Instructors

Snake Rock on September 13th, 2008

WELCOME to S & K Music Studio’s Instructors’ Page!

We employ only the highest caliber instructors.

They range from University of Berkeley educated to world touring and performing professionals…..and everything in between.

All of our instructors are FBI and Nevada State background checked.

We teach ages six (6) years old through adult. Under age six we suggest a preliminary evaluation lesson to determine the degree of attention span and coordination.

We teach all of the following:

• Guitar

• Bass Guitar

• Drums

• Piano/Keyboard

• Voice

…..and specialize in Rock and Roll, Heavy Metal, Pop, Blues and Jazz, but we also teach Alternative, Country, Gospel, and many other styles. Here is a breakdown of our current instructors:

Snake Rock:

Having originated in Cleveland, Ohio, Snake Rock’s hard edged style of Rock an Roll has graced the likes of The Agora, Akron Civic Theatre, and The Cleveland Connection, to name a few, as well as thrilled fans in Los Angeles at a long list of venues, including The Roxy, The Whiskey-A-Go-Go, The Troubadour, The Coconut Teaser, and The Country Club.

Other credits include touring, performing, and/or recording with E Nuff Z Nuff, Frank DiMino, Vivian Campbell, Edgar Winter, Steppenwolf, Mountain, Humble Pie, Uriah Heep, Kevin Valentine, Richie Ranno, Christian Nesmith, The Guess Who, and Molly Hatchet. His band, “Snake Rock” also celebrated a #1 hit with, “Can’t Stay Home Tonight”.

Now established in Las Vegas, other credits include: KKLZ’s/Sunset Station’s Battle of the Bands Finals, KOMP’s/Las Vegas Weekly’s Battle of the Bands, Fremont Street Experience National Talent Showcase Semi-finals, Worldfolk’s Battle of the Bands at Legends Lounge, Texas Station’s “Texas Rocks”, PinkE’s, The Boston, Club Utopia, Mandalay Bay House of Blues with Vince Neil, and winners of the April 2003 Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Talent Competition at The Joint.

Snake Rock presently has four CD’s available:

“Snake Rock” – a ten song compilation which includes Snake’s popular #1 single, “Can’t Stay Home Tonight”.

“United We Stand” – a September 11th charity CD co-produced by both Snake and Karen Rock, along with Las Vegas’ KKLZ 96.3 radio station.

“My America” – a September 11th Benefit single which was endorsed by Las Vegas’ Mayor Oscar Goodman. All proceeds from the sale of this CD went directly to The Police and Fire Emerald Society of Nevada, Inc., to benefit the NYC Police and Firefighters’ Widows and Orphans Funds.

“S & K Music Studio Presents School of Snake Rock, Sessions I” – An L.P. produced by Snake Rock, featuring the students of S & K Music performing poplular music, “From The Beatles to Bon Jovi”. Available SOON - exclusively at: http://www.schoolofsnakerock.com

Snake Rock has also been featured in author, Deanna R. Adams’ book, “Rock n’ Roll and the Cleveland Connection”, which made its debut at the Cleveland Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the summer of 2002. This book is available for purchase at S & K Music Studio.

In addition to Snake’s other accomplishments, he is also the owner and operator of S & K Music Studio in Las Vegas, Nevada, along with his wife, Karen. It is here that Snake takes great pride in mentoring a wide variety of ages in expertise guitar instruction. You can also visit Snake’s Myspace page at: Snake Rock!

Frank DiMino - Vocals

After studying Composition and Arranging at Berklee School of Music, Frank DiMino, lead singer for the band, Angel, began his career in a club in Washington, D.C. called Bogies. Regulars would frequent Bogies, and one of those regulars was Gordon Fletcher, a writer and reviewer for Rolling Stone and Creem Magazine. Soon, word got out to managers and record companies in the industry. That summer, Frank and his band, Angel, signed a management contract with David Joseph and Gem Toby Organization. They then set out to find a record company that would suit the musical ideas and live presentation they had in mind. After relocating to Los Angeles, the record was finished and the band signed a deal with Neal Bogart and Casablanca Records.

After the launch of the first album, Angel was voted “Best New Band” by the reader’s poll of Circus Magazine. Also that year, Angel was awarded a gold record for the best and most promising new band in Japan.

Frank went on to record several albums with Angel- Angel, Helluva Band, On Earth As It Is In Heaven, White Hot, Sinful, Live Without A Net, An Anthology, Angel- The Collection, and In The Beginning. The White Hot album produced The Winter Song, which the band performed on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand.

Frank and his band toured extensively with such names as; Rush, Ted Nugent, Styx, Blackmore’s Rainbow, Bob Seger, ZZ Top, Aerosmith, Blue Oyster Cult, Black Oak Arkansas, The Runaways, Billy Squire, Rick Derringer, Eddie Money, The Baby’s, Sammy Hagar, Leslie West, and Humble Pie, to name a few.

