Mason Steeger Bass Guitar Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Drum Teacher
Mason began his musical journey with rock music by picking up his dad’s old guitar in middle school and teaching himself how to play different riffs and chords. Once in high school, Mason began playing percussion in the concert band program and fell in love with the drums. This led him to apply for SMU’s Meadows School of the Arts in order to pursue a degree in Music Education. While at college he met up with Sterling Gavinski, a singer/songwriter who played in the band The Happy Alright. Sterling asked Mason to join his band as a bassist and the rest is history. With several tours and studio experience behind him, Mason continues to play, write and tour with The Happy Alright while teaching at School of Rock in hopes that he can inspire kids and teens to start a band and make music of their own. He is a drum teacher, bass guitar teacher and our Assistant Music Director at School of Rock Rockwall.
Shannon Jabczynski-Allen General Manager
Shannon Jabczynski-Allen was born into a rock n' roll family. Both of her parents were in a band together, Mid City Rock, where her mom was the lead singer and her dad was the lead guitarist. Needless to say, rock n' roll is in her blood. At a young age she developed her love for Aerosmith and Heart, which are still two of her favorite bands.
A born entertainer, Shannon discovered her passion for dance when she was just a tot. Although her parents would've loved for her to pick up an instrument, they realized that dancing was her way of expression and let her pursue it. She attempted to learn guitar but it just did not compute in her brain so she stuck with movement though never walked away from rock n' roll.
When she was 16 years old, she got her first job in sales. This was something that came very easy to her and in a few years Shannon stepped into a management role. After 15 years with that company, they decided to sell the business and Shannon came to School of Rock. She is now the General Manager at School of Rock Rockwall.
Melissa Johnson Music Director, Vocal Instructor, Piano Teacher
Melissa Johnson has been classically trained in opera, jazz, musical theater and classical voice for 18 years. She first became interested in rock music when she was around six and heard her dad play guitar for the first time. After that, she would sit with her dad and listen to him educate her on the music of Journey, Queen, Styx and AC/DC (among others). She sang in choirs with her schools from late elementary school through high school, when she began teaching basic music education to preschool-aged children in her community.
In 2007, she enrolled in music classes at Collin College in Plano, where she pursued a Music Education degree. While enrolled, she performed with their jazz, classical, musical theater and eclectic a capella groups. In 2009, she began teaching voice as an independent instructor for high school students in and around the Plano and McKinney areas to better prepare them for their college scholarship auditions.
Music has always been a great passion for Melissa. Teaching gives her a way to pass on that love and passion to children and young adults, and that is the greatest gift one can give in her eyes. She is a piano teacher and vocal instructor, as well as the Music Director, at School of Rock Rockwall.
Zack Haygood Drum Teacher
Zack likes dogs, burritos, classic video games, and making funny voices to himself, but more importantly, he has a true love for making music.
Starting at the age of 7, Zack took an interest in music through piano lessons and daily consumption of classic rock, particularly The Beatles. Drums became a passion and love when he heard the sound of Rush coming through his Sony Discman player at the age of 12. Since then, he has had an obsession with rudiments and odd patterns that never leave his head.
After coming to Denton in 2010, Zack has played and recorded alongside/with many amazing musicians in the DFW area, a few of them Grammy winners, toured in many cities including Austin, Los Angeles, San Francisco & New York, and has been nominated for multiple awards through The Dentonite & Dallas Observer.
Zack is enjoying teaching at School of Rock and sharing his love of Rock & Roll as well as the thrill of using drums to express the emotion & connection of music with his students!
Ashton Hart Guitar Teacher
Ashton Hart is a Dallas-based blues guitarist heavily influenced by functional harmony.
He is a graduate of Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing Arts, where he studied both classical and jazz music. Later, he attended Berklee College of Music, majoring in Performance on Guitar and Music Theory.
As an instructor, his goal is for each of his students to excel on their instrument of choice while also gaining a strong foundation in music altogether.
His influences are Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Johnson, Andy Timmons, John Scofield, Joe Satriani, Jimi Hendrix, David Gilmour and Wes Montgomery.
Glenn Austin Drum Teacher
Glenn started playing drums when he was nine years old after seeing a performance at his elementary school talent show. A student played a blue drum set along to a KISS song and he was hooked. Glenn played on everything that he could get tone out of with a pair of sticks his dad made for him out of wooden dowels.
After a few years of books, pots and pans, Glenn got his first real drums at the age of 14. He started playing along to every song on the radio, learning all he could about every style of music he listened to. After playing house parties with different garage bands he and his friends put together, Glenn got a call from a real working band in the club scene. They spent the next couple of years playing every club and venue in north Texas and southern Oklahoma that would let them play. Eventually that led to Glenn’s first tour with a “road” band.
After touring the Midwest for a while he got an audition with Vince Vance and the Valiants. They toured most of the southeastern U.S. After leaving the Valiants, Glenn freelanced with many artists, including two-time Grammy nominee and CMA Female Vocalist of the Year Janie Fricke, finally getting a gig with former Head East lead guitarist and solo recording artist Ricky Lynn Gregg. Glenn is currently the touring drummer for Texas recording artist Tom McKelvain and the Dirty Pesos.
Nicolas Pequeno Guitar and Bass Guitar Teacher
Nicolas Pequeno is a soon to be graduate of Southwestern Assemblies of God University. He started his musical journey at age 11 in his middle school band and has pursued many facets of music since then on a number of different instruments including guitar, bass, ukulele, trumpet, and French Horn. During his time at SAGU, Nicolas has been a featured soloist of the SAGU jazz band and jazz combo. He has also composed and arranged a number of different pieces and has found a passion in doing so.
Aside from studying, Nicolas has also spent his collegiate years teaching students of many different skill levels and ages and has had the pleasure of preparing them for their different performing endeavors.
Nicolas has a love of a variety of music genres including rock, blues, jazz, and classical music. Above all he loves the way music brings players and audiences together for a unique experience.
SASHA HAMMER Bass Guitar Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Keyboard Teacher, Drum Teacher
Sasha is a classically trained bass player from Houston, Texas. An accomplished string musician, she started on the double bass when she was 10 years old, and picked up electric guitar and bass a year or two after that.
In high school Sasha performed locally in rock and metal bands all the while keeping up participation in the school orchestra. During her tenure in orchestra Sasha and her fellow musicians earned the right to travel to New York City and compete in the National Orchestra competition where they were awarded First Place!
Sasha’s journey with School of Rock started in her Sophomore year when she joined Champion Forest School of Rock playing guitar and bass. After half a year of being in the performance program, she picked up the drums, and in another half year she picked up the keyboard.
She is currently an instructor in both the School of Rock Mansfield and School of Rock Rockwall.
An avid D&D player, Sasha slays dragons in her spare time and writes songs about her adventures in the realms! She’s currently attending college at University of Texas Arlington seeking a Bachelors in Music Media, and is a part of their orchestra there.