Jason Fein
Owner
Jason's musical journey started very early. He started piano lessons at the age of seven and it wasn't long after that he decided he wanted to learn how to play the guitar. Still not feeling like he had found his true musical calling he decided to give his school chorus a try when he entered high school. Things started moving fast from there. He formed his first band as the lead singer and by the time he graduated high school he went away to college on a vocal performance scholarship. While in college he formed his first touring band called Next Best Thing. They had some success including two albums and a song placed in a very popular motorcycle DVD that pressed over 500,000 copies.
After college NBT broke up and Jason was left searching for a new musical outlet. Little did he know he would soon find it in multiple forms. He co-founded The Run Around. In the ten years The Run Around has been together they have played shows all across this country, sold thousands of albums, have a successful music video and shared the stage with such national acts as Tom Petty, Bowling For Soup, Local H, Blues Traveler, Alien Ant Farm, Mest, Head Automatica, Lucky Boys Confusion, Nine Days, Gavin Degraw and many, many more. In the midst of all this, Jason was hired on as a vocal instructor at another School of Rock in the area. It wasn't long before he was recognized for his ability to direct and put on an impressive live show and was asked to direct the performance program. From there he went on to be the General Manager.
He learned that he loved the School of Rock mission and everything it represented and decided he wanted to make School of Rock his life. Geneva has always been a favorite town of his and just minutes away from where he grew up so he thought it was a great place to set up shop and start the next great chapter of his life. He can't wait to help mold the next generation of rock n' roll royalty.
Tracy Leggett
General Manager
Initially coming to School of Rock Geneva by way of School of Rock Plainfield as the former Studio Coordinator, Tracy is undeniably excited to serve School of Rock Geneva as the General Manager! To say music flows through her blood is quite an understatement, as she is a fourth-generation musician on her mother’s side and a sixth-generation musician on her father’s side. Her earliest memory of music was plunking out "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" on the piano at the age of 3.
After years of studying orchestral percussion, trombone, tuba, baritone, as well as trumpet, Tracy studied applied music (opera) at Southern Illinois University and re-established the Epsilon Kappa chapter of Mu Phi Epsilon International Co-Ed Music Fraternity.
If ever you want to stop by the front office to chat about music or even need to hear some words of encouragement, her door is open!
Bailey Poczos
Music Director, Guitar, Bass Guitar, Piano and Singing Teacher
Bailey is School of Rock Geneva's Music Director, as well as a multi-instrumentalist instructor teaching guitar, voice, bass, and piano. She sings and plays guitar for an indie rock band called Johnny Personne, and has played with various bands and groups ranging from punk to classical to rock. Some of her recent bands include Joy Shooters (guitar) and The 48s (vocals).
Bailey grew up with both classical and practical training, taking private lessons in guitar, viola and violin, and was raised in an orchestral program at ECC. She has enjoyed her last five years teaching and directing at School of Rock, and can't imagine doing anything else!
Allyson Smith
Studio Coordinator
Allyson Smith is School of Rock Geneva’s Studio Coordinator, where she combines her eye for detail with her love of music. Allyson graduated from Northern Illinois University where she studied music performance. As a multi-instrumentalist, Allyson performs and teaches trumpet, ukulele, and piano, with experience in classical, jazz, and electronic music.
Daniel Covarrubias
Guitar and Bass Guitar Teacher
Dan first became interested in music when he listened to his siblings’ cd collection of Alternative rock. He was drawn to the variety of music he was hearing from video games. He was always humming tunes he heard and making his own. He began making his own music using Garageband. By the end of high school Dan had about ten full length albums of songs he wrote himself, based on his personal experiences. He wrote music as my way to express his own way of doing things.
Dan’s dad and brother In-law inspired him to take those accapella-riff styled songs to the guitar and practice techniques to build speed and memorize the guitar neck. Eventually he started playing his own shows and singing, sometimes even with a loop-pedal! He began to study Music Theory, and chart building and sight reading became more and more natural. Soon he was pulling off shows for Geneva’s Art Guild, Open Mics weekly, fundraisers, and joining a handful of cover bands and original rock bands.
