Our Team

Dylan KELEHAN

Dylan is a Husband, Father, Business Owner, Instructor, Musician and human. He has taught over 10,000 lessons and has toured the country with his former band The Machine. Currently, Dylan leads Live and Unplugged which has national booking and national management.

JOEY CALFA

Joey Calfa graduated from SUNY Oneonta with degrees in music performance and audio production in 2011. He specializes in guitar, ukulele, bass, music theory, and band leading. While in school, Joey was a teaching assistant, studio tech, and member of many bands including a Frank Zappa tribute called mothers of intention. Since college he has toured around the country with his original Band Cousin Earth as well as recording their music and his own solo release in 2021. Joey has spent many years playing in a traditional Hawaiian band, various wedding bands, and teaching throughout NYC. He is best known for his unique take on what a ukulele can do and has many YouTube videos with thousands of views from around the world.

PAUL SAND

Paul Sand is a keyboardist from Saddle Brook, New Jersey who has had a passion for music his whole life. He plays in a number of NJ/NY bands such as Hometown Radio, MOHAB, and Treble and enjoys collaborating with musicians from all over. Paul is a graduate of both Bergen Community College and Ramapo where he furthered his studies and Received his BA in Music. Keyboardists/Pianists who have influenced him include Jon Lord, Ray Manzarek, Keith Emerson, Richard Wright, Rick Wakeman, and Billy Preston. Some of his favorite bands are The Cars, Talking Heads, The Beatles, Deep Purple, Steppenwolf, Steely Dan, and Tears For Fears. Paul is a piano instructor at The Rock Shop in Nyack, NY where he strives to help students of all ages to learn to play songs from pop, rock and blues genres.

Norvin van dunk

Mercy University Graduate in Music Industry and technology. Worked at Universal Music group in the post production/Mastering Department. Former Signed recording artist with long catalog of self produced/recorded albums. Studio and Live Sound engineer. Worked in music P.R. and marketing. Performed at Major Music festivals and venues with notable artists throughout the nation.

Jake Morales

Jacob Morales is a multi-instrumentalist, guitarist, drummer, and songwriter who began playing in bands when he was 11 years old. Coming from a musical background, he was able to experience an inside look into the music business through the lens of his father Richie Morales, a well renowned jazz and fusion drummer and educator in his own right. Jacob has accompanied and assisted his father on numerous gigs with music legends like Al Di Meola, Mike Stern, Michael Brecker and Grover Washington Jr., amongst many others. Jacob has performed at venues in New York City and the surrounding area like The Knitting Factory, The Bowery Electric, Rockwood Music Hall, The Delancy, Desmond’s, and many more with various bands, and spends his free time playing with his different bands and recording his own music from his home in Suffern, NY. After spending time working in the legal world, Jacob is now pursuing his passion for music through teaching lessons on guitar and drums.

Sam Waymon

A contributor to local, national and world culture, Dr. Samuel Waymon has appeared in films, created scores, and performed along side Miles Davis, Roberta Flack, and his legendary sister Nina Simone. Sam has been teaching Piano and Voice here in Rockland County for over and decade and we are proud to have him at our school.

ALBERT AHLF

Albert has worked as a freelance musician steadily for the past 8 years and private music teacher and instructor for the past 5 years. He received his Bachelor of Music from SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Music with a minor in Philosophy, and received his Masters of Arts in Music Education From CUNY Hunter College. He currently works professionally as a pianist/keyboardist, theory tutor, arranger/composer, and vocalist mostly but not limited to the contexts of Jazz music. He is well versed in the Classical and Jazz traditions of piano music and is able to perform/teach both adequately and sufficiently (as well as other pop styles of music). Vocally, he accompanies himself while performing at various locations in throughout the Hudson Valley, Rockland County and NYC. He plays keyboard and provides vocals in his Swing Jazz band entitled "Ahlfabet". He also plays French Horn. Pedagogically, he is able to utilize different teaching methods and differentiated approaches towards achieving the desired learning outcomes of each individual student.

