Dr. Geoffrey Dean

Dr. Geoffrey Dean will be joining the Dewberry School of Music adjunct classroom faculty to teach Jazz/Commercial Class Piano for the Spring 2026 semester. A renowned jazz pianist, composer, author, and educator based in the Washington DC area, Dr. Dean's music spans the entire genre of jazz from blues and hard bop influences to classical music, R&B and modern jazz.

Dr. Dean completed his undergraduate degree at the Berklee College of Music, a Masters of Jazz Studies degree at the University of Tennessee, and his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Jazz Performance at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana. Dr. Dean has performed across the country while educating students in the university setting over the last decade. He recently authored an educational book on modern jazz piano/harmony titled “Kenny Kirkland’s Harmonic and Rhythmic Language: A Model For The Modern Jazz Pianist." His educational publication is available at the esteemed Jamey Aebersold website Jazzbooks.com.

Dr. Dean has additionally contributed as an author for the Masterclass series in Downbeat Magazine. He has recorded and performed with notable jazz musicians including Terrell Stafford, Steve Turre, Charles Owens, Greg Tardy and many others. Geoffrey Dean is currently an artist on the Cellar Records jazz record label. 

Degrees

• DMA, Jazz Performance, University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana
• MM, Jazz Studies, University of Tennessee
• BM, Berklee College of Music