INSTRUCTORS

OUR INSTRUCTORS

Greg Hipskind - Owner/Director/Drum Instructor

Greg has been playing for 30+ years and has made a living as a professional musician for the past 17 years, teaching lessons and performing on a regular basis. He is the owner and director of QC Rock Academy and is the head drum instructor.

Greg is a proud member of the Vic Firth Education Team, Sabian Education Network and a member of the Professional Drum Teachers Guild. He is also part of the popular Quad City band, Wicked Liz & the Bellyswirls

Greg grew up in Moline and when not playing music he is an avid baseball fan and loves to travel with his wife, Jenny and daughters, Leah and Emma.

Accepting students age 7 and up.

Billy Gardner - Head Guitar Instructor.

Billy has been playing since he was 10 years old (30+ years) and has enjoyed teaching for the past ten years. He has played in many local bands including Keep A Lie, Axen Province, Alone, Transmission 13 and Katalina. He is currently playing with the band Kronos Resistor.

As a kid, his family and friends encouraged him alot in his learning and his biggest inspiration was always the joy of hitting the stage with his band and putting on the best performance possible.

When not teaching, he enjoys time with his family, fishing and Packers football.

Accepting students age 7 and up.

Scot Haut - Guitar

Scot has been playing guitar for over 20 years and has been playing professional for the past 11 years. As a young boy, Scot was consumed by the power of music. Most of his time as a teenager was spent learning and playing his guitar. Once he got a taste of being on stage he couldn't give it up. He currently plays in four bands; The One Night Standards, Terry and the Loan Sharks, The Afterdarks and Electric Machete.

When he's not teaching or gigging, he enjoys spending quiet time at home with his wife, Amy and daughter, Olive. He also enjoys restoring his classic car.

Accepting students age 7 and up.

Sharon DeKeyzer - Vocal and Piano

Sharon has been teaching and coaching since 2006. She gained her music degree from Morningside College in 2007. She got her vocal performance degree with concentration in piano, voice, and communication. She has been a competitor in the Miss America, Miss USA and Mrs America program and coached many students to achieve these goals.

Accepting vocal and piano students age 7 to adult

Laura Miller Hammes - Vocals

Laura has been singing and performing for over 25 years and has a wide range of experience and interest in vocal music, including rock, classical music, musical theater and pageants. She has a BA of Music from St. Ambrose University and studied voice while living in Germany. To go along with her classical training, she has two years of experience with the Quad City Opera Company.

She is the lead singer for local band, Fair Warning. She has also performed two sold out solo shows at the Speakeasy in Rock Island. Laura also worked as a 'Bootlegger' for 8 years at Circa '21 Dinner Theater. She was a Top 10 finalist in the Miss Iowa pageant four times and won the talent competition in 2002.

Laura is very excited to share her experience and passion for music.

She loves spending time with her husband Brad and son, Logan.

Accepting students age 7 and up.

Bryce Swanson - Guitar/Bass/Piano and KidzRock Classes

Bryce Swanson, born and raised in the Quad Cities, has been playing and studying music for two decades. During this time Bryce has worked his way to being one of the top call guitarists in the Quad Cities. He is a graduate of Black Hawk College as well as The University of Northern Iowa, while at these schools he took many music courses and lessons despite being a non-music major. While at Black Hawk College he lead Jazz Band I and achieved a music achievement award each semester he attended. Bryce is proficient in many styles of guitar playing and students can expect instruction in genres such as: blues, country, metal, funk, jazz, pop, R&B, rock etc.

Bryce teaches to help promote a love of lifelong learning; he believes that no matter what your experience with music (or any other subject) may be, you can always continue to learn. Bryce is in a number of projects at any given time, but he can be heard with local favorite Soul Storm and Class of '82.

Accepting students age 7 to adult

Bryson Foster - Drums

Bryson Foster has been playing drums for over 10 years and has studied under some of the best teachers in the business. He started taking lessons as soon as he picked up his sticks at age 11. He then went on to the Musicians Institute in Los Angeles, CA where he continued his studies on the drumset. While in Los Angeles, he was able to learn from world class instructors and he graduated with an Associates of Arts in Drumset Performance.

Bryson has a real passion for music and loves sharing it with others.

When he's not teaching, Bryson enjoys playing gigs around the Quad Cities with his band, Condor and Jaybird and traveling.

Accepting students age 7 and up.

Jeff Jackson - Guitar

Jeff was born and raised in Davenport Iowa, at a very young age, he knew that music was going to play a huge role in his future and life and it has. He started playing guitar in 1986 at the age of eleven, bass guitar in 1990 and pedal steel guitar in 1999. He have played and toured with many local bands along with some national acts. He is a long time member of the band Fifth of Country.

Accepting students age 7 to adult