills at a challenging pace designed to help you see results with every singing lesson. Adult vocalists learn how to keep tempo, stay on-key and master advanced vocal techniques for a powerful and healthy voice. Our curriculum teaches students how to sing by using popular rock songs that emphasize key concepts. Each week, Adult Program students have a private singing lesson for beginners and group band rehearsal.

Key Concepts
  • TECHNIQUE
  • HARMONY
  • POWER
  • READING

Intermediate to Advanced Singing Lessons

At School of Rock Aurora, our singing lessons for kids and adults are designed to help our students reach a high degree of musical proficiency. Intermediate and advanced singers take skills learned from previous singing lessons and layer on more difficult techniques and concepts. Our advanced singing lessons teach students to sing by performing popular rock songs that illustrate a specific vocal concept or technique. We pair weekly private singing lessons with weekly band rehearsals with the goal of getting musicians to perform live in Aurora.

Kid learns to play bass at School of Rock Aurora

Bass Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Bass Lessons for Kids

School of Rock Aurora offers beginner bass guitar lessons for kids that blend weekly private instruction with weekly band rehearsals. This performance-based approach results in a high level of musical proficiency because it engages and inspires students. Every School of Rock bass instructor is a practicing musician in Aurora and teaches bass lessons for kids that get great results. Beginners learn to play bass guitar by using popular rock songs that illustrate key concepts and techniques.

Beginner Bass Lessons for Adults

Adults looking to learn bass guitar can enroll in School of Rock’s Adult Program. No experience is necessary in our beginner bass guitar lessons for adults. At School of Rock Aurora, our experienced, local bass guitar instructors have the patience and skills to help adult students gain musical proficiency. As with all School of Rock music programs, our bass guitar lessons for adults ciriculum is performance-based, and include both weekly private instruction and weekly band rehearsals.

Key Concepts
  • GROOVE
  • TECHNIQUE
  • THEORY
  • TONE

Intermediate to Advanced Bass Lessons

Our intermediate to advanced bass guitar lessons teach Aurora students the skills they need to become the backbone of a band. Students take skills from previous bass lessons and layer on more difficult techniques and concepts. At School of Rock Aurora, our bass instructors use popular rock songs as a way of teaching students advanced concepts and techniques. We pair weekly private bass lessons with weekly band rehearsals to inspire and engage students throughout the learning process.

Kid learns to play piano at School of Rock Aurora

Keyboard Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Keyboard Lessons for Kids

At School of Rock we teach differently than other music schools in Aurora. Our curriculum is performance-based, meaning that we prepare students to perform. Our piano lessons for beginners combine weekly private instruction with weekly band rehearsals. At School of Rock Aurora, our beginner keyboard lessons for kids take key concepts and music fundamentals—finger placement, scales, key differentiation and more—and teach them through popular rock songs. This approach inspires and engages students, which results in attaining a high level of musical proficiency. Our piano teachers have years of experience teaching music in the Aurora area, and know how to coach and motivate students of any skill level to play the keyboard.

Beginner Keyboard Lessons for Adults

The School of Rock Aurora Adult Program puts beginner keyboard students in a band. Adult Program students in the Aurora area learn to play piano through a combination of weekly private beginner piano lessons and weekly band rehearsals. At School of Rock, our piano lessons give adult students the chance to perform in a band at local Aurora music venues, taking them out of the classroom and onto the stage.

Key Concepts
  • TECHNIQUE
  • TONE
  • THEORY
  • READING

Intermediate to Advanced Keyboard Lessons

At School of Rock Aurora, our keyboard lessons for kids and adults are designed to help students get results. Intermediate and advanced students take skills learned from beginner keyboard lessons and layer on more advanced piano techniques with concepts. Our local keyboard instructors are all practicing musicians in Aurora, and use popular rock songs as a way of teaching complex skills. We pair weekly private piano lessons with weekly band rehearsals to inspire and engage students throughout the learning process.

Our Experienced Music Teachers

All of School of Rock Aurora’s music teachers are experienced musicians devoted to helping students attain musical proficiency. Our instructors guide students one-on-one to personalize learning, inspire confidence and build social skills.

