About Us
Centrally Rooted was founded by Callie FitzGerald. Her belief is that growth, exploration, and supported discovery of self encourages the positive development of brain health. Stemming from a moral idea of self love being critical to happiness, the hope is to offer a safe and supportive community with multiple avenues of expression to grow and learn.
Donations
Centrally Rooted humbly and gratefully accepts any donations to help promote our mission and support our scholarship fund.
Centrally Rooted is operating as a non-profit (501(c)3)).
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If you are making a donation greater than $250 and hope to seek a donation letter for tax purposes, please contact Callie. Thank you for your contribution!
Meet the Team
Callie FitzGerald
Founder, CEO & Teacher
Callie is a board certified music therapist and the founder of Mindful Musicians. She has degrees in music education, vocal performance, and music therapy. She is as equally fascinated with neuroanatomy as she is with psychology and self-growth. Through her lens of neurologic music therapy and her life experiences that have taught the importance of self-love, she has created this program base and has big visions for what is to come.
Jill Klinebriel
Chair, Communications Manager,
Mindful Musicians Teacher
Jill began studying the piano at the age of 5 and hasn’t taken a break since! She studied classical piano performance at Michigan State University and earned her degree in musical theater performance from Western Michigan University. Jill has performed and taught in educational and community circuits in New York City, Montgomery Alabama, and the tri-state area since 2002. Jill is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Dubuque and music directs “kids take the stage” summer series at the Bell Tower theater.
Danny Zanger
Chief Operating Officer
AmeriCorps Vista Member
Danny is a local Dubuque Songwriter and Composer. Danny studied Songwriting at McNally Smith College of Music and Composition at Clarke University. Songwriting and Composition have always been a passion of his, writing his first songs at the age of 12. Danny has been a part of several groups over the years as a keyboard player, vocalist, and songwriter including the R&B/Funk outfit, One More Day and the Indie Rock group, Thank You Pizza. Currently, Danny performs his original music in the Dubuque area as a singer-songwriter and with his jazz group— The DZ Combo. Danny believes that well crafted music opens the mind to new perspectives, thoughts, and feelings— that music is a key to understanding and the human connection.
Naomi Noel
Rooted Lessons Teacher
(Piano, Voice, Percussion, Saxophone, Guitar, Ukulele, Flute)
Naomi was born and raised around Dubuque, Iowa and has been involved with music since the age of 8, when she started piano lessons. She graduated from Western Dubuque High School, and is currently pursuing a degree in music education at Clarke University. Beyond piano, Naomi began flute lessons at age 10, started guitar and ukulele around age 11, took up electric bass, tenor saxophone and percussion throughout high school. She was pit section leader in marching band and concert band first chair flute section leader. Naomi actively participates in all instrumental ensembles at Clarke University, playing flute in Wind Ensemble; tenor saxophone, bass, and piano in Jazz; and double bass in Orchestra. Naomi enjoys sharing her love of music with others and cannot wait to be a future educator of music.
Luke Boyle
Rooted Lessons Teacher
(Guitar)
Luke has lived in the Peosta, Iowa area all his life. He has been playing guitar since he was nine years old. Attending his first live rock concert (Fall Out Boy) inspired him to start lessons. He also played percussion in the Drexler Middle School band for 4 years, participating in multiple ensembles and concerts. Outside of school, Luke has played guitar in multiple concerts including at The Smokestack in Dubuque and the Galena Center For The Arts. He also plays the drum kit and bass guitar. Luke plans to participate in the Western Dubuque Jazz Band throughout high school and to create music with his own rock band. Through lessons, Luke hopes to inspire a love for the guitar in others similar to what he possess.
Megan Gloss
Yoga & Rooted Lessons Teacher
(Voice)
Megan began her yoga journey at the encouragement of a friend and fellow musician in 2016 at B-1 Yoga in Dubuque. A longtime opera singer with local and regional ties to the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra and Madison Opera, she noticed an almost immediate shift in her vocal performance and, with piqued curiosity, decided to explore this new dynamic and its correlation to her instrument. As COVID-19 put the kibosh on much of her scheduled performances in 2020, it also created space for her to complete her Yoga Teacher Training. Megan has since authored multiple articles on the connection between yoga and music for Classical Singer magazine. Teaching at B-1 Yoga, Megan can be found leading traditional vinyasa classes, as well as helping yogis settle into a deep and meditative candlelight yin practice. When not on her mat or on stage, she also is the features editor at the Telegraph Herald, where she covers all things arts and culture, as well as oversees Her magazine.
