Meet Our Amazing Directors and Teachers

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Joe Chamberlin is a multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter who has been teaching guitar and bass with  Kalamazoo Academy of Rock for 10 years. Specializing in folk, rock, pop, and blues, he places emphasis on basic music theory, songwriting, and improv. Joe's current band FlyLiteGemini recently released their second album "Bigger on the Inside", recorded with Ian Gorman at Kalamazoo's La Luna Recording and Sound, and has been gigging all over Michigan. Also, a seasoned touring musician, Joe has toured the country multiple times with his bands and has played over 700 shows from coast to coast.

(Photo Credit: Frank Vargas)

I am Jeff Hale, Berklee College of Music ‘11; Contemporary Writing & Production, Magna cum Laude with a Conducting minor.  I’ve spent my life making music professionally and teaching, with highlights including recording an album which was featured in Guitar World magazine, and pushing my original folk/pop group to national recognition with music videos on CMT pure, MTV online, TNN heartland, and other broadcast media including main stage support appearances at high-profile music festivals.  I have played hundreds of originals and covers gigs, and several national tours.  I’ve also worked with over two hundred private lesson students, many percussion ensembles and of course lots of epic KAR bands since I joined up here in January 2022.  Several of my students have gone on to Berklee College of Music, WMU’s Jazz Studies program, and GVSU’s Music Education program, to name a few, in addition to KJSO and extracurricular and collegiate level marching band program acceptances.

Outside of music, I love adventurous outdoor activities like skiing, motorcycle touring, hiking, and camping, but mostly sharing all of those with my wonderful partner Codi, my favorite human in all the world.  I’m also a certified Motorcycle Safety Foundation Rider Coach and teach motorcycle safety classes in Lansing during the riding season.  I like to spend solo time tinkering with old drums and keeping my motorcycles and myself ready for the next adventure.

Jay Gavan is a Kalamazoo guitarist, teacher and songwriter who performs with a variety of groups in multiple genres.  Though his background is firmly in self-taught rock and roll, his several solo albums also betray interests in latin jazz, folk, klezmer and other disparate styles.  And his work with bands like Guitar UP! Surf Band, the Birdseed Salesmen, the Susie Parr Trio, the Corn Fed Girls, The Red Sea Pedestrians, and the Brothers Kalamazov show not only a diversity of musical tastes, but seemingly a desire to learn music and perform with as many area musicians as possible.  Jay joined KAR in 2016 and, in addition to directing a number of workshop and varsity bands, he reports to have found yet another outlet for his years of music experience--teaching it to a younger generation.

 With an accredited, eclectic musical background Jeff approaches the drums with the enthusiasm of a kid raised on a lifetime of Detroit rock radio.  He has a music degree from Western Michigan University, has recorded and toured with his groups, Knee Deep Shag and Butterfat Trio, and has taught private lessons for the last 30 years. Extensive freelancing has taken him throughout the country and the world, including Mexico, Spain, and Italy.  He’s also a very active session drummer recording drum tracks from his own studio along with studios around the midwest. 

Kaitlin has been playing guitar and writing songs since the summer of 2001 after finding her mom's Alvarez in the hallway closet.  By the end of the day she taught herself the theme song to The Godfather, which made her Italian grandmother very proud.

Since then, Kaitlin has recorded four full length solo-albums in various basements and attics of friends and family members including All My Roses, Sentience, The Ideal and Organic Travels.

In Spring of '13 she recorded a 9 song demo with Ian Gorman at La Luna Studio and released The Other Side, her first full-length record with a backing band, in May, 2015.  
 

Kaitlin released coalesce, a four song solo ep in May, '17.

The Kaitlin Rose Band recorded "Live Enough" with a live, in-studio audience at Overneath Creative Collective on December 8th, 2018, released in April, 2019. Mixed & mastered by Ian Gorman at La Luna Recording & Sound in Kalamazoo, MI.

(Photo Credit: Fran Dwight)

Bob Wallis (ASCAP) is a Kalamazoo-based singer/songwriter and keyboard player with two independently released CDs that have gained listener attention around the world.  

“Can’t Stop the World” (2004) features “Song for My Son,” his most popular song on iTunes/Apple Music.  The album features a guest appearance by Sean Reisig on percussion (Funktion) and was mixed and mastered by Martin Klemm (Kalamazoo Recording Company).

In 2007, Bob was awarded an Artists’ grant from the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo to create his second release, “Minivan Troubadour” (2008).  The title track was featured on NPR’s Car Talk. The album features Jeff Moehle on drums (Knee Deep Shag, Butterfat Trio, Spoken Four), with guest appearances by Mark Turner on guitar (Wordenhaus) and Mark Van Ziegler (The Band’s Visit national tour, Spamalot NYC, Butterfat Trio) on bass, and was mixed and mastered by Martin Klemm (Kalamazoo Recording Company).

Bob has been hired privately as a songwriter and has contributed personalized songs as fundraisers for charitable events.  

He has recorded keyboards with multiple singer/songwriters including Darryl Loiacano (2014), performed as a keyboard player and singer with area bands and solo for events and weddings, and makes occasional appearances with sets of original music.  

Bob joined Kalamazoo Academy of Rock in 2018, purchasing the flourishing music education business from founder Jeff Mitchell.  Under Bob’s direction, KAR has continued to grow and evolve, expanding offerings to include acoustic music and songwriting, and collaboration with nationally-known artists Joshua Davis and Matt Giraud.

Bob is also a productivity and talent development consultant with his own consulting business, 61 Keys Consulting.

(Photo Credit: Mike Broyles)