Amanda Gripe

Amanda is a classically trained Mezzo-Soprano and multi-instrumentalist. They teach voice, piano, ukulele, guitar, and flute to all ages, focusing on a friendly and supportive environment. Their goal is to encourage expression and joy through excellent technique.

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Amanda attended the College of Saint Rose for Music Education, with a focus on voice and choral studies. Amanda was Alto Section Leader for two choral groups, and created the first jazz choral group at Saint Rose.

They continued to participate in Rochester's music education programs by working as head counselor for Hochstein's Arts in Action music camp, and as a band coach and group lesson teacher at Girls Rock! Rochester. Most recently, they directed Rock Band Camp at The Harley School.​​

Amanda has been teaching in an official studio setting since 2017, coaching bands, directing choirs, and teaching group lessons and private lessons. 

Dan Lynch

Dan is an active Rochester-area songwriter, performer, teacher, and audio engineer.  Growing up in a musical family, he learned to play guitar, banjo and mandolin from his grandparents and went on to study Music Recording at FLCC, along with Ethnomusicology at SUNY Geneseo. In addition to recording and performing his own music for over a decade, he has also produced and engineered projects for artists from a wide range of genres including Rock, Folk, Funk and Hip Hop to name a few.

Dan also has a passion for preserving New York State folk and traditional music. He has been teaching private lessons professionally for over 11 years and is enthusiastic to share his knowledge with students of all ages and experience levels.

Alex Mockbee

Alex is a musician and artist born and raised in Rochester, NY. Since starting to play the cello 20 years ago, they have been writing songs and learning instruments such as the guitar, piano, and singing. The Interdisciplinary Arts for Children program they graduated from at SUNY Brockport taught them how to use the arts as a tool for learning. They value music as a language to connect to community and share experiences. Catch them dancing at a local show or playing music with friends!

Jacobo Vega-Albela

Based in Rochester, New York, Jacobo is a jazz drummer and composer dedicated to bringing life to music, whether by composing new works, programming interesting pieces from the standard repertoire, or seeking out collaborators to create fresh and interesting musical chemistry. In 2025, he released his debut album "Un-Belonging" with 577 Records. The album has received press in Donos Kulturalny, Bob Osborne's "Different Noises", the Las Cruces Bulletin, and Rochester City Magazine, and has been played on 91.7 FM - WMSE, 91.1 FM - WFMU, 89.1 FM - KURU, and 92.5 FM - KOWS-LP.

Jacobo has earned degrees in Classical Percussion (B.M., New Mexico State University) and Jazz Studies and Contemporary Media (M.M., Eastman School of Music), and was a 2023 participant in Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead. He has performed at the Rochester International Jazz Festival, the Burlington Vermont Discover Jazz Festival, and the Las Cruces Juneteenth Jazz Festival.

Courtney Bullock

Courtney is an instrumentalist and producer specializing in woodwinds, specifically low spectrum winds like baritone saxophone and bass clarinet, but enjoys the higher range voices like flute and soprano winds as well. Courtney discovered her love of winds initially playing classical music in high school bands and All-County festivals, and went on to continue playing clarinet in chamber groups at a collegiate level. Courtney is proficient in piano and voice as well, and enjoys arranging and writing music, as well as producing and recording music on the computer.

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She completed her Bachelor’s of Music in Jazz Music at Bowling Green State University and has since then taught and performed throughout the Midwest, Northeast, and even in Asia. She has produced music that was featured in a debut film at the Vienna Film Festival, and enjoys recording and arranging. Although Courtney enjoys all kinds of music, she takes great inspiration from 1970s soul, disco, and funk.

Nate Bellavia

Bio on the way!

Katie Morey

Katie started teaching herself music from a young age as a way to deal with and express the ups and downs of life. She has worked in schools since 2008, has directed several musical theater productions and has written and directed a choral works for children called The Snowy Suite. She is a full time musician and songwriter, playing solo and in several bands. Her biggest passion is for songwriting and loves to record, play shows and go on tour. Music has gotten her through all the seasons of life and she hopes to pass that special connection to music on to the students she teaches.

Ben Morey

Ben has been teaching music for the past 20 years. He studied Audio Engineering and Ethnomusicology in college and is a graduate of Geneseo. He plays in bands and owns a recording studio called Submarine Sound Studio. He has been working with kids and teaching music since his time in college in 2008. He has a passion for songwriting and audio recording that has lead him to some incredible opportunities, which include touring the United States and Europe playing his music.

Eliza Harvey

Eliza is our Office Manager here at The Submarine School! She received a BFA in Studio Art from the Rochester Institute of Technology in 2018, and has spent time in the art and music spheres of Rochester for over a decade. Eliza joined the Submarine team in 2024, and has been so happy to help spread the joy of music to the community! Reach out to us via email - she is always ready to lend a hand!

Careers

At The Submarine School of Music, we want our strongest asset to be our outstanding teachers. We are looking for some of the finest, most compassionate and talented music teachers that Rochester has to offer.

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If you think you might be a good fit at The Submarine School of Music, please submit your resume and a brief letter of intent to our email: submarineschoolofmusic@gmail.com

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• Guitar

• Bass

• Ukulele

• Piano

• Drums

• Strings

• Voice

• Winds