Adam Lavinsky
Owner / General Manager
School of Rock East Cobb is owned and operated by Adam Lavinsky, who discovered his love for music when he started playing a drum set at the age of six. Adam graduated from Berklee College of Music where he studied Music Business and was the original drummer for Columbia recording artist Passion Pit. He currently plays drums for the Atlanta-based band, Waller and Asheville, NC-based rock group Ryan Sheffield and The Highhills.
Shannon McNairy
General Manager
Shannon McNairy has been performing on stage since she was a kid. Originally from Dallas, Texas, Shannon joined the School of Rock East Cobb family in June 2021. She plays drums, bass, guitar, and sings around town when she isn’t playing dolls with her daughter, Cora. Shannon has worked at several different School of Rock locations across the country over the past ten years, and loves to make people laugh with her incredible sense of humor. ;) Her favorite rock drummers are John Bonham, Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, and Neal Peart, but she is a Swiftie at heart.
James Deveau
Singing Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Co-Music Director
James DeVeau is a Yankee turned Georgia boy. Born in Syracuse, NY, he moved to Georgia as a kid and has been here ever since! James can play anything with strings. James plays all around town with JERB, The Fixins, and also writes and plays his original music.
His influences include but are not limited to Pink Floyd, Fleet Foxes, Vulfpeck, and Tears for Fears. James also does work in audio production, plays a mean game of tennis, and loves dogs. Fun fact: he is colorblind!
Ashton May
Singing Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Co-Music Director
Ashton May is primarily a vocalist who just so happens to be great at several instruments, including bass, guitar, keyboards, and vibraslap. Ashton plays in several bands across the Atlanta area, including The Hearsay (check their new album out on your favorite streaming platform) and Arcside, and also performs solo multiple times a month at venues around town. You won’t find a bigger Taylor Swift fan than Ashton, but she also enjoys listening to Metric, Third Eye Blind, David Bowie, and Paramore.
Emma Knight
Studio Coordinator
Emma is the bright, shining face you’ll see when you walk in the front door of School of Rock East Cobb! Her hobbies include cooking, making jewelry, and creating all of the cute signage you see around the school. One of Emma’s favorite artists is Dolly Parton, and she comes from a super musical family. Emma made an awesome Pumpkin Spice Latte costume for Halloween this year, and her favorite color is pink!
Judson Gann
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Judson is a fun-loving guy who also happens to be an incredible guitarist. A former student of School of Rock East Cobb, Judson was a member of the House Band for two years. He writes, composes, and produces his own music in his free time, along with dabbling in underwater basket weaving.
Judson was a professional motocross racer and he can run really fast too. Another neat fact about Judson is that he fosters cats, and loves all animals.
Saoirse Russell
Singing Teacher
Saoirse (pronounced seer-shuh) plays around town with Velvet Willow and works on her personal music in her spare time. A fun fact about Saoirse is that she was a student at School of Rock East Cobb several years ago, and a member of our House Band. Her favorite color is purple and she has a kitten named Beef. A couple of her vocal influences are Stevie Nicks and Ann Wilson. Saoirse's creativity and energetic personality bring so much joy to the school!
Erin Williams
Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Erin teaches keyboards and guitar and is a rehearsal instructor. Erin also plays banjo and violin! Her favorite artists are Taylor Swift, Tyler Childers, Radiohead, Billy Strings, and Elliot Smith.
Stuart Lyle
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Stuart teaches guitar and bass, also plays drums, and is a rehearsal instructor as well. He started playing music in the eighth grade. His favorite bands are St. Vincent, Metric, Led Zeppelin, The National, and Pink Floyd.