Faculty/Staff


Bill Galatis	Franchise Owner/Operator, Guitar & Bass Instructor A Massachusetts native, Bill has been heavily involved in music and art since his wee elementary school days. He started on the cello, moved on to the Saxophone and then made the exciting jump to the electric guitar at 16 years old, after his annoyed sax teacher told him to either stop bringing in guitar music to lessons or go learn how to play...	Read More
Anderson Mar	General Manager A graduate of the University of Maine, Anderson Lynne Mar has been involved in various aspects of the music industry since 1993, as a promoter, producer, performer, radio broadcaster, nightclub DJ, and festival organizer. Outside of SOR, Anderson is the founder and CEO of Dark Sky Productions, which holds contracts with 8 different venues in the...	Read More
Joe Pessia	Music Director, Guitar & Bass Instructor Joe Pessia began playing guitar in his early teens and later attended The Berklee College of Music where he graduated with a Degree in Professional Music. As a member of the bands DRAMAGODS (featuring Nuno Bettencourt from EXTREME) TANTRIC (platinum selling band with albums produced by TOBY WRIGHT of ALICE IN CHAINS fame) or HURTSMILE (...	Read More
Bassam Habal	Bass & Guitar Instructor Bassam Habal grew up in the 70s in Gainesville Florida where he fell in love with the great funk and disco music of the era. Little did he know that one day he would end up playing many of the tunes from his roller skating youth. He took up bass at age 14, inspired by John Paul Jones' great bass line on "Ramble on" by Led Zeppelin. At a bass...	Read More
Mike Scrima	Keyboard, Vocal & Drum Instructor This is where Mike went to school for music: http://www.bostonboychoir.org/ This film put one of Mike's songs on its soundtrack: http://www.theunknownfilm.com/ This is what Mike is doing in music now: http://www.facebook.com/forceustostop	Read More
Jason Freitas	Guitar & Bass Instructor Jason may be best known for his work as bass player for Mortuus Ortus. Jason also performs with fellow faculty members Anderson Mar, and Reene Solano as lead guitar player for Sans Nomenclature. Jason has been playing the guitar since the age of 14. In his early 20s He moved to Long Island, NY. where he studied Jazz music and audio engineering at...	Read More
Seb Kossak	Drum Instructor Seb Kossak started playing drums while working on his bachelors degree at Manchester University, in the UK. Inspired by the music of the Stranglers, Flamin' Groovies and Eddie and the Hotrods, Seb relocated to Boston in the early 1980's and started playing with new wave bands at venues like The Rathskeller in Kenmore Square, Cantones and CBGB's...	Read More
Renee Solano	Drum Instructor Renee Solano has been teaching drums to students of all ages since 2003. She studied both jazz and classical music and received her AS in Music from Cabrillo College. She received her BA in Social Science with Education Concentration from Ashford University. She is currently on staff at School Of Rock Boston as a drum teacher and facilitates...	Read More
Mike Woods	Studio Director / Guitar Instructor Although most notably known as the lead guitarist for the band Damone, Woods was also the primary songwriter and co-producer to their critically acclaimed and commercially successful album “Out Here All Night” (Island/Def Jam), as well as the follow up record "Roll The Dice". He has shared stages and recording studios with a large variety of...	Read More
Justin Hancock	Guitar Instructor Justin Hancock grew up in the South Shore region of Massachusetts and played the saxophone for about 8 years before realizing that the guitar would become his main instrument. His parents raised him on artists like John Lennon, Harry Nilsson, Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones, The Who, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, and The Beatles, which instilled a...	Read More
Joe Kowalski	Bass & Piano Instructor Joe Kowalski has been making music for as long as he can remember. He started piano lessons at a young age and taught himself bass, guitar and drums by high school. Through all this he was writing his own songs, playing in various bands and making attempts to record everything with whatever gear he could put together. He produced his first...	Read More
Pat Speece	Bass & Guitar Instructor Pat Speece has been playing the bass for about 8 years, and has since been a guest performer with such well known bands as the Mahavishnu Project, Vince Wellnick of the Greatful Dead and Project Object. He has also played or performed with Dave Larue (Dixie Dregs), Tony Levin (King Crimson), Alan Holdsworth, and Marcus Miller. He has also...	Read More

Bill Galatis

Franchise Owner/Operator, Guitar & Bass Instructor

A Massachusetts native, Bill has been heavily involved in music and art since his wee elementary school days. He started on the cello, moved on to the Saxophone and then made the exciting jump to the electric guitar at 16 years old, after his annoyed sax teacher told him to either stop bringing in guitar music to lessons or go learn how to play...

