About Mike

Mike Pagnani is a multi-instrumentalist and singer who specializes in performing, teaching, and curating folk and traditional music. Mike performs regularly in the Hudson Valley as a soloist and with the bluegrass fusion band Beer Stained Fiddle. He also leads  Pub Sings, Jams, Song Circles and Traditional Session. Audiences can expect a range of music including Irish and American folk songs , rock, country, blues and bluegrass covers and a great many originals.

Mike's classes for children introduce music from many perspectives at once. Using games, stories, performance, and hands-on activities, students have learned how to create songs, build instruments, keep rhythm and how to harmonize. Through music and music theory they have learned about history, geography, math and acoustics. Perhaps most importantly students have gained confidence, learned valuable skills, and had prodigious amounts of fun. Curricula are custom designed and adjusted to fit the situation and the children. Classes are offered privately as well as at various public community and arts organizations, libraries, and from his studio in Greenport.

Mike's individual instrumental lessons in fiddle, banjo, accordion, piano, guitar, and other instruments have reached students ranging in age from four to eighty four, and have introduced music to some and offered improvement for others. Mike focuses on ear learning, the folk method and a generally holistic and student-centered approach to music education.

Other miscellaneous projects include acoustic micro-prodution of his own and other's music, conducting small repairs and restrings for instruments, retailing regular and specialty strings and accessories, scoring videos and short films, and creating music inspired art.

Mike's scholarly work includes finding origins of traditional songs and tunes and researching the cultural context in which they first appear, and are able to live on. This is manifested through his Pub Sing book and through his multimedia blog on Patreon.   His continuing education includes regular workshops and individual lessons from master musicians.

Mike lives and operates out of New York's beautiful Hudson valley where he operates Little Red Productions LLC along with his wife Elizabeth. They have three children.