Melanie Boyd
General Manager
Melanie Boyd, MBA, is a passionate advocate for the transformative power of music education. She has dedicated her career to the belief that working with music cultivates essential life skills such as collaboration, creativity, teamwork, communication, and mentorship.
Since 2020, Melanie has been fulfilling her dream as the General Manager of School of Rock Doylestown. It is important to her that the school’s program is not just about mastering instruments but also about nurturing well-rounded individuals who can thrive in any endeavor.
Recognizing the value of collaboration, Melanie has extended her influence beyond only the school. As Operations Manager for various organizations in the Bucks County area previously, she has been instrumental in fostering relationships and forging partnerships in both the non-profit and for-profit sectors in the community.
Melanie strives to maintain a safe and inclusive space for tweens and teens seeking to express themselves through music and the arts. Her dedication provides these young musicians with the opportunities they need to showcase their talents to the local Doylestown community and beyond.
In Melanie's eyes, music is the universal language that transcends boundaries and brings people together. She hopes that her passion and dedication can inspire the next generation to find their voices, both musically and in life.
Matthew Snyder
Music Director
After growing up listening to guitar-oriented music, such as rock and metal, Matt Snyder began playing guitar at the age of 13. A year into his musical career he joined School of Rock Doylestown, where he became a member of the Doylestown House Band. In his time at School of Rock Doylestown Matt was also accepted into the School of Rock AllStars program, where he toured the east coast from Florida to Connecticut. He even had the opportunity to play with famous musicians, such as Butch Trucks of The Allman Brothers Band. Matt enjoyed his time as a student at School of Rock so much that he decided to give back by becoming a guitar teacher so he could pass on his passion for music. Besides being a guitar teacher here in Doylestown, Matt also directs the Saturday Rock 101 group, as well as the school’s summer music camps.
James Malriat
Assistant Music Director, Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Drum Teacher
James is a versatile multi-instrumentalist. He's a producer, composer, lyricist, videographer, and remote session musician, working from his home studio in Doylestown. He was immersed in music from a young age. As soon as he was aware of his existence, he started trying to play any and all unattended instruments. He played the drums on his notebook with pencils until he was old enough to join his elementary school's band program. He stuck with it through middle and high school, where he played drums in the Lenape and C.B. West Jazz ensembles. Since then, He's performed, recorded, and produced for various local bands and developed an eclectic catalog. He's most comfortable on drums, but he's been playing guitar and bass for just as long; about 16 years. James listens to dozens of albums a week, new and old, while he works on repairs and modifications of old synths, guitars, pedals, microphones, and various other semi-functional electronics. He is a lifelong student of all things music and is eager to share what he's learned over the years.
Morgan McClain
Studio Coordinator, Guitar Teacher
Morgan is a guitar teacher, studio coordinator, and a School of Rock Doylestown graduate. She grew up heavily influenced by Rock music from her parents and active in various music extracurriculars. Starting School of Rock in 7th grade for guitar lessons, Morgan progressed throughout the school, learning guitar, bass, voice, and some piano, as well as performance programs and House-band. Morgan is active in the local music scene with her all-girl punk band Froggy (link) and is a professional musician. She played many shows around the area with Froggy, has played with Joe Talcum from the Dead Milkmen, has been on 93.3’s Preston and Steve show (link), and recently has a song in the soundtrack of the new movie Clerks 2 (link). She loves playing, listening and teaching music of different kinds and has always considered the School of Rock Doylestown to be her second home.
Fiona Boyd-Clark
Special Projects Coordinator, Drum Teacher
Fiona has felt connected to music for as long as they can remember, listening to many influential artists like David Bowie and Stevie Wonder before they could talk. Fiona spent six years at School of Rock Doylestown as a drum and bass student in the performance program and spent three years in the Doylestown House Band. They have now joined the School of Rock Doylestown team as a Special Projects Coordinator and drum teacher.
Fiona is active in the punk music scene with their band Froggy, which has played with musicians including Joe Jack Talcum of the Dead Milkmen, Bad Cop Bad Cop, The Casualties, and many more. Froggy has been featured on WMMR and WXPN, and has collaborated with 7-Eleven to create a cheesy music video for their song, "7-Eleven Nachos." Fiona is proud to be part of the local music community, and especially the School of Rock community, where they have always felt at home.
Chris Clark
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Chris Clark is an accomplished musician with a deep-rooted passion for music. He finds fulfillment in his role as both a guitar teacher and bass guitar teacher at School of Rock Doylestown. His connection to music dates back to his earliest memories, where as a toddler he was captivated by his grandfather's piano compositions.