Brion Bowman
Rooted Lessons Teacher
(Voice & Piano)
Brion is a self-taught pianist and has been performing since childhood. In high school, Brion was actively involved in Musical Theater, Iowa All-State Choir, and Song Composition & Audio Engineering. He attended The School Of Music Vocations located in Creston, Iowa. He was selected to be a music camp advisor/demonstrator, where he discovered his love of educating. Now, he is honing his skills as a Private Music Instructor at Centrally Rooted & as a local solo performer.
Malia Eugene
Rooted Lessons Teacher
(Voice & Piano)
Hailing from the Twin Cities, Minnesota, Malia Eugene began piano lessons in early childhood. She was a three-time winner of the Minnesota Music Teacher Association (MMTA) piano competition, and earned consecutive perfect scores at the Minnesota National Federation Competition. She played violin throughout middle school and high school, and was first chair viola with the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphony (GTCYS). In 2018, Malia began studying voice under Sandra Partridge and was a soprano for the Minnesota All-State Lutheran Choir. She discovered her love for opera and musical theatre, and is now earning her Bachelor's of Arts in Vocal Performance and a Bachelor's of Science in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin - Platteville.
Tony Quinn
Rooted Lessons Teacher
(Guitar)
Tony is living a dream teaching guitar and music. He loved playing and singing music from a young age, but (perhaps mistakenly) decided it wasn’t “practical” to study music in college. He ended up in law school and practiced law in Dubuque for 24 years, with another five years of teaching paralegals at NICC, as well. To keep his sanity, though, he never stopped singing and playing guitar, and he has been a part of too many rock, blues, country, a capella, church, stage musical and gospel performances to count since he returned to the Dubuque area after law school. All told, he has been playing guitar for 45 years. He also has much experience in meditation and other mental wellness and growth practices, and believes in the importance of nurturing those practices from a young age.
Jeremy Jones
Rooted Lessons Teacher
(Bass)
Jeremy has been playing bass guitar for over 30 years, Starting way back in the 90's he toured for 14 years with the christian rock band Sons & Daughters and more recently has played with such musicians as Elizabeth Mary, The DZ Combo, DR band, The Struggle, and more. He has been both an elementary and middle school music teacher, along with offering private lessons. In 2022-23, he had the honor of serving as the Show Band Director for Wahlert Catholic High School Impulse.
Ana Maria Locke
AmeriCorps Vista Member
Ana Maria is a clarinetist, artist, and educator based in Iowa city. Ana Maria is a graduate of Troy University and UNC School of the Arts. Her passion for education and music lead her to serve in several nonprofits such as ArtistCorps, Please Pass the Love, and now Centrally Rooted. She has found so much joy working at Centrally Rooted where she is able to organize, draw, design, and create every minute of the day. When she isn’t in her study working on a new project, she can be found exploring Iowa or just listening to some tunes at home while crafting with her husband and 4 year old.
Sam Day
Rooted Lessons Teacher
(Cello)
Sam is a classically trained cellist, receiving his Bachelor’s of Music degree in Cello Performance from Baylor University in Waco, Texas. During his studies, he performed in multiple symphonies including the Abilene Philharmonic and Waco Symphony and also had the chance to perform with his string quartet in Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall in May of 2022 after winning the Semper Pro Musica competition. Originally from Dubuque, Sam is now back in the area performing in both the Dubuque Symphony and Sioux City Symphony while being an active performer in the area with his electric cello. Besides cello, Sam enjoys songwriting and hopes to one day open a recording studio as well as perform with a major symphony orchestra.
Maria Mustafa
Rooted Lessons Teacher
(Piano)
Maria has lived in Dubuque, Iowa for most of her life. She became interested in music in middle school, when she bought her first keyboard and started learning simple songs. Around the same time, she also joined the musical, and ended up continuing with music and theatre throughout high school through theatre productions and choir concerts. Maria is now a sophomore Music Education major at Clarke University, with piano and voice as her primary and secondary instruments, respectively. She plans to continue teaching and playing it throughout her career.
