MEET THE TEAM
LUCAS STEPHENSON
BOARD DIRECTOR & FOUNDER
Lucas Stephenson moved to Reno in 2005. He attended the University of Nevada, Reno, earning a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology with a minor in biology. He is the father of two precocious teenage girls and a Weimaraner named Elenor. Being drawn to working with youth inspired Lucas to explore a degree in psychology which eventually supported his decision in continuing to work with youth in the community.
In 2017, Lucas started Kid Rocker while teaching lessons on the side. Within a year, the first Kid Rocker concert was held. By 2019 Kid Rocker was a registered nonprofit. Now, Kid Rocker can focus efforts towards helping make music education available to all youth - a landmark goal when Lucas started Kid Rocker. In addition to being a DIY sound engineer who records music from his home studio, Lucas has also been writing and performing for over 25 years.
Along with his music instructor role at Kid Rocker, Lucas also teaches music at enCompass Academy Charter School in Reno, where through a partnered effort, he has designed a program where all the students learn to play the ukulele as part of the core curriculum.
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TIFFANY ELSNER
OPERATIONS TEAM
Tiffany Elsner is a Sparks native who lives with Mack, her husband of seven years. Two dogs- Earth and Jax- and a cat named Baahubali complete their little family. After being involved in music programs for seven years, Tiffany attended the University of Nevada, Reno where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering in 2020.
Tiffany has found ways to combine two of her favorite things- problem-solving and education- throughout her life. Those two passions encouraged her to study engineering, as well as delve into the world of laboratory management, non-profit volunteering and a six-year term in the Nevada Army National Guard. Her scientific background coupled with a desire to uplift others has translated into a skillset tailored to help both individuals and organizations reach their goals.
Currently, she is working through a Master’s of Business Administration and owns two small businesses with her business partner Kylie. Tiffany understands how empowering music can be to youth in the community and recognizes the power Kid Rocker has to make a difference to the ones who need it the most.
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Contact Tiffany: tiffany@kidrocker.org
NICK ENG
MULTIMEDIA MANAGER
Nick is a Reno native whose local roots run deep. Coming from a family of educators including Fred Traner, the former Dean of Education at the University of Nevada, Reno, on his mother's side and Chinese immigrants on his father's side who ran a successful business in future Midtown, education and community are values that are close to his heart.
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Growing up, Nick quickly realized he had an ear for music. As a child, he would sing into his Fisher-Price tape recorder and entertain neighbors and classmates with impromptu performances. Then, when he was introduced to the Beatles, a whole new world of musical discovery opened up. He soon picked up guitar to emulate his idols. Throughout high school, he continued his musical pursuits in jazz choir and musical theatre. He also performed on stage at Carnegie Hall in New York City as part of the Washoe County Honor Choir program. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism from UNR, with an emphasis in design and writing.
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Nick is a committed independent singer-songwriter and recording artist. With his band or on his own, he regularly plays throughout Nevada and California and has released two studio albums that have garnered praise, regular radio spins and streams, both nationally and internationally. At Kid Rocker, he's extremely eager and driven to help all kids reach their musical goals and dreams in Reno and beyond.
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Contact Nick: nick@kidrocker.org
JUSTIN FRESCHI- BOARD SECRETARY
Justin Freschi was born and raised in Reno, Nevada. He and his wife Brandy and son Luca enjoy spending time outdoors, hiking in the foothills of Sparks, camping or just walking their two dogs, Enzo and Otis, around the neighborhood.
Helping people through real estate transactions, Justin loves being a realtor, but he grew up in the pawn industry. He and his father and brother operated and managed two local pawn shops, one in Reno and the other in Sparks. It was there where he learned strong negotiating and communication skills, and the most important to him, taking care of his clients. Being in the pawn industry is one of the reasons he is so passionate about music and what it can do for children. Music runs strong through his family and having access to lots of instruments gave him the perfect playing ground to explore. He plays bass guitar, upright bass and some violin.
“I am excited to be working with the amazing team at Kid Rocker! I feel so privileged to have the opportunity to give back to my community and see so many children grow up playing music everyday."
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Contact Justin: justin@kidrocker.org
LUKE PHILLIPS
GUITAR INSTRUCTOR
Luke has been playing music professionally for the past six years, and teaching for two.
He plays in a few bands here in Reno, and is currently the bassist and vocalist for a punk'n'roll group called Grimedog, who released their debut album in 2019. He also plays in A Wormhole Could Kill Us All, an instrumental surf rock quartet who are currently working on their debut album, and also in an acoustic duo project called Just-In Beaver.
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Luke loves teaching music, especially to youth! He's excited to see Kid Rocker students harness their musical potential, and hopefully one day surpass him as musicians. He's grateful for all of them because of what he's able to learn from them as well.
LEAH WOOSTER
BOARD TREASURER
Leah Wooster is the Treasurer for Kid Rocker. Professionally, she is a Payment Solutions Market Manager for a large bank who works with executives and solopreneurs to grow their local businesses. After spending over fifteen years working with large and small industries, Leah knows what truly drives conversions, all while working with industry-leading technology to help businesses not only thrive, but truly succeed in today’s challenging and local economy. In addition to her extensive sales and management experience, Leah is a trained business coach. Leah also holds a BA in Finance from Sonoma State University.
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Leah grew up in the Reno-Tahoe area where she now raises her two children Bailey and Austin. Leah has always had a passion for helping the local community and local music, and she loves to travel and spend time with her family.
BRAD SCRIBNER
DRUM INSTRUCTOR
Brad's been playing drums for about as long as he can remember. The son of a professional drummer, he's been extremely blessed to have grown up with a wide variety of music and instruments available to him. Brad then picked up the Contrabass at 11 years old and played in his school orchestra for the next 7 years, competing in several city, state, and national championships along the way, as well as being tapped to play in the Las Vegas Honors Orchestra in 2009 and 2010. During this time, he also played in the youth and adult bands at his church, playing electric bass and drum set as necessary.
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After taking a break from live music for a few years (and picking up the guitar), Brad knew he had to get back to playing music regularly. Since 2015, he has played in multiple bands and shows in the Reno/Sparks area, his longest gig being the drummer in the local Jason King Band. In his spare time, Brad likes to record in his home studio and is now teaching himself piano. He also enjoys camping, backpacking, and the outdoors. He's a firm believer that consistently practicing with and to music that you love is the key to developing your talents, abilities, and true voice.
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Brad's excited to be able to pass on what he's come to learn over his career in music, while keeping in mind that it's all about having fun and feeling the rhythm!
MATTHEW BASSETT
BASS INSTRUCTOR
Matt moved to Reno in 2019 and lives with his wife Sue and their four cats. Originally from suburban Detroit, Michigan, he likes outdoor activities, rock hounding, travel and live music performances. He is well steeped in Motown, jazz, R&B, and blues music.
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A machinist by trade, Matt enjoys working as part of a team, especially the time spent teaching and as a mentor to younger people. He has spent several years as a classroom instructor before getting into music instruction. As a musician of 40+ years, he offers lots of experience in technique, developing a musical ear and live performance.
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Matt has been playing bass professionally in Reno for the last year with the Jason King Band and Friday@One. Working with the Kid Rocker team has opened a whole new world of creativity and helped him fulfill a desire to be active in the community and share the gift of playing music with the area’s youth.
