He is also on the faculty of S.U.N.Y Empire State College and is a performance associate for Hunter College. He is a graduate, Summa Cum Laude, from the State University of New York at Stony Brook where he studied the Guitar with internationally renown Guitarist Jerry Willard. Michael possesses a Master of Music in Classical Guitar, as well as a Master of Arts in Music Theory-Composition also from the State University of New York at Stony Brook.