Michael Ciolino is a third grade teacher by day, but he’s figured out how to inspire and motivate even more people after class is over.

The East Coast native has launched a music career as GeoMike122 and is showcasing his unique combination of electronica, pop and hip hop on his first full album, titled Michael Ciolino. It’s a sound he describes as “sound pop.”

“I find music to be just one expression of my life at that moment and I incorporate sounds and moods – sounds that I hear, moods that I feel – and in my music videos the nature and setting shows that,” he says. “This album was inspired by myself coming out of an abusive relationship and the self discovery, self acceptance and also self advocacy that followed.”

The album’s second track, “Alone” was released as a single and carries a message of rising above. He equates it to the sun burning off the fog, and said he’s also found a lot of support from his spirituality. 

“There’s a lot of power in that and that’s something I want to share with my fans,” he says. “There’s a realm outside of what we see and hear, what we’re expected to see and hear, and if we touch into that realm we can really grow as human beings.”

Ciolino grew up listening to jazz and big band and also loves disco music, lending his own creations a “little quirkiness” with no firm genre. 

“Right now on Spotify I don’t have a similar artist and I’m proud of that because I’m my own artist,” he says. “I don’t want to be typecast and put in a box. I am my own self. I’m at this stage of creativity where I’m not comfortable right now with a certain sound to do all the time.”

The music video for “Alone” received more than 40,000 plays on YouTube in its first month. That’s just the latest success in a short period for Ciolino, who released his first single last January. He followed that up with singles like “Abyss,” “Hey Human” and “Momento.” In all, his singles have garnered nearly half a million plays between Spotify and YouTube. 

Ciolino used to pretend he’d be a pop star, and one summer he and his best friend, also a teacher, said they should get on GarageBand and make a song. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Ciolino said “this is the time.” He started recording and experimenting with loops, and dove into the love for beats and sounds he’s had since his youth. 

Now, it’s not just the music that resonates, but Ciolino himself. 

“People see my fashion, they see me putting on eyeliner,” he says. “They see that I love cats, that I’m a teacher. They’re getting an idea of me as a human being and connecting with that is really important. If you don’t advocate for yourself, people don’t see or hear your music.”

Just like his teaching career, Ciolino is building a relationship and a bond with his audience. He likens it to the foundation of his music career, and says meeting new fans is one of his favorite parts of the endeavor. He would especially love to make some new fans by performing at SXSW (hint, hint). 

“I want to share my music with an audience and just vibe with them at the same time,” he says. “I love stage performing but I also just like that scene. I love staying up at night and the music for the next album fits in with that a little more.”

He also loves traveling – so much, in fact, that the “Geo” in GeoMike122 is a reference to geography. He also incorporates that into his music; he’s created a song for his next project inspired by the city of Rome. That song could result in a collaboration with a bigger artist, though Ciolino is tight-lipped for now. That project could be released in six months.

For more, subscribe to GeoMike122 on YouTube and follow him on TikTok and Instagram. His music can be streamed on Spotify and Soundcloud, and his website is www.geomike122.com.