General Manager Erin Armstrong
Erin Armstrong
General Manager
Erin has been with School of Rock Aurora since December of 2015 and is happy to call the SoR staff her second family. She has been involved in music for as long as she can remember, always singing, strumming her guitar and writing songs to perform for anyone who would listen. Erin graduated from CU Denver with a BS in Music Business and Entertainment Industries. Since then she has managed, performed, and recorded with several local bands over the years including Thanks to Philo, Fable Heist, Extra Gold and most recently Mother Derringer.
Greg Foster
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Greg has become a staple in the Colorado music scene by playing and recording throughout the Midwest in a variety of cover and original bands ranging in styles from hard rock to country, to R&B/funk and blues. He is also a musical composer and producer that can be heard on albums from Millionaire Freaks and 2 Dog Tuesday among others. Bands of note include Nasty’s Nightmare (with KBPI's prime time DJ Uncle Nasty), Sheryl Renee, The Broken Everlys, Kelly J, Buckner FunkenJazz, Voodoo Kings and Carolina Reign. National artists that Greg has worked with or been an opening act for include Mr. Big, Savatage, Styx, Steve Morse Band, Chris Duarte, Jason Ricci, John Lee Hooker Jr., Joe Bonner and Hamilton Loomis. As an instructor he believes that learning the ‘why’ as well as the ‘how’ results in improved comprehension and performance.
Carl Sorensen
Drum Teacher
Carl Sorensen started playing drums in his elementary school band. He continued learning music through middle school and high school by taking lessons and playing in jazz band, concert band and marching band. This led him to take his education to the next level at Berklee College of Music, where he studied with Jamey Haddad (Paul Simon), Terri Lynne Carrington (Herbie Hancock), and Kenwood Dennard (Jaco Pastorius) among many other world-class professionals. Carl has since built a reputation in Denver for being 'Denver's Hardest Working Musician' ("Westword," 2014), having played with 100+ different bands in the Denver metro area. Carl currently performs with Dragondeer, Chimney Choir and Extra Gold among others, as well as hosts multiple jam sessions.
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher Greg King
Greg King
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Greg King grew up in Boston, MA and started playing guitar at a young age. After graduating from Berklee College of Music with a degree in Guitar Performance, he taught and played gigs all over Boston, New York City and Colorado, as well as in various other cities and states. He loves sharing his passion for music with students, as well as teaching ensembles and group classes. He has experience gigging and playing with many different bands that vary in style/genre. When Greg isn't teaching or gigging he is most likely listening to Led Zeppelin or a variety of funk, jazz, fusion or rock music. He loves teaching all ages and experience levels and is a guitar teacher and bass teacher. He excited to be living in Denver and teaching at School of Rock Aurora.
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher Josh Bennett
Josh Bennett
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Josh Bennett has been a musician for 20+ years. His primary instrument is guitar but he dabbles with drums, bass and vocals, as well as ukulele when the mood feels right. Over the years he has played with dozens of bands and artists in genres including rock, blues, country, metal, jazz, funk, ska and punk. Josh has spent years touring the USA, as well as time abroad in Europe and Southeast Asia. Nikki Sixx once described him as "a really cool guy." Josh has recorded on multiple commercial albums, and, with his band Acidic, held the #1 indie song in the country and was #33 on Billboard. During his free time he is an avid hiker and works as a personal trainer. He is a guitar teacher and bass guitar teacher at School of Rock Aurora.
Colin Shore
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Colin Shore is a guitar player specializing in rock, funk and jazz fusion. Born and raised in Atlanta, Colin moved to Boston to attend Berklee College of Music. Colin spent several years touring the country with his band Mister F, who played well over 100 shows per year. He has been invited to play with blues/soul icon Robert Randolph, smooth jazz artist Earl Klugh and bands such as Twiddle, Aqueous, Kung Fu, Dopapod and Mungion. Colin’s teaching style is highly adaptive to each student’s individual tastes, skills and goals. He is a guitar teacher and bass guitar teacher at School of Rock Aurora.
Drum Teacher Kirk Larson
Kirk Larson
Drum Teacher
Music has always been a big part of Kirk’s life; He has been playing music for 16 years! An artist that has had a big influence on him musically is Steely Dan. He is currently in a couple of different bands, including Kessel Run and Quite Frankly, which are Denver based and Fresh Intellect which is Chicago based. During quarantine when Kirk wasn’t teaching private lessons or running some of our Master Classes, he was recording new music, cooking and watching some of his favorite movies such as Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.
Singing Teacher Brittany O'Reilly
Brittany O'Reilly
Singing Teacher
Brittany is originally from Dallas, Texas but is currently studying music business at CU Denver. She specializes in performance technique and vocal quality/awareness. Throughout her time as a School of Rock student, Brittany was able to perform and command a stage in front of some amazing crowds, including SXSW in Austin, Texas.

