Our Music Educators

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Dennis brings over 20 years of teaching experience to Mobile Music. He offers guitar lessons that encompass a variety of styles such as classical, jazz, folk, plectrum, fingerstyle, and rock. He caters to children of all ages, adults and all experience levels. Dennis earned his BA, MM and DMA in classical guitar performance and literature. His other training includes Music Theory, Music Composition and Improvisation. 

Gregg Christiansen is a music educator, composer, conductor, and performer. He has been teaching piano to students of all ages in college and private settings for thirty years. Christiansen holds a B.M. with Honors in Composition, and also a M.M. in Composition. When not engaged in teaching and music-making, he enjoys spending time with family, reading, playing chess, and outdoor activities.  

Jean teaches both voice and piano at Mobile Music. She enjoyed 33 years as a vocal music educator in the public school system at the senior high level. Jean prepared hundreds of singers for NYSSMA adjudication over those years. She holds both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Vocal Music Education and Performance from Ithaca College. 

“Teaching music spreads joy”

Micah has been teaching 5-string banjo at Mobile Music since 2016. He enjoys teaching both 3-finger picking (Scruggs, bluegrass, melodic, etc.) and clawhammer/frailing styles, from old-timey/traditional to modern/progressive. He prefers to teach in the aural, traditional way, by ear and uses written material as a supplement. Micah encourages his students to attend jams and go out and play music with others.He weaves music theory into the lessons when appropriate.  He desires his students to learn “like a child”, with active listening, trial-and-error, making mistakes with no worry or judgment, and always making sure that they are playing (having fun).

He loves to transpose music from other instruments and genres to the banjo and has fun with his students’ special requests and projects, such as a 6-year-old banjo student’s tunes from her favorite animated movies, or a new-to-banjo, but talented organ and piano player’s Bach pieces, and duets with harmony banjo. Micah also enjoys playing bari sax and performs Zimbabwean music with Simba Marimba.

Mike Ciranni has been performing and teaching guitar for nearly four decades. He studied jazz and contemporary music at Musicians Institute in Hollywood, CA, and earned Bachelor's and Master’s Degrees in Music Education at SUNY Fredonia, where he studied classical guitar.

Mike started playing professionally at age 16, and has performed in numerous groups with many amazing musicians throughout the Rochester/Finger Lakes area. He currently plays guitar with the Greater Finger Lakes Jazz Orchestra, classic rock group, Covers Exposed, Top 40 group, Lakeside Sound, and pop and jazz duo, Mike and Angie. He has performed at the Rochester International Jazz Festival, has been the guitarist for over 50 high school musicals, and has performed with the Greater Rochester Music Educators’ Jazz Band.

He has been a guitar teacher at Mobile Music for eight years, and a music educator in the Newark Central School District for 28 years. Mike enjoys teaching various styles to students of all ages and abilities.

Robert has been offering lessons to both beginners and advanced students at Mobile Music for over 25 years. His teaching draws from a lifetime of experience as a performer, educator, arranger, music director and studio musician. He was a member of the Finger Lakes Community College music faculty for 14 years, elected twice to FLCC's "The Center for Teaching Excellence", director of student ensembles and was the faculty assistant for the Finger Lakes Concert Band and Chorale. He was a guitarist at Crosswinds Wesleyan Church for five years and served as music director for a number of holiday musical presentations. Robert spent a decade as a touring musician, performing with bands all over the US and Canada and continues to appear regionally. He is the owner of Finger Lakes Music Studios, and has produced a number of albums featuring local artists.