"Hi there, I'm Mike—thanks for checking out my page! I am a professional musician who performs with Presidio Brass, an international touring ensemble sponsored by XO Brass Instruments. When I'm not on the road, there's nothing I love more than to share my passion for music with others through teaching and tutoring.

Born and raised outside of Detroit, Michigan, I studied piano for 12 years with Diana Munch before going to the University of Michigan, where I earned two Bachelor of Music degrees in tuba performance and music theory. I studied tuba with Fritz Kaenzig, composition and orchestration with Paul Schoenfield, and more advanced music theory topics with many of the awesome faculty at Michigan. I also had the chance to perform extensively with the University of Michigan Symphony Band under Michael Haithcock, performing on a three-week tour of China and recording two studio LPs released by Equilibrium Records.

My music studies continued at Northwestern, where I earned two simultaneous Master of Music degrees in tuba performance and music theory. It's at Northwestern that I started teaching a lot, both tuba and music theory. I studied pedagogy techniques with Dr. Susan Piagentini, and had real practice as Teaching Assistants to Mark Butler and Rex Martin. I loved the opportunity to share everything I'd learned at Michigan and Northwestern, so much that I continued tutoring music students of all ages in Chicago to this day.

I teach music theory and fundamentals, music history, ear training, composition, music production (Ableton Live, Logic Pro, Garage Band, and more!), piano, bass, guitar, and all brass instruments.

Enough about me—let me know what you'd like to learn! Whether you're prepping for an upcoming exam, looking to keep up with college coursework, or just curious about music, I'd love to schedule a session with you—contact me to learn more!!" less...