Dan has been a guitar teacher and a bass teacher at School of Rock Geneva since our opening in 2015. Breaking down songs and feeling the uniqueness and togetherness of each part has always been his thing; and watching his students improve over the time has been fulfilling.
Kyle Gentile
Drum Teacher
Kyle Gentile has been a performing musician for nearly 20 years. Starting off as a self-taught drummer he recorded his first EP Drift, with his high school band Auxiliary at 16. He went on to receive a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies from Capital University’s music conservatory. While attending University he was head of the percussion work study crew, performed all over Ohio with various rock/jazz/chamber groups, and premiered a taiko piece for PASIC while touring Texas with a chamber percussion ensemble. Kyle became a teaching assistant at the University of Colorado Boulder’s Thompson Jazz studies program. Here he received a Master of Music degree in Jazz Performance and Pedagogy.
Over the years he has performed with artists of all genres all over the US as well as internationally. Some of these artists and groups include; Brad Goode, Safety Squad, Maria Schneider, Jonathan Saraga, Brian Casey, and Bill Boggs. Kyle recently returned to the northwest suburbs and continues performing, recording, and teaching in various settings. Kyle teaches drums at School of Rock Geneva.
Peter Aburto
Singing Teacher, Piano Teacher
Ever since he first heard songs on the radio, Peter has loved music. He began his musical journey on the trombone, and played through college, adding new instruments along the way. Peter graduated from Northern Illinois University, focusing his time on Music Performance. He has competed nationally with the Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps, and hopes to inspire his love of music in others.
Deon Taylor
Drum Teacher
Deon has been teaching drums for about 6 years and is passionate about teaching and drumming! He loves to see his students progress and grow as musicians. He brings joy to the role at our school!
Matt Farias
Guitar Teacher
Native of the Chicagoland area, Matt has been gigging and teaching since he started persuing music in college and is now degreed from NIU. Music has always been a part of his life in whatever capacity he can get and is always looking for new and exciting ways to expand his musical experience such as playing on the main stage at Millenium Park Chicago, to playing for the inmates at the Dixon Correctional Facility in Dixon Il, to even being in the pit orchestras of musicals.
While Matt does enjoy performing, he also has a big appreciation and passion for teaching, having taken many classes during his education at NIU. Matt has a drive to make sure the students needs of interest and education are always met in their own unique ways.
Arick Coggins
Drum Teacher
A native of the local area, Arick has been a drummer for 20 years. Arick brings with him an abundance of knowledge to get the students where they want to be as drummers. He currently plays for a local church along with community choirs, studio sessions, and gigs at local bars. Arick is truly passionate about student success and guarantees each student will walk away with something new each session. Arick’s goal is to show the students how to perfect their craft and improve their technique, preparing them for the next level!
Andrew Schneider
Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Singing Teacher
Andrew Schneider has been teaching and performing professionally for a decade. He went to Millikin University for his undergraduate degree and majored in Commercial Music and then went to graduate school at Northern Illinois University where he specialized in Studio Music and Audio Engineering.
As a singer, Andrew has a strong background in performing various types of music from jazz, blues, and rock to musical theater, classical, folk, and pop. He has also performed as a Bass II in the elite professional choral ensemble Cor Contiamo and can teach any student any style of music they are interested in.
As a pianist, Andrew specializes in performing jazz, blues, and rock and teaches his students how to improvise in these styles. He also has a strong background in music theory and music literacy for students interested in learning how to read and fully understand the music they are performing.
Sydney Alpers
Singing Teacher
Sydney is a classically trained vocalist with over a decade of experience. She has performed in choirs and as a soloist.
Sydney has also had the privilege of working with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Lyric Opera. She is working towards learning electric guitar and owns a Fender Stratocaster.
Darryl Jones
Bass Guitar Teacher
Darryl is an active bass player in the gospel community which spans 20 years of service. His work includes many concerts, musicals, plays, events, and studio sessions, some of which he has served as music director.
