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Rockdale Music Teachers

Our private music teachers are excellent motivators and work patiently with students of all ages and skill levels on music of the student’s choosing. 

Check out our teacher bios below and contact us to schedule your first lessons.

Jared Loss

PIANO, GUITAR, BASS, DRUMS & ROCK BANDS

Jared is the owner and manager at Rockdale and teaches Guitar, Bass, Drums, Keyboard, Rock Band, Songwriting and Recording at the studio. Jared has a passion for passing on the knowledge from years of honing his craft to musicians of all ages and skill levels.

From your five year old aspiring Rock Star, to retirees looking to fulfill a life-long dream of playing an instrument; all of Jared’s lessons are catered to each budding musician’s wants and needs. New concepts are presented using songs of your choosing. Learn what you love, and you’ll love to learn! If you want to play your favorite songs a lot faster than you think, then get ready to Rock with Rockdale!

  • Over 20 years of experience playing Guitar, Bass, Drums and Piano
  • Leads Rockdale Rock Bands, Rock Camps and Rock Camp Jr.
  • Alumni of the Penncrest Marching and Concert Band
  • Writes, performs and records with his original group The Real Feel as the keyboardist and vocalist (www.therealfeelband.com)
  • Tours and performs with Philadelphia local bands Scantron and Cosmic Guilt
  • Has shared the stage with Femi Kuti, Trombone Shorty, Rebirth Brass Band, G.E. Smith, Biz Markie and many more talented artists

Rob Craft

GUITAR, BASS, PIANO, TRUMPET & MUSIC THEORY

Rob is a graduate of Berklee College of Music for Guitar Performance and offers private lessons for guitar, bass, and trumpet at Rockdale. Lately, we have overheard a few of his students referring to Rob as their “cool teacher”. 

In Rob’s own words “I think I’m a fun teacher, but I don’t think it’s because I’m all that “cool”… it’s because I teach “cool” stuff! I see the same musical merit in a beginning guitar player learning to read the melody of ‘Hot Cross Buns’ as there is in learning to dial up distortion and play ‘Smoke on the Water’ authentically, which must be why they think I’m cool!”

Rob teaches practically all styles of music and have a passion for all approaches of playing; you’ll never be bored! So whether you want to learn how to play ‘Hot Cross Buns’, 12-bar blues, rock out playing Led Zeppelin, master tapping, sweeping, or alternate picking, relax and strum some chords or play finger-style on an acoustic; he would love to show you how! Learning how to fine tune a guitar amp is an art unto itself; Rob will show you how to get the most out of whatever equipment you have, and how to dial in that gear to get the same tone as your favorite players.

It doesn’t matter if you are 6 or 60, Rob understands the needs of students of different ages and aspirations. All of Rob’s lessons are tailored to meet these interests and passions, but also push students in a direction where they can feel confident they are equipped with the knowledge and ability to succeed no matter the musical situation. The long-term goal for all of his students is to present the bigger picture of how all music and styles are closely related. He strives to ensure every student has these basic skills of musicianship: a sense of rhythm, time, and knowledge of theory, but also proper technique, form, and posture on that specific instrument.

Mark Hull

GUITAR, BASS, PIANO, UKULELE, MANDOLIN, SONGWRITING, MUSIC THEORY & RECORDING

Mark is a composer, multi-instrumentalist and performer from Media, PA. He actually began his time at Rockdale as a student and helping at the Rock Camps! Mark graduated from The University of the Arts with a BM in Composition and an MA in Scoring for Film, Television and Video Games from Berklee College of Music. 
 
Mark has played in a multitude of groups in a wide range of styles including rock, pop, Indian fusion, classical, jazz, blues and CCM. He has also written music for short films, video games and library music for Merge Music. Through all these experiences, Mark understands that teaching music should be engaging, tailored to the student, and most importantly- fun! Mark believes, and has seen, that there are a variety of paths in music, and everyone should pursue their path to whatever goal!
 
