Mickey is a dedicated music educator, performer, and mentor with more than 30 years of musical experience and over 20 years of teaching students of all ages. They hold a bachelor’s degree in Music Performance from the University of Massachusetts Lowell, where they studied classical guitar under Richard Schilling and pursued jazz piano performance. Since beginning their teaching career in 2004, Mickey has built a reputation for creating engaging, student-centered programs that inspire confidence, creativity, and a lifelong love of music.

Mickey began teaching at the Music Academy of Chelmsford, where they developed a proprietary early childhood music program focused on building strong musical foundations through fun and meaningful experiences for young learners. During this time, they also gained valuable music industry experience working with Rounder Records.

Later, while living in Knoxville, Tennessee, Mickey became a highly sought-after instructor, teaching as many as 75 students each week at Knoxville Academy of Music. There, they created an infant and toddler music program, taught a wide range of instruments and musical styles, and directed the Knoxville Youth Guitar Ensemble, an advanced classical guitar group that performed at city events, festivals, and Dolly Parton’s Dollywood DreamMore Resort. Their excellence in teaching earned multiple nominations for Best Music Teacher by CityView magazine.

Since relocating to Mansfield, Ohio in 2017, Mickey has continued to make a lasting impact on the local arts community. They served as Guitar Department Chair at Richland Academy of the Arts and participated in professional development through the Kennedy Center Partners in Education and Center for Arts-Inspired Learning programs. Mickey has also shared music throughout the community through performances and events at the Mansfield Library, Kingwood Center Gardens, and the Mansfield High School Winter Concert.

In 2018, Mickey founded their own studio, You Can Play That!, offering private lessons and group classes designed to make music accessible, enjoyable, and rewarding for every student. They currently serve as a music teacher for the Discovery School in Mansfield, Ohio, and as music liaison and camp director for the Inspiration Through Music program.

Mickey believes successful teaching comes from understanding not only the subject, but the individual student. By recognizing each learner’s unique style and adapting instruction accordingly, they help students grow through patience, knowledge, encouragement, and humor, building not only musical skill, but confidence and a lasting love of learning.

Jamie Berland is a multi-instrumentalist, performer, and artist of many mediums. As a classically trained violinist from the age of three, she has grown over the years to explore jazz, contemporary, punk and experimental genres which lead her to pursue a degree in violin performance from Berklee College of Music.

Jamie often performs her original music both as a solo act and along with ensembles all around the country. Having played alongside Styx, Kenny Loggins, Melissa Etheridge and others, Jamie is well versed in the rock genre of strings as well. As a passionate improviser, Jamie is especially respected within the jazz community both in Boston and in Cleveland. As both an artist and a teacher, Jamie feels it is her mission to embrace the authenticity and raw beauty that exists within this sort of explorative creative process of music making. Jamie has been a teaching artist with the Center for Arts Inspired Learning since summer of 2024 and has thoroughly enjoyed sharing her passion for music with the students of ITM. Teaching both violin and guitar across three of ITM’s program sites, she has supplemented several young artists on their creative journeys, aiming to help them to reach the magic and their full potential as musicians.

Malik G. Burks grew up playing drums in church, and he also joined the percussion section in 5th grade at Shaker Heights Schools. Malik continued playing percussion all the way through 12th grade graduation, and in that time he and his classmates were gifted an opportunity of a lifetime to play overseas in Istanbul, Turkey and its surrounding cities. Thereafter, he proceeded to complete the Traditional Theory course at Tri-C. Malik taught music at Rainey Institute from 2014-2020, and now he is currently teaching with Arts Reaching Kids Inc. Malik found a passion for helping others learn various percussion instruments whilst teaching music theory as well!

Lauren Carley works at the intersection of music education, arts administration, and community engagement. Her teaching practice is based in creating accessible, student-led music-making experiences that encourage curiosity, collaboration, and creative expression through active participation in music.

Lauren holds dual Bachelor’s degrees in Arts Management and Oboe Performance from the University of Iowa. She has taught private lessons and group classes throughout the Midwest, working with students to build foundational musical skills while fostering confidence, creativity, and ownership in the learning process.

Alongside her teaching with Center for Arts Inspired Learning, Lauren serves as Education Assistant with the Canton Symphony Orchestra, where she supports youth orchestra programming, school partnerships, and community-based initiatives. She also brings festival and engagement experience through her work as Community Engagement Manager with the National Repertory Orchestra in Breckenridge, Colorado, where she helped connect young professional musicians with audiences through educational programming and public events.

Lauren remains active as both an educator and performer and serves on the Board of Directors for Akron Makerspace as Communications and Marketing Chair. Across all of her work, she is committed to expanding access to the arts and designing engaging experiences that meet learners where they are and invite them into the creative process.

Violin Teaching Artist

Ethan Sheils is the violin instructor for Inspiration Through Music, with sessions at Cudell Recreation Center and Thurgood Marshall Recreation Center.

Ethan taught instrumental and classroom music from 1998-2006 in the Cleveland Municipal School District, where he earned National Board Certification in Early/Middle Childhood Music, and taught beginning strings and middle school bands and orchestras in the Solon City Schools from 2006-2011. Ethan has taught at The Music Settlement since 2012, delivering outreach instruction, conducting numerous string ensembles, and teaching private lessons. In addition to performing as a violinist in orchestras, string quartets, and big bands, Ethan also enjoys playing the saxophone in jazz, blues, and rock bands in the Cleveland area. Ethan earned a Bachelor of Music Education at the University of Minnesota-Duluth.