Who’s my teacher?: 

Rob

Rob Bentley (Guitar) graduated Summa Cum Laude from the Berklee College of Music and began his masters at the University of North Texas.He has taught music for 15 years and has played in 26 states and six European countries. He is the co-founder and musical guru of Don’t Stop Rockin’. He actually lives and breathes rock. He once rid his attic of Raccoons by putting his amp up there and jamming nothing but AC/DC riffs for an hour. He might be available for hire if you have a rodent problem, just sayin’.

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Jose Galeano (Drums, percussion) is a drummer, percussionist, singer, composer, songwriter and all round completely fantastic bloke. As a Grammy nominee (2009) and WINNER (2011) with the totally Rockin’ Austin based Grupo Fantasma, he comes to us with a lifetime of musical experience. “Mr” Jose as he is known by thousands of families in Austin, has been teaching children gymnastics for the past 17 years and is an educator of the highest caliber. He is now excited to pass on his drum, percussion and musical knowledge to a whole new generation of drummers.

 

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Daphne Simpson (piano, keyboard) started playing music at the age of four and hasn’t stopped Rockin’ since. Having studied jazz piano and composition at the University of Utah, she brings over 30 years of playing experience and 10 years of teaching experience to Don’t Stop Rockin’.  She teaches all styles of piano, from classical to pop, rock to jazz and customizes each students lesson to best suit their individual learning style. Several of her former students now tour, perform and write their own music! Daphne is a versatile performer that has played as a solo pianist, as well as in as many jazz, rock and country bands.

CharlesChuck Anastasiou (Guitar and Bass) has been an in-demand guitar instructor for the past 15 years, possessing a unique teaching style with an ability to relate to students of all experience levels and ages. Having studied at the prestigious Berklee College of Music, Chuck has had extensive training in areas such as ear training, arrangement, solo/group performance, theory, musical technique, composition, and music history. He graduated with a BA in Music Performance and studied with Mick Goodrick, Jon Damian. Rick Peckham, and Hal Crook, among others.

DerekDerek Tarnow (piano, guitar, bass) has been teaching and performing in the Austin area for close to 10 years. He has been Rockin’ since he was a child, beginning with Piano. His piano lessons were formal and he won several awards during the course of his studies. His imperative to rock eventually led him to learn the guitar which became his musical focus from about 6th grade on. In college he was accepted for private study of jazz and classical styles on guitar and piano. Derek’s musical journey eventually landed him at Texas State University where he graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelors of Music in Jazz Guitar Performance. Notable performances in college include performing with Kurt Elling and Chris Vadala in New York as well as performing at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. In his professional life Derek has performed in various styles including Rock, Pop, Country, Jazz, Blues, Soul and Classical. Groups he has worked with have performed on local TV morning shows, The Texas Bucket List, opened for Dale Watson and headlined Luckenbach. You can currently catch Derek performing with Classic Country/Western Swing band, The Merles as well as band-leading/arranging for the fabulous show choir, River City Pops. Derek likes to encourage his students to spend time with their fingers on keys or frets by finding what inspires them to do so. His teaching goal is to help students discover what makes them love music, while laying a foundation for wherever their musical journey may take them.

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Lizzy Eidson (Voice, Piano) earned her Bachelors in Music from the University of North Texas, where she majored in Jazz Studies, with voice as her primary instrument. She loves singing and playing all styles, but has been Rockin’ around Denton with a Blues/Soul/Rock band, where she was the lead female vocalist. She has been teaching both piano and voice to children and adults of all ages for the past several years and is looking forward to bringing her talents and experience to DSR. Lizzy focuses a lot of her free time on songwriting, and loves to help students in their own writing, she thinks it’s wonderful to see a student be proud of something they have created and strives to help make that possible!

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Richie Heussner (Voice and Piano) is a vocalist, pianist, guitarist and songwriter. He received his BM from Midwestern State University, where he majored in Vocal performance and began a Masters at Southwestern Baptist. Richie has fronted multiple bands, and toured much of the Midwest and east coast as a singer song writer, and has opened for notable bands like, I See Stars, Forever the Sickest Kids, Runner Runner and more. Richie is passionate about music, and when he’s not teaching, he can be found practicing or playing out at one of Texas’ great venues. As a teacher, he strives to feed his students passion for music, and help it grow into a life long venture. He promotes healthy and efficient technique, so you’re free to rock without limitations!

micah

Micah Motenko (Piano and Mandolin) has been Rockin’ since starting piano at the age of 5 and then picking up the mandolin when he discovered bluegrass almost a decade ago. Micah’s degree is in Jazz piano and music theory and he loves to teach rock, pop, blues, bluegrass, classical, R&B, and everything in between. He also sings and writes songs, plays woodwinds, and is drawn to anything remotely resembling a keyboard.  Micah was a high school music teacher before relocating to the live music capital of the world and we are delighted to have him join DSR.  He loves helping students grow their own passion for music, whether it’s by way of improvising a tasty jazz solo, crooning a classic rock ballad, or perfecting a Chopin nocturne. Micah lives to jam and can be seen playing shows around town in a variety of killer projects.

 

Interested in joining the team? Please email your resume and cover letter to rob@dontstoprockin.com