Santa Ana
School of Rock

Explore School of Rock

Santa Ana

Map
School of Rock Santa Ana
2620 S Bristol St
Santa Ana, CA 92704
(949) 774-7625
Hours
  • Monday: 2 PM - 8 PM
  • Tuesday: 2 PM - 8 PM
  • Wednesday: 2 PM - 8 PM
  • Thursday: 2 PM - 8 PM
  • Friday: 2 PM - 8 PM
  • Saturday: Closed
  • Sunday: Closed

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

Expand your musical talent at School of Rock Santa Ana. Here, students from Santa Ana, Irvine, Costa Mesa, Orange, Fountain Valley, and the greater Orange County area can learn everything from guitar to piano, keyboard, drums, and more. Students are also exposed to an array of different musical styles, including '80s and '90s rock, Spanish music, church music, and electronic music. Santa Ana has a robust arts scene including art walks, as well as a long history of music, dance, and theater. The city is home to the Orange County School for the Arts, plus great venues like The Segerstrom Center.

Programs we offer

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

Rock 101 is one of School of Rock Santa Ana'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 Santa Ana 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 Santa Ana are designed to get students on stage performing, with the goal of building strong musical proficiency. Younger students at School of Rock Santa Ana 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 Santa Ana
Performance
Ages 8-18

The Performance Program at School of Rock Santa Ana 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 Santa Ana Performance Program students take the stage and play at local Santa Ana 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 Santa Ana'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 Santa Ana music venue.

Rookies music program for children in Santa Ana
Rookies
Ages 6-7

At School of Rock Santa Ana, 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 Santa Ana, 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 Santa Ana, 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 Santa Ana is designed to create musical proficiency through the creation of original music. Students at School of Rock Santa Ana 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 Santa Ana, 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.

Adult music program in Santa Ana for students over 18
Adult Program
Ages 18+

School of Rock Santa Ana's Adult Program is for students over 18 years old who are looking to either improve their musical proficiency or pick up an instrument with no prior musical experience. As with most School of Rock music programs, the Adult Program uses a performance-based music education approach. This means the curriculum focuses on learning music concepts and applying them in a live performance setting. Our Adult Music Program includes one weekly private music lesson and a weekly group rehearsal. Every student at School of Rock Santa Ana is placed in a band of fellow adults and then assigned specific songs as a way of learning key music concepts and skills. Adult students then take the stage to play at a live show in Santa Ana.

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

The Path to Take the Stage

All of our music programs are designed to inspire by getting students on stage and performing, with the goal of building strong musical proficiency along the way. The School of Rock Santa Ana Adult Program is open to all experience levels and each student will follow a customized learning plan developed by their instructor. Adult students will work together during rehearsal to prepare for a live performance at a real rock venue in Santa Ana.

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

The School of Rock Santa Ana 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 Santa Ana's House Band. Once selected, House Band members become leaders in their School of Rock community and perform live shows at CA 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 Santa Ana and the rest of CA. 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 Santa Ana

Kid learns to play guitar at School of Rock Santa Ana

Guitar Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Guitar Lessons for Kids

At School of Rock Santa Ana, 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 Santa Ana is an experienced musician, and they emphasize foundational music theory and technique when teaching guitar lessons to kids. Unlike other Santa Ana 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 Santa Ana'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 Santa Ana, we teach beginner guitar lessons for adults in our Adult Program. This program gets students performing onstage at a local Santa Ana 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 Santa Ana 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 Santa Ana guitar teachers will work with each student to develop a custom learning plan.

Kids learn to drum at School of Rock Santa Ana

Drum Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Drum Lessons for Kids

School of Rock Santa Ana 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 Santa Ana we combine private drum lessons for beginners with weekly band rehearsals—it prepares students to perform live. With years of experience teaching drums in Santa Ana, 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 Santa Ana, 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 Santa Ana. Unlike other Santa Ana 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 Santa Ana, our drum lessons are customized for each student and his or her goals. Our Santa Ana 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 Santa Ana

Singing Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Singing Lessons for Kids

School of Rock Santa Ana 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 Santa Ana, 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 Santa Ana 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 Santa Ana, 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 Santa Ana.

