Faculty/Staff | School of Rock San Diego


Tyler Ward	Music Director Tyler Ward is a multi instrumentalist from San Diego and has been with School of Rock since 2007. After taking over for previous Music Director, Mike Keneally, he became General Manager of San Diego and, eventually, Vista as well. In addition to teaching and directing shows at SoR, he plays drums, guitar, and bass with many San Diego bands and...	Read More
Andrew Steele	Guitar, Vocal, Bass and Keys Instructor / Show Director Andrew received his BA in Theatre Arts and Music from University of San Diego with an emphasis in avant garde performance and vocal performance respectively. He first took piano lessons at the age of 9, but quickly switched to guitar due to his love of bands like Led Zeppelin and Pearl Jam. He has experience performing in many different...	Read More
Arabella Harrison	Vocal Instructor/ Little Wing Director Arabella is a multi-instrumental musician who co-founded the bands Jejune and The And/Ors in the ‘90s and early 2000s, and has toured extensively across the U.S. and Europe with such bands as Jimmy Eat World and Death Cab for Cutie. She gained national attention for her cover of Pat Benatar’s “We Belong” for a Sheraton hotels spot, and...	Read More
Damon DeLaPaz	Drum and Guitar Instructor / Show Director Damon DeLaPaz has been with the San Diego School of Rock since 2008, spending 2010 teaching at the Portland School of Rock where he directed the first of the "Epic Albums" shows, Green Day's Dookie. He is the drummer for Portland's Ape Machine and San Diego band Grand Tarantula. He was one of the founding members of Fenix Tx, Blackout...	Read More
Jack Beddows	Guitar, Vocals and Keys Instructor Jack Beddows has been playing music for over 25 years, beginning with guitar and soon after adding piano, bass and vocal work to his areas of study. He received his bachelor's of music in composition from UC Santa Barbara's college of creative studies, after which pursuing credentials in sound engineering. He has written and recorded two...	Read More
Joshua Smith	Guitar/Bass Instructor, Assistant Show Director Josh Smith is an alumni from the San Diego School of Rock, now teaching and directing season shows at both the Vista and San Diego schools. He has played many shows and venues throughout the United States with personal bands and The School of Rock, he has played with musicians who were previously in Frank Zappa, Dethklok, Yes, and Mr. Big....	Read More
Matt Smith	Guitar/Bass Instructor Self taught electric guitar at age 13 and started composing, singing and playing. At 14 started the band Damcyan. At 17 began studying classical guitar with Fred Benedetti at Grossmont College. At 21 joined thrash metal band Nihilist playing guitar. Began teaching at SOR in 2012.	Read More

Tyler Ward

Music Director

Tyler Ward is a multi instrumentalist from San Diego and has been with School of Rock since 2007. After taking over for previous Music Director, Mike Keneally, he became General Manager of San Diego and, eventually, Vista as well. In addition to teaching and directing shows at SoR, he plays drums, guitar, and bass with many San Diego bands and...

Andrew Steele

Guitar, Vocal, Bass and Keys Instructor / Show Director

Andrew received his BA in Theatre Arts and Music from University of San Diego with an emphasis in avant garde performance and vocal performance respectively. He first took piano lessons at the age of 9, but quickly switched to guitar due to his love of bands like Led Zeppelin and Pearl Jam. He has experience performing in many different...

Arabella Harrison

Vocal Instructor/ Little Wing Director

Arabella is a multi-instrumental musician who co-founded the bands Jejune and The And/Ors in the ‘90s and early 2000s, and has toured extensively across the U.S. and Europe with such bands as Jimmy Eat World and Death Cab for Cutie. She gained national attention for her cover of Pat Benatar’s “We Belong” for a Sheraton hotels spot, and...

Damon DeLaPaz

Drum and Guitar Instructor / Show Director

Damon DeLaPaz has been with the San Diego School of Rock since 2008, spending 2010 teaching at the Portland School of Rock where he directed the first of the "Epic Albums" shows, Green Day's Dookie. He is the drummer for Portland's Ape Machine and San Diego band Grand Tarantula. He was one of the founding members of Fenix Tx, Blackout...

Jack Beddows

Guitar, Vocals and Keys Instructor

Jack Beddows has been playing music for over 25 years, beginning with guitar and soon after adding piano, bass and vocal work to his areas of study. He received his bachelor's of music in composition from UC Santa Barbara's college of creative studies, after which pursuing credentials in sound engineering. He has written and recorded two...

Joshua Smith

Guitar/Bass Instructor, Assistant Show Director

Josh Smith is an alumni from the San Diego School of Rock, now teaching and directing season shows at both the Vista and San Diego schools. He has played many shows and venues throughout the United States with personal bands and The School of Rock, he has played with musicians who were previously in Frank Zappa, Dethklok, Yes, and Mr. Big....

Matt Smith

Guitar/Bass Instructor

Self taught electric guitar at age 13 and started composing, singing and playing. At 14 started the band Damcyan. At 17 began studying classical guitar with Fred Benedetti at Grossmont College. At 21 joined thrash metal band Nihilist playing guitar. Began teaching at SOR in 2012.