Later, Chris discovered his calling for music when he picked up the guitar and saxophone. Throughout his high school years, he showcased his musical prowess by earning the prestigious position of first chair saxophonist in the jazz band. He further demonstrated his leadership skills as the drum major of an award-winning marching band while delving into the complexities of advanced music theory.
Chris continued his musical education at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA, where he studied Composition. Afterward, he lived and performed in vibrant music scenes in Austin, TX, and New Orleans, LA. During this period, he showcased his versatility by playing guitar and bass in various garage, punk, and rockabilly bands. His expertise extended beyond performing, as he made a living selling guitars.
A lifelong learner, Chris has dedicated over 30 years to studying jazz guitar, solidifying his reputation as a seasoned jazz guitarist. Presently, he performs in the Doylestown music scene as one half of the dynamic Malcom-Clark jazz duo. Chris Clark continues to inspire and educate budding musicians while pursuing his own artistic endeavors in the world of jazz.
Tony Billings
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Tony Billings is a guitar and bass teacher from Baltimore, MD. He moved to Philadelphia in 2019. Inspired to play guitar by watching his uncle as a young toddler, he’s been an avid fan of music all of his life. He first picked up the guitar at 13. While rock and metal have been his primary areas of interest, he developed a strong love for classical and jazz while studying music at Carroll Community College in Westminster, MD. After performing and touring in local bands for a few years, he continued touring the U.S. as a guitar technician for bands like Texas in July and The Ghost Inside. He strives to inspire and help upcoming generations to become the best they can be on their musical journey.
Cameron Ralston
Bass Guitar Teacher, Keyboard Teacher
Cameron Ralston joins the School of Rock instructor staff as a trained musician and former student. After years of multi-instrumental lessons and performances with the Doylestown School of Rock, Cameron attended the University of the Arts to further study the electric bass. While there, he developed his skills in ear training, music theory, jazz vocabulary, and ensemble playing. Cameron brings a unique perspective to each lesson by combining a foundation in rock music with knowledge of advanced musical concepts, and tailors the material to best fit the student’s ability and learning style. When not teaching electric bass and keys at the school, Cameron is an early childhood education professional at a private childcare facility.
Ian Roberts
Singing Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Ian Roberts is a School of Rock Doylestown alum! As a student, he performed in shows playing guitar and singing, was a member of the House Band, and was selected to the AllStars program in his last year as a student. His love for classic rock, hard rock, and heavy metal is what brought him to the school and has helped unlock a deep passion for singing and understanding how it all works.
Ian has returned to School of Rock Doylestown to help teach more aggressive styles of singing with a more nuanced approach to the genre, without the worry of damaging one's singing abilities! Ian has played in multiple hard rock and heavy metal bands around the tri-state area. He has also hosted a few workshops on how to achieve healthy aggressive vocalizations and how to improve one's stage performance and show etiquette, both at the School of Rock here in Doylestown and at private venues in New York City.
Joel Adams
Drums Teacher
Joel started with drum lessons at age 7. He has been playing professionally since he was 12, which was the minimum age to join the musicians’ union. Joel played in the school bands and musicals, neighborhood garage bands, and as a regular and sub drummer for all kinds of local bands in the Pittsburgh area. He got his Bachelor’s Degree in Music Composition, with a principal instrument of percussion from West Virginia University where he participated in a wide variety of percussion and jazz groups. Most recently Joel played in a grunge cover band all over Philadelphia and the mid Atlantic region. He is excited to join the School of Rock team to share his talents with young musicians.
Tyler Beck
Guitar Teacher
At the age of 7, Tyler Beck was one of the first students to join School of Rock Doylestown. He started with drums and eventually started to learn guitar and vocals. He continued playing with the Performance Program and House Band until he graduated high school! Learning to play music has opened up many opportunities in the community for Tyler. This includes assisting in coordinating the Doylestown Youth Arts Fest and hosting a weekly open mic night at a local restaurant. Since beginning instructing, Tyler has fallen in love with helping other students grow as musicians. School of Rock Doylestown has been one of the most comforting places to be for Tyler and he wants others to share the same enjoyment!