Kid learns to play bass at School of Rock Santa Ana

Bass Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Bass Lessons for Kids

School of Rock Santa Ana 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 Santa Ana 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 Santa Ana, 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 Santa Ana 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 Santa Ana, 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 Santa Ana

Keyboard Lessons for All Skill Levels

Beginner Keyboard Lessons for Kids

At School of Rock we teach differently than other music schools in Santa Ana. 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 Santa Ana, 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 Santa Ana 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 Santa Ana Adult Program puts beginner keyboard students in a band. Adult Program students in the Santa Ana 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 Santa Ana 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 Santa Ana, 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 Santa Ana, 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 Santa Ana’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.

Music Director Chris Kopp
Chris Kopp
Music Director
Chris Kopp has had a passion for music his whole life which was instilled at an early age growing up in a musical family. This passion eventually led him to attend, and graduate from, the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts with a degree in Professional Music. After graduation, he returned to his hometown of Monterey, California, and began pursuing a career in music.

In 2008, Chris auditioned for the United States Navy Band where he was fortunate enough to spend more than a decade traveling the world, leading bands, and performing for high-profile audiences, all while sharing the stage with some of the greatest musicians in the world. After separating from active duty service in 2018 he went back to school and received a master's degree in Organizational Psychology. Chris and his wife Maki opened School of Rock Santa Ana in 2021 and he currently serves as the school's Music Director.
Anthony Klinner
Anthony Klinner
Singing Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Keyboard Teacher
Anthony Klinner has been in love with music his whole life. His performance career started off in Heidelberg, Germany when he was around seven years old in his church worship band. From there, Anthony would continue to lead worship and pursue music all the way up until today.

Throughout his life, Anthony has been a part of touring jazz groups where he sang and played trumpet, touring choirs, National and International songwriting competitions, and leads worship in many different churches across the country.

Today, Anthony attends Vanguard University where he is studying Musical Theatre and still actively pursuing his music and acting careers. When he is not writing songs or teaching lessons, you'll most likely find Anthony re-watching marvel movies for the 100th time.
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher Danny Hudson
Danny Hudson
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Danny Hudson is a bassist, guitarist, and pianist from Fountain Valley, California. He started to play music when he was 12 years old and soon found a soft spot for the bass. Shortly after, he became a School of Rock student and developed his skills on the bass. Danny trained for a few more years until he was accepted into one of the top music programs in the Southern California area at the Orange County School for the Arts.

While Danny continues to focus primarily on the bass, he enjoys playing the guitar and piano as well. After playing for a few years, he started performing with local bands and studios as a bassist and guitarist. Danny is very active in the local music scene and is excited to continue on his musical journey, wherever it may take him.
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Keyboard Teacher, Drum Teacher, Singing Teacher Sky Wilson
Sky Wilson
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Keyboard Teacher, Drum Teacher, Singing Teacher
Sky Wilson is a multi-dimensional musician from Long Beach, California. After starting piano lessons at a young age, Sky decided that he was going to teach himself as many musical instruments as possible, and that list continues to grow. At School of Rock Santa Ana, he teaches drums, bass, guitar, keyboard, and vocals, and has taught music in elementary schools for over 6 years. Sky plays in quite a few bands around LA and OC, everything from Blues to Metal, while maintaining an unmatchable love for his children, and family. Sky is on a mission not only to be a rockstar, but also to create as many rockstars as he possibly can in the process.
Drum Teacher Ryan Reiff
Ryan Reiff
Drum Teacher
Ryan Reiff fell in love with music at an early age playing violin in elementary school and tenor saxophone in his jr. high school band. At age 12, he sat down at his first drum set and knew he had found his calling in life. Since those early days, Ryan has played in many bands, toured the U.S., Canada, and Europe, and shared the stage with some of his heroes like TV on the Radio, Little Dragon, They Might be Giants, Sage Francis and Raekwon of the Wu Tang Clan. While collaborating with Ikey Owens (The Mars Volta, Jack White) for a decade in the band Free Moral Agents, Ryan honed his performance, writing and improvisation skills. But the biggest lesson learned was what a great impact a talented mentor can have on a passionate musician. As a drum instructor at School of Rock, he aims to impress those same valuable lessons on his students to help them succeed in their musical pursuits as well as in their lives.
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Drum Teacher, Singing Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher David Sampen
David Sampen
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Drum Teacher, Singing Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
David Sampen is a well-known actor, entertainer, multi-instrumentalist, and music producer. He has appeared in several films including "Avatar" and "Blades Of Glory" and continues to work regularly in front of the camera on shows such as ABC's "General Hospital" and Amazon's hit series "Goliath."