Frank went on to further his career in television and film. In the film Foxes starring Jody Foster, Angel appears as themselves. Two songs from the Sinful album, 20 th Century Foxes and Virginia, are included on the Foxes soundtrack. Wild and Hot from the Sinful album was used in the Kiss film, Detroit Rock City. Frank was awarded a Platinum Album for contribution of vocals on Seduce Me Tonight for the film Flashdance and the Flashdance soundtrack. Television projects consist of songs for “In the Custody of Strangers” (Filmways Production), “Forbidden Love” (Orion), “Cagney and Lacey” (Orion), and “Beverly Hills Madame” (Orion).

Frank recently had the opportunity to tour Europe and Sweden with Angel. They performed at the the “Bang Your Head Festival” in Germany with Alice Cooper, UFO, and Sebastian Bach. They also played to audiences in Switzerland and Amsterdam as well as various summer festivals.

Frank currently resides in Las Vegas where he performs with a local rock group when he’s not touring or recording with Angel. You can find out more about Frank at: http://www.myspace.com/frankdimino and more about Angel at: http://www.myspace.com/angelofficialsite

Justin Vogel - Piano, Bass Guitar, Guitar

Beginning his music study at age 6, Justin studied piano, guitar and drums throughout his childhood. At age 18 Justin chose to focus on bass, as he already had a strong understanding of rhythm section instruments and their individual contribution to the ensemble. Equally comfortable on both acoustic and electric bass, Justin has been in Las Vegas since 1999. Relocating here from Denver after college to tour with a swing band, Justin left the band and accepted a Director of Education position. After 5 years, Justin moved to focus strictly on playing and has become a first call player in both live and studio situations.

Justin is playing with Rockslide, a cover/original rock band playing material from the 80’s metal genera; Rockslide is working steadily on the Las Vegas strip and the Station Casino circuit. Justin is also very active in the jazz scene playing 3 plus nights weekly at the Palazzo Hotel and Casino. Justin also plays weekly at Spiritual Life Center, playing varying styles with guest artist’s from all over the world. With a great passion for music and music education, Justin has taught guitar, bass guitar, and piano at S & K Music Studio for just over one year now and is grateful to be part of their family.

Mario Ortiz - Guitar

Hailing from Whittier, California, Mario Vittorio Ortiz has brought many guitar styles to S & K Music Studio over the past year including, punk, funk, blues, heavy metal, and all forms of rock n’ roll! He is currently in the Vegas based band Hang ‘Em High, who just recently played the Salt Lake City Van’s Warped Tour on the “Kevin Says” stage. Mario has been playing guitar for over twenty years and takes pride in teaching all of his students, from beginners to advanced, the art of becoming a professional musician.

Patrick Martens - Drums

Patrick, the drummer for the band Ashbury, constantly expands and grows in experience as the band continues to move up in the music industry. His band has reached the number one spot on Las Vegas’ most popular station, CBS Radio Mix 94.1 and “was the most requested band for 3 weeks straight!” - Justin Chase Program Director. After winning a local contest and the following national contest consisting of over 10,000 bands and nearly a million votes, the band entered the top four in a contest to open for Bon Jovi. Jon Bon Jovi personally picked Ashbury open for them as well as Nickelback at Giant’s Stadium in New Jersey on July 19, 2006. Ashbury’s music has also been heard on MTV’s hit television shows “The Hills”, ” Laguna Beach”, and “Pimp my Ride”.

They’ve twice landed spots on National TV for the Jerry Lewis MDA telethon. Ashbury also just came out on top of Las Vegas’ major battle of the bands competition “A Fight for Fame”. They are currently in the Millbrook Sound Studio in Millbrook, NY with world renowned producer Lucian Giordano working to put out their sophomore album “Off With The Lights”, and will be touring the country to promote it shortly after. Patrick’s just recently joined the S&K family, and is excited to be a part of the crew.

Alex Allen - Drums

Alex Allen is 20 years old comes to Las Vegas and S&K via Rochester, MN. Currently Alex is the powerhouse drummer for Las Vegas’ own Hang ‘Em High where he shares the stage with S&K’s own guitar instructor Mario Ortiz. Alex enjoys several styles of music from country, R&B to metal, and rock n roll. His philosophy is that to become an accomplished drummer or any type of musician, you have to learn how to appreciate all types of music so you can create your own personal style. Alex’s skilled teaching will help you to accomplish your goal of becoming a great drummer. Find out more about Alex at: http://www.myspace.com/hanghigh

Brian Cantrell - Guitar, Bass Guitar

Brian Cantrell has taught at S & K Music for the past three years. His influences include classic and modern rock, sixties pop and psychedelic, classical, jazz, folk, and hip hop. Formerly of local bands Jr. Anti-Sex League and Red Light School District, Brian has played more than two hundred shows and become comfortable in the studio environment through years of recording experience. He is well versed in music theory and chord construction, and has a vast repertoire of exercises, songs, and chord voicings for students who wish to learn about music, play their favorite songs, and develop their own style.

We look forward to pairing you with the perfect instructor for your musical needs!