Composer, educator, and guitarist Mike Dana is currently a faculty member of Jazz Education Abroad, and emeritus professor of music at Fresno City College. With JEA, Mike performs and teaches regularly in Lebanon, Cyprus, China, Hong Kong, and Thailand. From 1990 to 2018, he served as Director of Jazz Studies at Fresno City College in California. At FCC, Mike directed the award-winning Jazz Ensemble, jazz combos, vocal jazz ensemble, and taught arranging, composition, jazz theory, advanced improvisation, jazz history, music business, and Finale. Many of his former students have gone on to become successful performers and educators themselves.
Mike’s many compositions and arrangements for instrumental and vocal jazz ensemble are performed all over the world, and are published by Kendor, Alfred, Jazzlines, UNC Jazz Press, and Excelcia. Several have been J. W. Pepper “Editor’s Choice” selections. Recent commissions include charts for the Jazz Education Network, Taipei Jazz Orchestra, Tokyo Big Band, Azusa Pacific University, and many high schools.
Mike has presented clinics on jazz improvisation, theory, rehearsal techniques, and guitar master classes at the Jazz Education Network national conference, the California All-State Music Education Conference, and at many regional conferences, universities, and festivals throughout the U.S. He is regular artist/instructor at the Lafayette Summer Music Workshop, the Summer Jazz Institute at CSU Long Beach, the Central Coast Jazz Guitar Festival, and the Yosemite Guitar Workshop. Mike is also in demand as an adjudicator, honor group conductor, and artist in residence at universities across the U.S.. He was a Grammy Foundation Music Educator of the Year semi-finalist, California Jazz Educator of the Year (2018), and was inducted into the California Alliance for Jazz Hall of Fame (2018.)
“Confluential”, the new album by the Mike Dana Jazz Orchestra, is set for release in Spring 2026. It includes seven original compositions, +2 arrangement of jazz standards. Featured guests include Ingrid Jensen, Bob Mintzer, Tim Ries, Eric Marienthal, and many more.
Mike holds B.A. and M.A. degrees in composition, with additional studies at the Berklee College of Music and doctoral work at Boston University. He also studied privately with jazz guitar legend Joe Pass. His guitar credits include performances with Cannonball Adderley, Wayne Bergeron, Gary Burton, Ingrid Jensen, Eric Marienthal, Bob Mintzer, Bobby Shew, Clark Terry, Ernie Watts, and may others. Recent highlights include serving as a US State Department cultural envoy to Thailand as a member of the Allison Miller Quartet, and performing with Robin Eubanks and Antonio Hart. Mike is also the founder (and guitarist) of the Jazz Composers Orchestra, a large ensemble that includes many of the finest performers and educators in central California. He continues to perform regularly with the JCO, the Newe Organ Trio, and with After Dinner Mints, a retro-swing group.
Mike performs on Eastman guitars, Quilter amplifiers, and Optima strings.