Our Staff

Christopher Greer brings more than twenty-seven years of experience as an instrumental music educator, specializing in elementary band instruction. Throughout his career, he has cultivated a reputation for creating fun, motivating, and musically rigorous environments where students thrive. His philosophy centers on meeting learners where they are, keeping expectations realistic, and nurturing steady progress through […]

Donavan Austin is a trailblazing trombonist, composer, arranger, and educator dedicated to his craft and determined to spread the joy of music throughout society. Hailing from a suburban area of Northampton County, Pennsylvania, where there wasn’t much jazz to be found, his love for jazz and the trombone stems from connections made during his time […]

Laura is a New York State certified music educator with a Bachelor of Music in Classical Piano Performance from Belmont University (2016) and a Master of Music in Music Education (2019). She has experience teaching choral music to students of all ages and is committed to creating engaging, supportive musical experiences. Outside of teaching, Laura […]

Ali Crosley is a voice and piano teacher based in East Northport New York. She is so excited to join the Grace Music School team! Ali holds a bachelor of music in vocal performance from Temple University with training in opera, musical-theater and pop technique. She is a voice student of Dr. Kathryn Leemhuis and […]

Justin began his musical journey at age 4, inspired by his Dad’s enjoyment of performing in concert and his Grandfather’s love of music. Justin is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and record producer. He recorded and toured with the world-renowned band Lawrence for five years and signed with Warner Bros. Records for the release of their album […]

Julia Wachsmuth is currently studying to be a chorus teacher at Hofstra University with a Music Education major. Voice is her main instrument and her secondary instruments are violin and piano. She has performed in NYSSMA festivals for both voice and violin solos along with SCMEA and NYSCAME choirs. Currently, she is in an a […]

Jack Jiang has been teaching piano for 7 years, but his love for music started much earlier—he began playing when he was 4. Classical music has always been his passion, and he loves sharing that excitement with his students. He tries to make lessons friendly, fun, and full of energy. He wants his students to […]

A native Colombian, Ana Diaz Herrera focuses but not limited herself as an orchestra musician. Her musical education started at the Conservatorio del Tolima, in Ibague, Colombia. She established herself in Bogotá in 2010 and balanced her time playing in the two main orchestras in Bogotá, Orquesta Sinfónica de Colombia and Orquesta Filarmónica de Bogotá; […]

Dylan Krukowski is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist and music educator with a deep background in chamber music and solo performance. Having graduated from Ithaca College with a dual degree in Performance and Music Education, the bulk of Dylan’s professional experience has been shaped by the diverse artistic culture of Ithaca and the greater upstate area, where […]

Christina has a Master’s degree in Cello Performance from UNC-Greensboro in North Carolina where she held the graduate assistantship in the graduate string quartet. She has a 2-year background in NYS Music Education from SUNY Fredonia. She has experience in the Classical, Baroque, 21st Century, Pop, Jazz, Old Time/Fiddling, Theatre and Opera settings of string […]

Sara is a vocalist, acoustic guitarist, and songwriter from Long Island that got her start at a young age singing in church, choir and participating in NYSSMA and SCMEA. After a decade of performing experience Sara currently performs for weddings and other formal and casual events whilst simultaneously writing and recording original compositions. Her focus […]

Rosie Barker is a voice teacher, performer, and passionate music educator with a rich background in musical theatre, rock, classical, jazz, and contemporary pop vocal styles. A proud member of Actors’ Equity Association (AEA), Rosie studied acting through the Meisner technique and graduated from AMDA. She has been auditioning, performing, and working in professional productions […]

Alyssa Rivera has been teaching across Long Island and Queens since 2013, some of those students are still with her. With a passion for music, she studied piano, voice and guitar from a young age. She studied Music Education with a primary in Voice at Westminster Choir College of Rider University, and would continue her […]

Emerson Forbes is a trained percussionist and jazz musician with significant experience in songwriting, guitar, and piano. In 2024, Emerson graduated from the University of Delaware on the Dean’s List with a degree in Music Education and a minor in Jazz Studies. While attending the University of Delaware, Emerson studied with Gene Koshinski and Tim […]

Victoria is an accomplished piano teacher with over 15 years of experience inspiring students of all ages to develop their musical talents. She holds a master’s degree in Education, which has enriched her teaching methods and deepened her understanding of music pedagogy. Victoria has helped her students perfect and enhance their technique through recitals, competitions, […]

Emily Jasmine has been composing music since the age of nine and has studied composition with Dr. Frank Doyle, Dr. Evis Sammoutis, and Dr. Jorge Grossmann. She has also studied film scoring with Tim Huling, Ben Newhouse and Sean McMahon. Emily Jasmine received her Bachelor’s in Music Composition from Ithaca College in 2021 and her […]

Thomas Diognardi is multi-instrumentalist, producer, and songwriter from Bethpage, NY. He’s spent the better part of his life performing with various bands, and graduated from the Music Conservatory at SUNY Purchase with his Bachelor’s Degree in Studio Production. Being both a self-taught musician and well versed in music theory allows Thomas to approach lessons and […]

Voice and piano instructor, Jennie Damiano, has been singing and performing since childhood and graduated from LIU Post in 2016 with a Bachelors in Music. As a member of the Post Chorus, Chamber Singers, Long Island Sound Vocal Jazz, and Madrigal Singers, she was given many opportunities to perform on and off campus at venues […]

Mate Marcina is the Music Director and a piano teacher at Grace Music School, where he has been a member of the faculty since 2015. He is an accomplished classical and jazz pianist, an award nominated composer and arranger, and a dedicated educator, who has studied and honed his skills in Europe and the US. […]

Chris Cuvier has been a professional pianist and composer since 1993, and a piano teacher since 1998. He graduated with a B.A. in music and English from Dowling College, and has studied with the world-renowned jazz pianist Fred Hersch. Chris is currently the full-time musical director for Messiah Lutheran Church in East Setauket, where he […]

Izem Gurer was born in Istanbul, Turkey. She started to study piano with concert pianist Birsen Ulucan at the age of eight. She has been prize winner of numerous national and international piano competitions between the years 2012-2020 and she was a semi-finalist in the Epinal International Piano Competition in France in 2017. In 2013 […]

Logan Slansky is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, performer, and educator in the Long Island/New York City area. After receiving his Honors Bachelor of Music in Instrumental Music Education from the University of Delaware in May of 2024, where he graduated summa cum laude, he is currently pursuing a Master of Music in Jazz Performance (Piano) from […]

Shiori Chazono, bassist, pianist, composer, arranger, and piano tuner, is currently teaching at Grace Music School and Kellenberg Memorial High School. Originally from Japan, she studied at the Tokyo College of Music, where she received a Bachelor of Music degree in composition. She received her B.M. from LIU Post in Music Performance and was a […]

New to Grace Music School, music teacher Patricia has enjoyed a varied musical career incorporating teaching and performing, having begun both before entering college. A scholarship student at the Manhattan School of Music and studying violin and piano with professors at that school, Patricia went on to earn Bachelor of Fine Arts, Master of Music […]