David grew up playing the violin, saxophone, piano, and singing and attended the Interlochen Center for the Arts for eight years. In college, he received degrees in Biology, Chemistry, and Recording Tech. Featured in the famous Los Angeles rock bands 80-DO, Expiate, Sound Library, and The Edgar Allan Poets, David produces music for each group with performances in and around the LA area. In addition to his virtuosic guitar performing and free-lance artistry, David composes music, builds guitars, and produces music commercially.
Bass Guitar Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher Parker Hanna
Parker Hanna
Bass Guitar Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Parker has been playing guitar and bass since he was 8 years old and attended Orange County School of the Arts. He was part of the classical guitar program in seventh grade and was then asked to audition for the Commercial Music Conservatory where he remained for the rest of his tenure at OCSA. Upon graduating, Parker attended the Musicians Institute in Hollywood where he majored in bass performance.

Parker loves all genres of music and is devoted to his craft. He enjoys teaching and is devoted to promoting the importance of music to his students.
Miré Molnar Vocals Teacher
Miré Molnar
Vocals Teacher
Miré came of age during the 90's Indie Rock Movement and was playing in Riot Grrl bands by the age of 16. One of her bands, Point of Theta, opened for The Softies. Orange County was a vibrant scene for early emo/hardcore, indie pop, punk and ska revival bands and Miré loved all of it. Ska was the most fun for her, so eventually she started up a ska band with some co-workers and they played as Los Pantalones. Life unfolded and a few years later that band became Save Ferris and one of the songs Miré co-wrote ended up featured in the Disney film, 10 Things I Hate About You (and that soundtrack went gold). After college Miré focused solely on music and was in two bands, Kill Baby Kill and Radio Vago. Radio Vago was an all girl dark synth band with high energy and toured the country while making an album produced by Omar Rodriguez-Lopez (of The Mars Volta). Most notably they opened for Sleater-Kinney. Sadly Radio Vago broke up right before a European Tour and before their LP was released. So Miré has some good war stories of being out on the road and in an "almost famous" type band situation. She lives on to tell the tale and help young musicians discover their own passion for Rock N' Roll while navigating the underground music scene.
Drum Teacher Michael Malinowski
Michael Malinowski
Drum Teacher
Michael Malinowski is a freelance drummer and percussionist who has performed with artists such as Blue Man Group, Monobloco, and Sheila E. He has had the privilege of performing at some of the biggest venues in LA, including the Hollywood Bowl, Ford Amphitheatre, and Microsoft Theater. Michael graduated from the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music, at California State University, Long Beach, with a degree in Percussion Performance. There, he studied classical, jazz, and world music. Currently, Michael is focused on performing live, touring, teaching, and recording in his studio.

Michael has performed and toured with multiple groups in the Los Angeles and Orange County areas – most notably One High Five and Samba Da Mudança. Being a versatile drummer, he balanced those shows with numerous musical theatre performances, including Music Man, Bye Bye Birdie, and Guys and Dolls. In the last several years, he also filled in drumming for numerous Los Angeles and Long Beach Rock bands, including Riot Stage, Katie Jo & the Mijos, DCHAV, Lazarus Casket, Alyssandra Nighswonger, and more.
Drum Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Guitar Teacher Elijah Vann
Elijah Vann
Drum Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Guitar Teacher
Elijah Vann is a drummer and bassist from Los Alamitos, California. He started playing music at the age of 6 when he picked up drumsticks for the first time; he learned how to play bass guitar shortly thereafter. Elijah has played in a multitude of groups throughout his life at prestigious venues such as the NAMM show, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Angels Stadium, and others. During high school, Elijah studied music at the Orange County School of the Arts. While at OCSA he performed dozens of times as a part of the Popular Music Program as well as the school’s Premier Performance Ambassadors, Montage! Currently, Elijah is actively working as a musician for hire and is excited to share his musical expertise with the future rockstars at School of Rock Santa Ana.
Singing Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Songwriting Teacher, Recording and Production Teacher Amarissa Vicente
Amarissa Vicente
Singing Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Songwriting Teacher, Recording and Production Teacher
Amarissa has always had a deep-rooted passion for music. Growing up, her favorite singers consisted of powerhouse vocalists Etta James, Christina Aguilera, and the late Amy Winehouse. Amarissa began taking vocal lessons at the age of 10 and immediately began to find her voice. Trained in pop music by a classical voice instructor, Amarissa built a strong foundation of healthy vocal techniques to fully unlock and utilize her powerhouse voice. She pursued her education as a vocalist at the prestigious Musicians Institute College of Contemporary Music where she obtained her associate's degree in vocal performance. Since graduating, Amarissa has found success in her career as a singer-songwriter, releasing many highly streamed singles and performing live shows around LA with her band. With a heart for music, she loves teaching and sharing her craft with rising-star musicians, singers, and songwriters.
Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Drum Teacher Rick Byoun
Rick Byoun
Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Drum Teacher
Rick Byoun is a keyboardist and drummer from Irvine, California. He has been playing music for as long as he can remember, beginning with piano at the age of 5. During the COVID-19 pandemic and quarantine, he spent his time improving as a musician and taught himself how to play drums.

