Meet The Team
Sean Cranston
Music Director/Drum Instructor
With over twenty years experience in entertainment and live performance; including music, radio, theater, television, and film - It is my hope to lead my students to success, not only at their instruments, but also how to confidently navigate through the highs and lows that come with performing and creating in a collaborative environment. Whether it be a one on one lesson or in a group session, I truly value teaching/performing music and hope to get the chance to work with you!
Cody Bogausch
Performance/Bass/Guitar Instructor
A well rounded and thoughtful creative, Cody Bogausch has found intense satisfaction in the pursuit of Composition, Sound Engineering, Recording, Percussion, and Music Theory. These varied disciplines blend together to form a picture of music as a whole, rather than any one singular aspect. He is eager to share his unique insight with his students. With nearly 14 years of experience as a guitarist, he has spent a great deal of his time setting up, loading in and performing at shows around Albany with Becoming a Ghost where he played both rhythm guitar and lead. Taking songs from the writing room to the stage is where he finds the most joy and productive challenge. He hopes to meet students who share his love of not just the music of others but the music they themselves write and create. We will be using the songs of the greats to inform our own compositions and understandings of Rock, Jazz, Pop, and Hardcore. The more experimental, the better!
wES mILLER
Performance/Keys Instructor
Wes Miller is a 32 year old piano enthusiast living in Downtown Albany, NY. He's been playing piano for 22 years now and aside from childhood lessons and courses throughout his academic life, is mostly self taught. If you've ever heard the phrase "has a good ear for music," Wes fits the bill. He enjoys finding common patterns throughout the musical spectrum and can play songs from Classical to Classic Rock, 90's Hip-Hop to today's EDM. He's an excellent verbal communicator and his gregariousness makes him very approachable. He also has some experience with music-making software like FL Studio and Garage Band, which can be great tools for those who want to practice at home. He's happy to help those looking to learn more about the piano at all ages and skill levels. He's active in Downtown Albany's growth and redevelopment and enjoys being a part of the music community there and throughout the Capital Region.
Connor Phoenix
Performance/Keys Instructor
Drawing from over 25 years of experience, Connor is a versatile keyboard player with deep knowledge of music theory. Originally classically trained, he eventually branched out to other genres such as jazz, pop, and rock. After decades of solo and live performance experience, Connor is super excited to embark on the next phase in his music journey, teaching! A true music lover, Connor brings enthusiasm to everything he teaches, whether that be Mozart or arranging a Metallica tune for piano. Adept at both sight reading and learning by ear, he will tailor his teaching approach to match a student’s specific goals and learning style.
Cait Tizzone
Performance/Vocal Instuctor
Cait Tizzone is a classically trained singer who has been singing for 12 years. She has received education from SUNY S.C.C.C., SUNY Potsdam, and graduated from SUNY Binghamton. If you would like to see her live, Cait is the lead singer and violinist of popular local band Lucid Street, which she founded in 2021. Cait started singing in theatre, and has a lot of experience in singing multiple genres such as musical theatre, pop, rock, jazz, R&B, opera, and chorus. She has worked with the vocal studios of Lisa Franklin, Michael Clement, Carol Ann Weeks, and Emma Bennett (Binghamton), and has experience in choral singing through her participation in the Melodies of Christmas chorale, Suburban Council, Area All State, and Harpur Chorale at Binghamton University.
jennifer Stella
Performance/Vocal Instuctor
Jennifer lives in Albany, NY where she has been teaching music locally for over 10 years. Beginning with her first guitar lessons at age 7, Jennifer participated in a wide ranging musical background from her younger years through college, playing clarinet and saxophone in various ensembles, singing in choirs, and performing with musical theater groups. Holding a BS in Music Education from The College of Saint Rose, where she was a voice major, and a MM in Music Education from the Longy School of Music, where she studied culturally responsive teaching in the music classroom, she has spent these past ten years teaching many genres to students of all ages, focusing on safe singing techniques and music learning through performance. On any given day you can open Jennifer's playlist and find a wide array of musical selections being used in her lessons, or there for her to sing along to herself. When Jennifer is not teaching, she can usually be found attending live music and theater, hiking, and captaining her adult rec kickball team.
Maddy Caiazzo
Rock Pit Manager/Scheduler
Maddy has been with the Rock Pit since day one. She has a background in technology and she will be managing all things electronic! With her knowledge in IT, she created our website and continues to manage it to ensure it is running smooth for our clients. You can find Maddy's smiling face at the front desk, where she found her new passion for helping parents and children navigate through their musical journey! Though Maddy doesn't play any instruments herself, she is an avid concert goer and music lover of all genres, so she fits right in here at the Rock Pit!
If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to Maddy directly!
518-769-0908
Apply Today
Want to teach at our school? Contact the email below with your resume!