TOWNER GALAHER

Galaher's long career in education began in 1980 at Brown's Drum shop, and has since developed into over 30 years of teaching at community centers, giving private lessons from music stores and his home studio, and recently retired from a career of 21 years teaching ininner city New York City Public Schools. Galaher has garnered much respect as an educator who is committed to mentoring and passing the baton to younger generations.

Towner Holds a BA in music from Empire State College and an MA in jazz performance from Queens College where he studied composition and arranging with Mike Mossman and Roland Hanna. The author of three seminal essays, "Parallel Developments and Cross-Cultural Exchange in the music of New Orleans and Cuba 1900-1920", "The History of Latin Music in New York City", and "New Orleans R&B 1945-1970".

He has written an instructional drumming book entitled "Coordination Development for the Drum Set" andcollaborated with Mike Clark to produce the book, "Mike Clark Funk Drumming: Advanced Concepts & Innovative Grooves" for which he did all the transcriptions and collaborated on the text. His transcriptions work was also featured in the first six issues of "Drumhead Magazine".

VICTORIA ASTUTO

Dave Ross

Dave has a decorated career as a teacher, a musician, an actor, and a dancer. He was Dylan’s guitar instructor for years when Dylan was a teenager. Dave has tens of thousands of hours of experience teaching, recording, and performing. He and his wife Shlomit also offer wellness and healing services with their local company “Gleeful Wellness”.

Seth Moutal

Seth is a drummer, a healer, and a spiritual leader. He takes drumming to the next level and ignites the passions of all of those around him. Here’s a quote from a former student “How could anyone be better at the drums than you?” When you watch him play, it’s a fair question.

DAN ANDERSEN

Dan is multi instrumentalist who has a music degree from Oneonta. He has performed countless shows with regional touring bands, he’s philosopher, and a mighty musician.

TOM CLANCEY

Tom Clancey is a guitarist and singer from New Jersey who currently performs in Dead Meat (a tribute to the Grateful Dead), his original band SkyDaddy, and his organ trio Tom Clancey’s Rainbow 3. In addition to working as a songwriter and collaborator in bands around the tri-state area, Tom also performs solo shows throughout the region and duo shows with collaborators Danielle Sheri, Dan Rappaport and Steve Jordan. His primary influences include the John Coltrane quartet, the Derek Trucks Band, the Grateful Dead, Hot Tuna, The Meters and Soulive. In addition to being a performer, he is a life-long music fan and avid concertgoer. Before 2020, Tom spent 13 years working as a community journalist in New Jersey, including 8 years as the editor of three weekly newspapers in Bergen County. Tom is an instructor at The Rock Shop in Nyack NY, where he teaches general music, guitar, voice and introductory piano and ukulele. For more, visit his website at www.ClanceyMusic.com.

William Barney Stevens

William Barney Stevens - Teaches Violin, Viola, Cello, - Bio coming soon

Jason Trenczer

Jason Trenczer has been teaching for more than 20 years, while playing, touring and recording since the late 1980s. He has toured the world in several original bands, including Generation kill and Vinyl Meltdown. Jason earned his BS and MAT degree in music education from Lehman College. He teaches guitar, bass, beginner’s  banjo and mandolin. 

Eric Challacombe

Born & raised in Nyack, NY. Over 30 years of drumming & performing experience. Plays with prestigious acts such as Live and Unplugged and Darkside of the Hudson. Lived outside of Detroit, MI for a short time and was nominated in the category of, "Best Instrumentalist" at Detroit's local music awards. Avid fan of the Classic rock genre...fav artists/main influences include Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones, Frank Zappa, Bruce Springsteen, and Steely Dan. In my spare time I enjoy golfing with the buddy boys, fishing with my daughter, cooking and attending concerts/live events.