Jake Lapergola
Guitar Teacher, Bass Teacher, Show Director
Jake started his musical journey playing viola in school orchestra at 10 years old and picked up guitar shortly thereafter. As a School of Rock Doylestown student for several years on guitar, bass guitar, and vocals, Jake participated in House Band and 2 All Stars Tours. Jake graduated from CB East High School and attended Northeastern University. Now, returning to School of Rock Doylestown as a teacher is like a homecoming in which he can pass on some of his experience to his students.
Ryan Cassidy
Guitar Teacher, Bass Teacher
Ryan grew up having a wide variety of musical influences especially in Classic Rock. He is a Guitar and Bass player who loves to write and record his own music. One of my biggest life goals is to become a professional songwriter and recording artist who inspires others to pursue their passions, whether it be in music or whatever field they choose. Ryan is a graduate of Penn State University and is currently enrolled in the Berklee Music Production program.
Lolly Hopwood
Singing Teacher
Lolly Hopwood has been performing music for children for about 13 years. While she has become a household name in Bucks County because of her long-running storytimes, it has been her three albums for kids and her children's book that have brought her to the stages at World Cafe Live, the Dallas Museum of Art, the Philadelphia Folk Festival, Peeps Fest, the Philadelphia Zoo and Music Fest.
Lolly has also been on the Sprout network and was most recently part of the PBS Kids Jam series. In addition to her career in children's music, Lolly is the former bassist and singer for the band Honeychurch. She has shared the stage with Neil Halstead from Slowdive, Mojave 3, Anthony Green from Circa Survive, members of Midlake and Mercury Rev, and many more musicians that she deeply admires. Lolly joined the School of Rock Doylestown team in 2021. She leads the Rookies and Little Wing classes as well as teaches vocals to students of all ages.
Bogi Trifunovic
Drum Teacher
Bogi started his musical journey as a School of Rock student in 2008 and returned to continue his involvement as a teacher simply because of how much he loved the program. School of Rock was more than just a place to learn music, but was also a second home where Bogi could spend time hanging out and making new friends through a shared love of music. While Bogi initially joined School of Rock for his enjoyment of rock bands like Led Zeppelin, Green Day, Rush, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the various shows and programs that the school offered helped to broaden his musical tastes over the years as well. As a result, Bogi is now well-versed in the drumming of other genres like funk, reggae, hip-hop, metal, jazz, and more. This diverse taste in music is what influences his drumming style and pushes him to be a better musician.
Throughout the years Bogi has performed at countless music venues along the east coast with various different groups, regularly playing at venues like The World Cafe, Kung Fu Necktie, and even the SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas. While performing is his true passion, Bogi also has a deep love of learning and sharing new information about drumming with his fellow musicians, and it is this love that pushes him to be the best educator that he can be for his students at School of Rock Doylestown.
Lamont Caldwell
Show Director
Lamont Caldwell is an all-around musical force, with several instruments and bands under his belt. He is the leader and founder of the rock band MACH22. They have opened for musical acts like Bon Jovi, Guns N' Roses, Jay Z, Linkin Park, Kid Rock, Slayer, Five Finger Death Punch, Godsmack, Stained, Slash, Halestorm, Black Label Society, Steel Panther, and many, many more. They have also made their mark at such events as the Made in America Festival, as well as repeat appearances at Rocklahoma and most recently the Monsters of Rock Cruise. On a personal note, Lamont started his performance career when asked to join the band of soul singer Bilal as a saxophonist. Tours quickly followed that with Erykah Badu, Common, Kirk Franklin, Dave Matthews Band, Beck, The Legendary Roots Crew of The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, and hip hop icon Jay-Z.
Bobby Beato
Guitar Teacher
Bobby began playing guitar when he was 7 years old and has been playing for almost two decades. He started as a student at School of Rock Doylestown when he was 13, and spent a total of five years here, participating in both the House Band and AllStars. Bobby likes to play all genres of music but he primarily likes to play rock and metal. He received a performing arts scholarship at Drexel University for guitar and graduated from Drexel with a BSBA. Bobby has been playing around Philadelphia with different musicians and bands more recently. He began teaching guitar at School of Rock Doylestown in November 2022 and is also the Director for Rock 101 on Saturdays.
Dylan Welsh
Singing Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Dylan started playing music as a School of Rock student in 2012 and hasn't looked back since. He was always into music as a child and loved singing and then began to expand into other instruments, like bass and drums. He was also a member of the House Band and formed his own band with some fellow students.
Dylan has participated in pep bands at both La Salle High School and Monmouth University, where he will be graduating in August 2023 with a degree in Music Industry. His deep passion for music has led him right back here to Doylestown, which is awesome!