Mitch P.,

Mitch, a master musician with over 20 years of experience, lights up Willan Academy of Music as a guitar, piano, and drum instructor. Armed with a Master’s in Music from Queens College’s Aaron Copland School of Music, Mitch’s journey blends stage performances with a passion for teaching that transforms students into confident artists.

His teaching tale began in 1999 at King Edwards School in Birmingham, UK, guiding young musicians. By 2006, Mitch was in New York, teaching workshops at Queens’ Kupferberg Arts Foundation, sparking creativity in middle and high schoolers. At Manhattan’s Bread and Roses High School, he taught music theory, small bands, and digital recording, adapting for students with IEPs. On Long Island, at iSchool of Music & Art, he coached K-8th graders for recitals, balancing technique and flair. In Bedford, UK, with Inspiring Music, he shaped syllabi and taught group and individual lessons, keeping parents connected. In 2022, Mitch mentored students at Northern Stage in Vermont for a new musical, SHOOK. Recently, at Brooklyn’s Prospect Charter School, he crafted inclusive lessons for 6th-8th graders, blending theory, rhythm, songwriting, and tools like Pro Tools, while guiding musical theater exploration.

Mitch’s stage life fuels his teaching. In 2023, he performed and composed at Weathervane Theatre, and earlier toured the UK with Bill Kenwright Productions, drumming with digital precision. These experiences bring authenticity to his lessons, showing students music’s real-world magic.

At Willan, Mitch tailors lessons to each student, from first chords to complex rhythms, weaving theory, technology, and expression. His inclusive approach ensures every learner, beginner or advanced, finds their voice. For Mitch, teaching is about more than music—it’s about inspiring students to discover themselves through sound.