Brittany's key strategy when it comes to teaching kids is that they will always have the healthiest vocal quality that they are capable of producing and they will always be the best performer they can be on any stage that they touch. Her background of being open and willing to work with any and all types of genres has allowed her to work on many amazing diverse projects.

Brittany is known for being someone who has an ear for good music and this has led her to travel to many different cities being a “studio sit-in” (someone who artists call when they need help writing songs, composition/production, vocals, etc.). She has also managed a few bands in the Denver and Texas area as well.

Brittany hopes to teach her students that once they're willing to step outside of their musical comfort zone, there is no limit to what they can do.
Drum Teacher Jake Fernstrum
Jake Fernstrum
Drum Teacher
Jake has had a passion for music for as long as he can remember. He started playing drums at the age of 5 and after being self-taught for six years, he began taking lessons and playing shows at age 11. He began to play professionally at the age of 14.

Jake is a former student and House Band member with School of Rock Aurora, and was selected as a four-time international School of Rock AllStar from 2017-2020. While attending School of Rock, he performed at iconic venues such as Lollapalooza, Red Rocks, Summerfest, and the World Cafe Live. When asked who his “Top 5” drummers are, he replies with John Bonham, Tony Williams, David Garibaldi, Dennis Chambers, and Aaron Spears.

Jake has worked with a vast array of artists across many styles of music, is currently playing with Wild Love Tigress, the Austin Young Band, Downtown Michael Brown & Finding NED, and has worked as a session musician for artists across the U.S. Jake believes that some of the most important parts of playing any instrument are to be passionate, listen to everything, and never have a comfort zone. Jake hopes that he instills a passion for the instrument in every student and a lifelong love for music as a whole.
Drum Teacher
Xavier Cruz
Drum Teacher
Xavier Cruz, a Denver native, began playing music in middle school. First it began with guitar, then drums, and finally the bass. Playing all through adolescence in Jazz ensemble and after school programs, he came to a decision. Immediately after graduating high school, he packed his bags and moved to Los Angeles, California to attend the Musicians Institute. After years of studying he obtained a degree in drum performance and audio engineering. Post graduation, he began to gig in various bands in Los Angeles of all styles and became a co-founder/producer for an indie record label called Vogue House Sounds. Now having returned back to where it all began, he shares his knowledge to the next generation of little rockers.
Singing Teacher, Keyboard Teacher Hannah Whitehead
Hannah Whitehead
Singing Teacher, Keyboard Teacher
Hannah was born and raised in Colorado and is currently studying vocal performance at CU Denver. Coming from a family of musicians and performers, Hannah’s love of music started at a very young age. She has had the opportunity to perform across the country, and even internationally, during her time in her undergraduate. While Hannah is passionate about music as a whole, her two biggest passions are musical theater and a cappella music. She is incredibly excited to become a part of the School of Rock team!
Danielle Garcia Bass Teacher
Danielle Garcia
Bass Teacher
Born and raised in Longmont, CO, Dani Garcia has been interested in music for as long as she can remember. She began playing classical bass at age 11, and picked up electric bass just a year later. Since then, she has studied rock, pop, funk, and jazz on both the upright and electric bass. Dani is currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in jazz bass performance at the University of Denver. She has gigged at various venues around Denver, including Globe Hall, Mercury Café, and Lost Lake Lounge as both an independent jazz musician and with her indie rock band Paulo’s Flood. Dani is passionate about all things bass, and her goal as a teacher is to share her appreciation for the instrument and help students find their own voice as a bassist.
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher Drae Dunning
Drae Dunning
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Drae Dunning began playing guitar when he was 12 years old. After high school, he attended the Musicians Institute in Los Angeles where he received a bachelor’s degree in guitar performance. Drae then went on to become the first person to graduate from MI with a master’s degree after writing a thesis on the history and development of British progressive rock. Drae is currently a member of the post-rock band Orna and the metalcore band Stopzone. Drae puts a strong emphasis on music theory and reading standard notation.
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher Mateo Segovia
Mateo Segovia
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Plucked fresh from the Lone Star state, Mateo comes from a long-standing education in music starting all the way back in elementary school. He eventually attended Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts where he pursued vocals, violin, and guitar through various groups and ensembles and took a year of college at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, just before the pandemic.