Anderson Mar

General Manager

A graduate of the University of Maine, Anderson Lynne Mar has been involved in various aspects of the music industry since 1993, as a promoter, producer, performer, radio broadcaster, nightclub DJ, and festival organizer. Outside of SOR, Anderson is the founder and CEO of Dark Sky Productions, which holds contracts with 8 different venues in the...

Joe Pessia

Music Director, Guitar & Bass Instructor

Joe Pessia began playing guitar in his early teens and later attended The Berklee College of Music where he graduated with a Degree in Professional Music. As a member of the bands DRAMAGODS (featuring Nuno Bettencourt from EXTREME) TANTRIC (platinum selling band with albums produced by TOBY WRIGHT of ALICE IN CHAINS fame) or HURTSMILE (...

Bassam Habal

Bass & Guitar Instructor

Bassam Habal grew up in the 70s in Gainesville Florida where he fell in love with the great funk and disco music of the era. Little did he know that one day he would end up playing many of the tunes from his roller skating youth. He took up bass at age 14, inspired by John Paul Jones' great bass line on "Ramble on" by Led Zeppelin. At a bass...

Mike Scrima

Keyboard, Vocal & Drum Instructor

This is where Mike went to school for music: http://www.bostonboychoir.org/ This film put one of Mike's songs on its soundtrack: http://www.theunknownfilm.com/ This is what Mike is doing in music now: http://www.facebook.com/forceustostop

Jason Freitas

Guitar & Bass Instructor

Jason may be best known for his work as bass player for Mortuus Ortus. Jason also performs with fellow faculty members Anderson Mar, and Reene Solano as lead guitar player for Sans Nomenclature. Jason has been playing the guitar since the age of 14. In his early 20s He moved to Long Island, NY. where he studied Jazz music and audio engineering at...

Seb Kossak

Drum Instructor

Seb Kossak started playing drums while working on his bachelors degree at Manchester University, in the UK. Inspired by the music of the Stranglers, Flamin' Groovies and Eddie and the Hotrods, Seb relocated to Boston in the early 1980's and started playing with new wave bands at venues like The Rathskeller in Kenmore Square, Cantones and CBGB's...

Renee Solano

Drum Instructor

Renee Solano has been teaching drums to students of all ages since 2003. She studied both jazz and classical music and received her AS in Music from Cabrillo College. She received her BA in Social Science with Education Concentration from Ashford University. She is currently on staff at School Of Rock Boston as a drum teacher and facilitates...

Mike Woods

Studio Director / Guitar Instructor

Although most notably known as the lead guitarist for the band Damone, Woods was also the primary songwriter and co-producer to their critically acclaimed and commercially successful album “Out Here All Night” (Island/Def Jam), as well as the follow up record "Roll The Dice". He has shared stages and recording studios with a large variety of...

Justin Hancock

Guitar Instructor

Justin Hancock grew up in the South Shore region of Massachusetts and played the saxophone for about 8 years before realizing that the guitar would become his main instrument. His parents raised him on artists like John Lennon, Harry Nilsson, Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones, The Who, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, and The Beatles, which instilled a...

Joe Kowalski

Bass & Piano Instructor

Joe Kowalski has been making music for as long as he can remember. He started piano lessons at a young age and taught himself bass, guitar and drums by high school. Through all this he was writing his own songs, playing in various bands and making attempts to record everything with whatever gear he could put together. He produced his first...

Pat Speece

Bass & Guitar Instructor

Pat Speece has been playing the bass for about 8 years, and has since been a guest performer with such well known bands as the Mahavishnu Project, Vince Wellnick of the Greatful Dead and Project Object. He has also played or performed with Dave Larue (Dixie Dregs), Tony Levin (King Crimson), Alan Holdsworth, and Marcus Miller. He has also...

Boston School of Rock