Mark teaches guitar, bass, piano, ukulele, mandolin, composition, songwriting and recording. He’s excited to help you down whatever path music takes you!

Nerissa Wolfson

VOICE, PIANO, GUITAR, UKULELE & MUSIC THEORY

Nerissa Wolfson is a graduate of Temple University’s Boyer College of Music and Dance with a Bachelors degree in jazz voice & performance. Nerissa has performed and taught throughout the greater Philadelphia area. She recently released her jazz debut album “Everything Starts Now” and is currently a vocalist with the The John Colianni Big Band. She also recently recorded an indie folk-rock album with “The Naked Sun” and co-wrote an original song for that album that got airplay on WXPN-FM and other radio stations.

Nerissa began her music career at the age of six in her native country of the Philippines, and was soon traveling across the country to perform live and on radio and television broadcasts. Since high school, Nerissa has performed around the world including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Oman and the United States. She’s had the privilege of performing many different genres of music including jazz, pop, indie folk/rock, Americana/ singer-songwriter, blues, and opera. Nerissa is trilingual (speaking English, Tagalog and Bicol) and has performed vocal pieces in other languages including Italian, French, German and Portuguese.

Nerissa is excited to join the faculty of Rockdale Music, teaching voice, beginner piano, guitar and ukulele to students of all ages. Nerissa’s goal is to offer her students a well rounded music experience in a broad variety of genres, giving each student a strong musical foundation, while teaching proper technique and helping each student reach their full potential through music.

Rob Wickline

PIANO, BASS, GUITAR, UKULELE & RECORDING

Rob Wickline is an instrumental and composition instructor, gigging and recording performer, and composer. He studied Music Composition at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, and since concluding his studies has remained in Philadelphia to join a number of different projects from pop rock to jazz fusion and beyond as a performer. He also had the pleasure to have written, arranged, and orchestrated for a number of different ensembles and recording projects of his own conception and for others.

Rob has a keen interest in pursuing the fascinations of his students. His first goal in teaching is to locate what the student would like to tackle, and along the way teach related lessons about an instrument’s mechanics, musicality, and compositional techniques. He has taught guitar, bass guitar, ukulele, mandolin, piano, organ, percussion, drum set, composition/songwriting, music theory, improvisation and recording/mixing.
 
Currently, Rob releases his own recordings, produces recordings for other local artists, teaches private lessons, and plays guitar in Sleepmonster, which is a band he helped assemble in late 2018. He also enjoys learning and studying classical music in his spare time.

Liam Thomas

GUITAR, BASS, PIANO, COMPOSITION & MUSIC THEORY

Liam is a graduate of West Chester University where he studied Music Composition, Music Production, Music History, classical guitar and piano.  He is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree at Rowan University where he studies production, composition, and jazz guitar. 

Liam has been playing guitar since the age of 7, when he started his first private lessons.  During middle school and high school, Liam focused primarily on a style focused in rock music and was able to frequently participate in rock performances.

Since graduating from West Chester University, he has performed in many concerts and recitals with multiple ensembles, performing many different genres of music such as classical, jazz, rock, and funk.  With help from studying guitar, piano, and composition, he has come to
appreciate all different kinds of music that influence his style today.  

Liam currently teaches private lessons in piano, guitar, bass, music theory and composition and is ecstatic to teach the next generation of rock stars.

Jenny Florinicia

VOICE, PIANO & SONGWRITING

Jenny Florinicia is a singer, songwriter, and performer from the Metro Detroit area. She holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. She has been teaching voice since 2015 and has a passion for dismantling the shame that can so often surround the process of learning how to sing. She uses an approach that prioritizes the student’s goals, creates a safe space, encourages a strong work ethic, attitude of discovery and curiosity, while of course maintaining a sense of humor. Jenny was classically trained by an opera singer as a teen, and made the transition to musical theatre, pop, and rock while in college. She likes to use the classical basis to build vocal health, strength, and stamina and uses it to inform and bolster more modern styles of music. 
 