Now living in Denver, Mateo takes part in several musical endeavors while teaching privately and at School of Rock Aurora. Mateo takes influence from the stylings of Carlos Santana, Andy Timmons, and Foo Fighters while manipulating the techniques and tendencies of John Frusciante, John Mayer, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Though rock is his favorite genre, he often ties other genres into his playing to keep things interesting.
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher Jaden Lueras
Jaden Lueras
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Jaden Lueras is a guitarist who loves playing everything from brutal riffs to beautiful chords, and everything in between. Trained by bluesman Paul Wilson in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Jaden cemented his passion for the electric guitar at an early age, and through the years, his passion and hard work put him on many different stages with many different types of musicians.

This taught Jaden the importance of being able to sonically integrate with others and create an experience that comes only through jelling with fellow band members while maintaining the ingredient that makes him unique. Jaden recognizes the importance of encouraging a musician’s individuality and also understands that learning is a unique process that works differently for everybody. Jaden is over the moon to be a part of the School Of Rock Aurora team.
Bass Guitar Teacher, Drum Teacher Luke Willenberg
Luke Willenberg
Bass Guitar Teacher, Drum Teacher
Luke’s first time playing drums was at a School of Rock in Oceanside, California. He started playing drums when he was 11 years old and after about a year and a half picked up bass guitar as well. Through middle school and high school, he continued to be an active member of his local School of Rock playing all over Southern California with School of Rock Oceanside’s House Band. He also played in personal bands and in musical programs throughout high school. Luke’s musical adventures have led him to play a variety of different genres, including funk, pop, jazz, Latin, soul, and plenty of rock and his favorite, metal!

Luke is currently studying Audio Production at the University of Colorado Denver and is a nerd about all things bass, drums, audio, rock, metal, and anything else music-related. His goal as an instructor is to give other students the same incredible opportunities, wisdom, and challenges that he received from dozens of amazing instructors during his time as a student at School of Rock.
School of Rock is where music and learning come together

For over twenty years, our amazing instructors have transformed hundreds of thousands of students across the world into skilled musicians. Become a musician at School of Rock.

Reviews

The teachers are fun and encouraging!

Our 7-year-old daughter loves the opportunity to play a variety of instruments and she has a lot of fun! She is comfortable and feels very proud of all the music she learns each week. The teachers make learning music something awesome.

It’s brought my son out of his shell.

This is a place where kids can go to be kids AND be a part of something bigger! To step out of the box (phone, tv, tablet) and experience music and life is amazing. It's changed my son so much for the better.

One of the best decisions I’ve made as a parent.

Our son is flourishing and is engaged in something he loves. It's worth every penny. Simply a great, caring group of people. My only regret is that School of Rock wasn't around when I was a kid.

My son is part of a team.

School of Rock has taught him to be responsible for meeting deadlines, for doing his part, for helping others, for building up team members, for pushing himself to reach new goals and for stepping outside of his comfort zone.