Staff & Music Teachers at Bach to Rock Denville

Lisa Salzman - Lisa Salzman is Owner & Director at Bach to Rock Denville. Inspired by the creative process since she was a child, Lisa has always been drawn to people, places, activities and opportunities that allow her to express herself artistically and creatively. Studying foreign languages, art and sculpture, Lisa received her bachelor’s degree in Spanish and International Studies from Allegheny College in 1998. After a year spent in Seville, Spain studying at the Center for Cross-Cultural Study, Lisa fell in love with culture and language and learning to communicate across boundaries and stereotypes. She pursued a successful and rewarding career across various companies while living in New York, from translations, marketing and communications to HR consulting and leadership development. As a leader / manager in her respective teams, Lisa is a natural at building and cultivating strong teams and work cultures, which she strives to do at Bach to Rock Denville, in turn creating a warm and welcoming environment for our members and community. Lisa also enjoys the creative process of cooking and interior design and spends her 'free time' with her husband Marc, their two children, Vivienne and Ashton, and their beloved cats Zuri & Zazu!

Marc Salzman - Marc & Lisa Salzman are the owners of B2R Denville. With Marc’s passion and talent for writing, playing and producing music; our joint interest and desire to create and do something meaningful and impactful for our family and our community; and with our strong focus on making music and the arts available and accessible for all ages, this opportunity was meant to be! Why Bach to Rock? Aside from a unique opportunity that combines music, kids, community, education, business, technology and “doing good to do well”, the Bach to Rock approach is centered around making music fun, accessible and a “team sport” for people of all ages. Marc took guitar lessons as a teenager and the opportunity to play with other kids was not available back then. This is what sealed the deal for Marc & Lisa – to be able to bring that to their community and especially watch kids grow confidence and thrive.

Brittany D - Brittany is Co-Director at B2R Denville. During Brittany’s almost seven- year tenure at Bach to Rock, she has taught Voice, Piano, Early Childhood, Bands and Glee Club. Originally from Allendale, NJ, Brittany has been studying voice since the age of fourteen but has been singing since she could remember. Brittany graduated from Rutgers University with a Bachelor of Music degree in 2016. While there, she studied Music Education with a vocal concentration. Although a classically trained singer, Brittany has an interest in teaching voice in all styles and promotes healthy and effective ways of singing. On top of teaching, Brittany is also an active performer/ singer. As an instructor, Brittany encourages her students to sing and play with confidence. It is important to her that her students feel safe and take risks as they explore and develop their knowledge of music. Outside of teaching and performing, one of Brittany’s favorite hobbies is dressing up her two family dogs, Tamrie and Charlie, especially for the holidays!

Joni S - Joni is a music studio coordinator at Bach to Rock Denville. She’s also a Rock Star mom of four beautiful kids who keep her busy outside of all the great things she does for our school! Joni enjoys listening to all kinds of music – from pop to country to hip hop and classical tunes and she occasionally still plays the flute in her (very rare) spare time, which she learned to play in high school. She loves Kygo, John Legend, Bruno Mars and Christina Perri, to name a few of her faves. Joni also has a passion for yoga and kids sports and served as her daughter’s cheerleading coach for a few seasons. As a busy working mom of four, Joni is a master at multi-tasking and being organized and she keeps our team and our students on task! Joni goes above and beyond to help our members with whatever they need—from being the cheerful face that greets you at the front door, giving tours, scheduling lessons, answering questions, booking events and processing new enrollments. Joni loves the fun and upbeat energy at B2R Denville and she enjoys the variety of people and students –of all ages!— that take lessons which makes it a fun and rewarding place to work.

Katie G - Katie is a music studio coordinator who started her tenure with at Bach to Rock Denville as a violin and piano student! Katie grew up in a musical and artistic household, and her music journey started with the clarinet, but shortly thereafter she realized her passion for classical strings. She switched over to violin, and quickly picked up the mandolin and piano as well. Katie has had the opportunity to perform in Disney Springs Orlando, and got to record at the Historic RCA Studio B, in Nashville! While currently being a business major at County College of Morris she is excited to be able to share her love of music with the students and staff at Bach to Rock Denville, as well as her artistic talents, frequently adding flare and color to our marketing boards and materials. Some of her favorite artists at the moment are The Lumineers, Mac Miller, Sleeping at Last, and Phish! Katie's favorite thing about working at Bach to Rock is being able to experience all of the exciting progress our students are making!

Adriana M - Adriana M. is a multi instrumentalist at Bach to Rock. A recent graduate of William Paterson University, Adriana holds a Bachelor of Music Degree in Education K-12. She was introduced to music at a young age where she began on Alto Saxophone. She then studied privately with award winning concert pianists, Carol Ferri and Gustave Ferri, for 4 years. At the same time, she was studying privately with guitar rock enthusiast, Randy Ferri. As time went on, Adriana was introduced to brass instruments and knew she wanted to teach her knowledge to aspiring musicians. Adriana’s primary instrument is trumpet but she can also play trombone, baritone, ukulele, clarinet, flute, alto sax, violin, piano, and guitar!