Jenny has performed in several professional musicals in the tri-state area, and has taught voice and songwriting at the Puerto Rican Institute of Music, Settlement Music School, and School of Rock Hoboken. She is currently in the process of recording her first full length studio album of all original indie pop, folk, and alternative rock.Her debut single “Higher Self” is available on all streaming platforms. 

Justin Ramos

PIANO, GUITAR, VOICE, COMPOSITION, SONGWRITING, IMPROVISATION & MUSIC THEORY

Justin studied Classical and Jazz Piano and attended Berklee College of Music in Boston earning a BA in Film Scoring and Piano Performance. At Berklee, he met many great musicians that he went on to play with in cover bands performing at weddings and corporate events throughout Boston/New England to the Hard Rock Hotel in Cancun, Mexico, and won several best cover and wedding band awards in Boston, thus honing his skill as a Keyboardist and Sound designer.

When not playing live music, Justin focuses on teaching and helping students get a good foundation in music. Justin specializes in helping students connect to their instruments and musical goals. He believes music can benefit all people and learning music in your youth is incredibly helpful as you grow both as a musician and as a person. He has taught piano since 2010 to kids and adults and has seen many students achieve their dreams from writing and improvising their own original music to playing Beethoven and master Jazz playing. Justin’s students have successfully auditioned for music schools and colleges and performed in various piano recitals and songwriting competitions over the years.

Justin has led Jazz trios/quartets over the years and has performed his original music. He has composed music for short films, commercials, and documentaries. In his spare time, he records electronic music in various styles from ambient to synthwave on new and vintage synths. Recently he performed solo piano recitals featuring classical, jazz, and original compositions in support of his debut solo piano album “Solstice in Solitude”.

Nathaniel Lemisch

GUITAR, BASS, DRUMS, MUSIC THEORY, PRODUCTION & RECORDING

Nathaniel Lemisch is a Philadelphia-based music producer, audio engineer, and musician from Media, PA. He has a B.S. in Recording Arts and Music Production from Drexel University while also minoring in Music Performance on jazz guitar. He has played gigs from rooftops in NYC to World Café Live in Philly and engineered in music studios and jazz clubs around the country.

Nathaniel was once, in fact, in your shoes! 15 years ago, as a wee little toddler playing the bongos in Makin’ Music camp. Nathaniel started taking guitar lessons in 2nd grade, followed shortly by classical percussion in 4th. He’s played in award-winning high school and collegiate ensembles, marched in the Penncrest drumline, arranged and played with a 4-piece horn band, and currently produces and mixes a wide variety of artists and genres out of his home studio.

Nathaniel looks forward to sharing his knowledge in as many music-related fields as possible. He believes in taking rudimentary knowledge of musical ideas and applying them in practical ways. Most importantly, he believes that everyone learns in different ways,
but it mainly boils down to having confidence, trusting your ear, and practice (and learning a little bit of theory!)

 

Tierney Greene

PIANO, VIOLIN, SONGWRITING & MUSIC THEORY

Tierney began taking piano lessons at 7 years old and has been playing ever since. She has a bachelor’s degree in music theory and composition from SUNY New Paltz and recently went back to school to get a master’s degree in social work. She has been teaching private piano, violin, music theory, and songwriting lessons for over 10 years to students ages 4 to 80.

Throughout the Hudson Valley and now Philadelphia, Tierney has performed her original songs as a solo artist, and also in a variety of musical groups and styles including rock, classical, jazz, folk, and experimental.

Tierney believes that each person has a personal relationship with music and she creates a safe, patient, and fun learning environment in her lessons so that each person can develop into whatever musical abilities that interest them! She enjoys seeing students’ self-esteem grow as they learn a skill that they will have for a lifetime.

