Mike O.

Michael Ounallah is a talented multi-instrumentalist and teacher who comes from a varied and vast array of musical experiences. He has been playing drums and percussion for 30 years, piano for 20+ years, as well as guitar, ukulele, and voice. He has a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies from UNC Wilmington and a Master of Music in Jazz Studies from the University of Maryland.

Michael is a very experienced performer, and he started performing frequently during his time in school. He has played piano, drums, and percussion in situations as varied as Orchestra, Big-band, African Drum Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, Combo Jazz Groups, Gamelan Orchestra, Afro-Cuban Ensembles, and Mallet Ensembles. He has also performed in freelance rock, jazz, jam, and improvisational groups. Also while in school, Michael played in numerous jazz and orchestral groups as a freelance musician. He has spent some time doing theater work as well, and has performed both on stage and as a pit musician for a number of shows including Pumps Boys and Dinettes, Anything Goes, Oklahoma, Gypsy, and West Side Story.

After graduating, Michael continued to thrive in his music career. He toured the country and abroad in several working groups playing large festivals, clubs, venues, and most notably the Presidential Luncheon. Michael has also had a varied career as a performer in numerous local rock and jazz outfits. He has performed at major venues, including the Kennedy Center, and he has recorded an album with Grammy Award winning artists.

Along the way, Michael began teaching private lessons, and he's now racked up over 15 years of experience as a teacher. Studying under great teachers himself has given Michael the tools to design lesson plans specific to the student. He has extensive experience with teaching privately, but he has also conducted a number of workshops and master classes. He understands what it takes to make lessons fun and engaging, which keep his students motivated and excited to get better on their instrument. Michael enjoys providing a fun lesson environment for his students, and teaching them songs that they enjoy in any and all genres!