Angelo O - Angelo is a multi-instrumentalist instructor at Bach to Rock, teaching piano, woodwinds and brass. He is an accomplished woodwind and brass player with experience in touring Europe with the American Music Abroad Orchestra, playing and teaching in the DCA marching arts, as well as playing in various orchestras, pit orchestras, and wind ensembles. Angelo currently studies at William Paterson University with a degree in music performance. There, he studied under the grace of world-renowned clarinetist Andrew Lamy who currently sits as principal chair of the New Jersey Symphony and pioneer in clarinet Irish traditional music. Angelo is also a gigging musician, playing genres in classical and jazz, as well as film scoring. He is well-equipped in teaching music to all ages having experience teaching a range from elementary beginners to advanced, semi-professional, players. Angelo finds much joy in teaching music, as it is a great outlet for emotion and allows for genuine creativity. Outside of music, he loves to travel, ride bikes and spend time with his two dogs Willow and Wendy.

Cory H - Cory teaches voice and piano at Bach to Rock Denville. Growing up in Boonton, Cory has performed at many local venues including NJPAC. He began studying voice at the age of 15, and he has spent the following years performing and perfecting his craft. Cory is very active in the theatre scene in North Jersey and has starred in numerous plays and musicals. He is a singer for the Music Ministry of Corpus Christi parish in Chatham, where he leads music for masses, weddings and special occasions. He graduated from Westminster Choir College in 2013 with a Bachelor of Music, concentrating in Musical Theatre. Cory's inspiration and influences range from George Gershwin to Lin Manuel Miranda, with countless artists in between. He enjoys the opportunity to really understand and connect with his students and challenge them to try new material that builds on their overall musicianship.

Luke M - Luke teaches guitar and piano at Bach to Rock Denville. He started playing music at the age of ten where his first instrument was the Trumpet. Despite continuing in brass throughout the duration of his high school experience, playing in marching band, pit orchestras, and competing in statewide competitions, he was always drawn to more guitar centric music which he began at the age of twelve. Luke studied for two years at The University of The Arts in Philadelphia as a guitar performance major, and is now finishing his education at Montclair State University as a Music Therapy Major. He is a fan of many genres including Folk, Rock, Blues, Jazz, and Fusion, to name a few. One of his favorite artists is The Allman Brothers Band and he even plays in a touring tribute band, A Brothers Revival, led by former Allman Brothers bassist David "Rook" Goldflies. 

Matthew C - Matt is a drum and piano instructor at B2R Denville. He started out his career studying classical piano under the direction of his mother for the first half of his life. In middle school, he went to see a few of his older brother’s school band performances, and from that point on his life revolved around everything drums. He would frequently walk to school hours in advance to play on his practice pad before homeroom and would rush home to jam out on his drumset. Matt is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Jazz Studies/Performance at Montclair State University where he is heavily involved in its performing ensembles. In his free time, he enjoys attending jam sessions and meeting other young musicians from the area. From the very beginning, Matt knew music was the path for him and he hopes to inspire as many young musicians as possible. As an instructor, he believes that music is not only a great creative outlet but the key to success in all aspects of life. He is always excited to hear new music and feels that it is important to keep up with the latest musical innovations. In addition to Jazz, Matt enjoys listening to classic rock, funk, hip hop, country, samba and bossa nova, and salsa.

Wayne M - Wayne teaches drums at Bach to Rock Denville. He started playing drums at the age of thirteen, proceeding to form his first rock band the day after receiving a drum set for his birthday! From there, he began taking private lessons and completed the Berklee College of Music 5-Week Summer Program in 1990, later graduating with a bachelor's degree from Berklee College of Music, with Honors, in 1998. Wayne went on to receive his teaching certification in the state of South Dakota where he lived for two years, teaching K-12 music on the Pine Ridge Reservation and then one year abroad at an international school in Costa Rica. On returning home to New Jersey, he turned to performance, having played at venues as varied as CBGBs in lower Manhattan, NYC to Symphony Hall in Boston, MA. Wayne's influences in the art of drumming include John Bonham, Terry Bozzio, Matt Cameron and Tony Williams, musical influences include Miles Davis, the Beatles, Frank Zappa, many 20th century composers and various forms of drum composition. Wayne now enjoys giving back to both music and the cause of education at Bach to Rock Denville.

Xaviel M - Xaviel has over ten years of experience playing the guitar. He first gained an interest in guitar playing at CUNY in the Heights where they offered guitar lessons for kids. Xaviel continued his journey with the guitar by teaching himself a diverse amount of genres such as Bachata, Merengue, and Pop/Rock. He started studying music in high school, where he learned music theory and also participated in the Jazz Ensemble. Xaviel received his Associate’s in Music at Bergen Community College and he is now pursuing his Bachelors in Recordings Arts and Production at Montclair State University. Xaviel’s main focus in life is to be immersed in music. Whether it be on stage, in a recording studio, or at a music school like B2R, the ability to learn from one another and to share the same passion of Art is what brings life to your environment.