Benjamin Drury
Rooted Lessons Teacher
(Trumpet)
Dubuque native performer and teacher Benjamin Drury is thrilled to join the Centrally Rooted team!
Benjamin is a graduate of Clarke University ’10 in Music Education and the University of Iowa ’15 with an MA in Trumpet Performance. A multi-genre player, Benjamin has experienced just about everything a performer can on the trumpet, from orchestral playing, big band, small jazz combos, solo work, and even playing with a touring funk band! He can be heard on Soul Sherpa’s albums Invest in This and Same Wave Train where he both wrote horn lines and as a featured soloist. Benjamin also recently started performing with The DZ Combo, headed up by Centrally Rooted’s own Danny Zanger, to bring more jazz to the Dubuqueland area.
As a teacher, Benjamin is experienced with a variety of approaches to the trumpet. At Iowa Benjamin broadened his horizons by studying the great brass pedagogues throughout the last century and assembling their best lessons into his own approach to helping students learn trumpet. In practice, Benjamin emphasizes mindfulness while playing as a way to reduce anxiety, build upon students’ strengths, promote cognitive and musical development, and channel their passion in a healthy way. If you want to enroll a student to give them a running start at the trumpet, bring in a young player in need of direction, fix problems in someone’s playing, or just look for a helpful teacher to help you pick up on a few things, Benjamin caters his teaching to your needs.
Elise Eden
Rooted Lessons Teacher
(Vocal)
Elise Eden is the Vocal Area Coordinator at UW Platteville. She received her DMA and MM from University of Michigan in Vocal Performance. Elise is passionate about accessibility of music education and believes the world is a better place when everyone has a seat at the table. Elise teaches voice and beginning piano.
When she's not teaching or making music, Elise rides horses and plays with her dogs.
Justin Velic
Rooted Lessons Teacher
(Percussion)
With 15+ years of teaching and performing experience, Justin Velic’s main mission as a music educator is to help foster a love for music and the arts in his students. He tailors his lessons for the individual, knowing that everyone has a different learning style. He has helped students of all ages reach their goals. Justin earned a Bachelor of Music Performance degree at Oakland University in Michigan. In his studies he gained a vast knowledge of classical percussion and music theory. Justin has worked as a studio drummer, and performed with a variety of local original and cover bands in Michigan. He has gigged regularly in orchestras and pit orchestras. These experiences have allowed him to master his skills in all genres. It is his goal to use his knowledge and experience to help his students use music to benefit their lives, to gain confidence, and to become whatever type of musician they strive to be.
Chichi Dusanek
Rooted Lessons Teacher
(Piano, Voice, Percussion)
Chichi's journey with music began when she was a young girl singing with her mom, the worship leader, at church. She then went on to be very involved in her school's choir and band programs--as an alto and a percussionist, respectively--throughout all of middle and high school. These experiences led her to participate in a plethora of honor choir and band programs, including OPUS her freshman year. Her journey has since taken her to the Music Therapy program at the University of Iowa, where she is a second year major with an emphasis in voice. She also plays drums in the Iowa pep band, and enjoys singing, as well as playing drums, piano, and ukulele at her church back home (and in her free time!). As a Music Therapy major, Chichi firmly believes in the power of musical experiences to impact brain health, and is ecstatic to see the power of music in action through teaching.
Guest Team Members
Joe Klinebriel
Drama teacher
Justin McDermott
Michael Giese
Shannon Patterson-Giese
Dance & Drama Teacher
David Barba
David Barba is an artist from Prior Lake, Minnesota with several mural projects located in Dubuque, Platteville, Lancaster, and Cuba City, Wisconsin. Dave comes from an art therapy family as is reflected in his passion for helping inspire others to pursue their creative goals. He is currently working as the Director of the Dubuque Area Arts Collective and hosts First Fridays art shows monthly at The Smokestack at 62 East 7th Street, Dubuque, IA.
Board Members
Jill Klinebriel
Chair
Megan Gloss
Secretary
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Kelley Donovan
Matt Boleyn
Brittni Farber