Brian Bruce

DRUMS, BASS & PIANO

Brian Bruce is a drum set, bass, and keyboard instructor, gigging musician, songwriter and producer. He’s been a fixture in the northern Delaware and Philadelphia music scenes since before he could drive himself to his own gigs. (Thanks Mom!) He attended Cab Calloway School of the Arts in Wilmington, DE, and went on to study jazz performance at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia.

Brian has recorded and toured extensively in the past with indie acts Fiancé and Mean Lady, both of whom have performed at the Firefly music festival in Dover, DE, as well as major cities around the U.S. and in Europe. He is currently a member of Philadelphia noise rock quartet Tangled Up and punk rock outfit Eyebawl. When he’s not playing heavy rock n’ roll, you can hear him lending his services to Wilmington rockabilly legends The Bullets, or backing Bruce Anthony and Sam Nobles jazz/funk duo.

Brian brings an array of knowledge gained from academic musical experiences, and real world gigging and recording to his lessons. He focuses on taking the basic building blocks of music, like rudiments and scales, and applying them to performance in a way that makes rigid musical exercises come alive. He believes the most important thing to be gained from the study of music is the connections made with fellow musicians. 

Zach Martin

DRUMS, PIANO & MUSIC THEORY

Zach moved to Boston, Mass. in 2006 where he attended the world renowned Berklee College of Music. While at Berklee, he studied with teachers Bob Tamagni and John Ramsay.

Finishing his degree in Jazz Performance at Moravian College in 2012, Zach studied drum set with Byron Landham, Gary Rissmiller, and Joe Bergamini; educator, author, and Senior Drum Editor for Hudson Music Publishing, Inc.

In 2019, Zach completed his Master’s Degree in Jazz Studies at Temple University where he studied with Rodney Green and Pat Bianchi.

Zach, now based in Philadelphia, has experience playing in a wide range of styles from musical theater to heavy metal and has toured semi-nationally. He has been a professional educator since graduating Moravian College, developing a unique style of teaching that draws from his experience as both a lifelong student and performer.

He is now the artist and lecturer for the drum set students at Moravian University.

Anna McLaughlin

GUITAR, UKULELE, MANDOLIN & BASS

Anna is a guitar instructor, gigging musician, and session musician from Media, PA. She started her musical journey as a student at Rockdale participating in Rock Camps and the Rock Band program. After playing with various bands in the Philadelphia area from 2011-2019, she moved to Nashville, TN to pursue music full-time. During her time in Nashville, Anna spent time in the studio playing on numerous records, gigging in town, and has been performing on national tours with various artists on stages throughout the country.

Anna has a passion for teaching guitar and sharing her excitement for music in order to inspire the next generation of rock stars. She knows that learning to play guitar can seem difficult at the beginning, but believes that when the challenges are met with patience and encouragement, students will gain more self-confidence and learn to celebrate each milestone throughout their growth during lessons.

Anna tailors lesson plans to each individual student and believes in teaching students the music they are passionate about and excited to play. The best way to learn is to learn from emulating our heroes.

*Anna is currently on tour and is not accepting new students at the moment

Chris Smirnov

VIOLIN, VIOLA, GUITAR, PIANO & PERCUSSION

Chris Smirnov has been an active violinist/violist and teacher in the Philadelphia and greater Philadelphia area since 2012 and has performed a variety of music styles throughout the years including Classical, Contemporary, Middle-Eastern, and various improvisational languages.

Chris attended Boyer College of Music and Dance (Temple University) to pursue a Music Education degree and currently studies there under Aisha Dossumova.

As a teacher, Chris’s pedagogical philosophy revolves around building a solid technical foundation via classical music, and in parallel pursuing general fluency in the melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic elements of music through improvisation and multi-instrumentalism.

“My mission is to give students every tool they need to help them find their own path as a budding musician. Whether it’s playing a Bach sonata with expression or ripping through a blues lick, I wish to help students expand their creativity, and grow as both artists and people!”

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