Darryl has taught, mentored, and influenced bassists who are currently active in touring, recording, and playing for major secular artists. He is currently active in studio sessions where he is completing projects that will serve as the introduction of his company "tymeZnow Music Group."
Ben D'Andrea
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Ben D'Andrea has over a decade of music experience. His love for music started when he was young and he later decided to pick up an instrument and put forth dedication to become a musician, with guitar being his instrument of choice. Ben's ability to play and develop his skills came through his passion for music. He continues to inspire others with his knowledge of music.
Jaisen Ehas
Singing Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Drum Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Jaisen is a professional musician and multi-instrumentalist with over three decades of experience in the music industry. He began his music career at the age of 16 when he worked as a roadie for a bustling wedding band in Chicago. He used his early earnings to purchase his very first electric guitar, which laid the foundation for his enduring career in rock music. That same year, he began classical voice training under the tutelage of Carl Lorenz, learning side-by-side with renowned soprano Ailyn Pérez.
Jaisen attended Millikin University on a full talent scholarship, majoring in both Music and Theater. With over 30 years of vocal experience and training, his versatility shines through in his proficiency across various genres, ranging from Opera to Rock, Pop to Metal, Punk to Jazz. His advanced guitar and bass guitar skills have been honed over three decades of professional play.
Jaisen's musical contributions include serving as the lead guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter for the seminal independent rock band THIS IS VERSAILLES. He now brings his talents to the new Post-Rock/Dark Wave project MSTØVARIS. Throughout his journey, Jaisen has been a part of several noteworthy groups, including JIMMY CHOW MEIN, MINUS 350, SELF DESTRUCT SEQUENCE, and C-SIZE ENGINE, to name a few. He has performed in over 500 live shows across the US and Canada at venues such as DOUBLE DOOR and EMPTY BOTTLE in Chicago, TROUBADOUR and THE SATELLITE in Los Angeles, CBGBs, PIANOS, and CAKE SHOP in NYC, CACTUS CLUB and BBC in Milwaukee, and TURF CLUB and TRIPLE ROCK in Minnesota. He has shared stages with celebrated acts such as BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB, EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY, THE BRONX, TORCHE, and THE LIFE AND TIMES, amongst others.
In addition to his musical prowess, Jaisen is an accomplished composer, producer, and engineer, lending his talents to film scores and producing several albums and artists. He is also an experienced DJ with performances at prominent clubs, including THE SHORT STOP in LA, ARLENE’S GROCERY in New York City, and SMART BAR in Chicago. Using his wealth of knowledge of rock and pop music and its history, he wrote and hosted Rock & Roll Jeopardy, a live rock music trivia game show featured in TIMEOUT CHICAGO and CLTV/METROMIX. With a passion for live music, Jaisen has witnessed over 1,000 bands perform, including legendary acts such as NIRVANA, GUNS N' ROSES, FUGAZI, ROXY MUSIC, RADIOHEAD, and THE CURE. His journey is a testament to his enduring love for music and dedication to his craft.
Neema Zardkoohi
Drum Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Neema is a jazz, blues, and rock musician! He has had professional training and plays these styles on the guitar, bass guitar, drums, and piano. He can adjust his teaching style per student to allow for advanced and simplified techniques, focusing on keeping the main elements constant and accurate, such as melody, rhythm, and harmony.
Neema has over 15 years of experience performing and teaching music. He puts time and effort into teaching and sharing the gift of music.
Cory Nicolin
Drum Teacher
Cory has been playing drums for over two decades! He found his passion for drumming at a young age when he got his first drum set for Christmas. His brother was learning to play the guitar and he wanted to be in a band with him. He learned the introduction to "Bawitdaba" by Kid Rock and hasn't stopped since.
Cory has been in bands of almost all genres and has had the privilege of learning from some of the greatest over the years. He currently plays for the band Embers Rise, a modern rock band that has been around for nearly two years and has released three original singles. Most recently, he took the opportunity to fill in on the drums for the band Lines of Loyalty during the first half of their tour with Pop Evil. Cory says, "It was an amazing and unforgettable learning experience that has really sparked my desire to help other drummers build up their skill set as much as possible."