Rick has participated in dozens of county and state-level classical music competitions and accompanied many orchestral performances over the years. Wanting to broaden his horizons, he applied and was accepted to the Popular Music Conservatory at the Orange County School of the Arts. While at OCSA, he performed in dozens of concerts at venues like the Segerstrom Center for the Arts, and was under the tutelage of professional musicians currently working in the industry.

Rick continues to enjoy playing both the piano and drums and is looking forward to sharing his passion with the next generation of musicians at School of Rock Santa Ana.
Drum Teacher, Recording + Production Teacher Derek O'Brien
Derek O'Brien
Drum Teacher, Recording + Production Teacher
Derek O’Brien fell in love with music before he had teeth and could say the word "music!" He grew up in Fullerton, spending his time skateboarding, surfing, and trying to find his purpose in life. Derek spent a few months playing snare drum with the school band at Nicholas Junior High School and was persuaded by his music teacher to play the drum kit at a school concert for families and friends. Even though he had not played a drum kit before, Derek acted on that encouragement, and his leap of faith paid off!

At Fullerton High School, Derek played with the school jazz band, orchestra, and marching band; with the marching band, he led ten drummers at a time in cadences through parades and football games. During this time, Derek also started a rock cover band. In his senior year, he was offered a scholarship to study jazz at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. At the same time, he was also offered a chance to go on the road with a punk band called Social Distortion. Once again, he took the risk on what seemed to be the most exciting option.

Derek spent years drumming on records and touring with bands such as Social Distortion, DI, Agent Orange, Extra Fancy, The Adolescents, Punk Rock Karaoke, and many others through many different genres of music. He eventually earned a Music Production / Engineering degree at UCLA and built a recording studio to record, produce, mix, and master music with bands, singer/songwriters, and other projects, including The Adolescents, Fishbone, The Meat Puppets, The Adicts, TSOL, The Briggs, a duet with Grammy Award-winning folk singer Lucinda Williams and Flogging Molly, Ted Kamp, Mark Ford, Rich Redmond, Clem Burk, Davey Faragher, and many others. Derek finds time to enjoy teaching, playing local shows, and doing short band tours.
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

What I like about the program is that my kids LOVE it!

This is so different from the music lessons that existed when I was a kid. These kids are actually making music and learning to play as a band. The performances are so impressive, and watching the kids gain confidence and express themselves on stage is priceless.

The structure around how kids learn is amazing.

Taking lessons to learn an instrument is one thing, but learning how to be a part of a band is on another level. These kids are learning how to communicate, respect people and their opinions, and how to be accountable for themselves. It’s more than just music here.

It's the best music program in the city.

Dedicated instructors and staff, vibrant atmosphere, and most importantly, it's fun! My 8-year-old has grown leaps and bounds in skill and personal confidence. If you're thinking about checking it out, don't wait, just do it!

The kids have a great time while learning to play.

Lifelong skills and relationships are born here. The staff shares their passion for music and are very professional and accommodating. Wish I had this type of exposure to music when I was growing up!