Founders

Mentors

Arianna Powell - Mentor

Arianna Powell is an LA based touring and session guitarist. She currently plays guitar for Halsey and has also toured with Nick Jonas, Black Eyed Peas, JJ Lin, Drake Bell and more. She’s played in the house band of American Idol, as a guest with David Foster and was featured in Guitar Player Magazine’s May 2017 cover story featuring their all time favorite female guitarists. Arianna is an artist for Earthquaker Devices, Strymon Engineering, Kemper, Keeley Electronics, PRS, Suhr, Gibson, Moody Leather and more. She holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Music Education with a concentration in jazz guitar from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Though a pop guitarist by trade, Arianna is passionate about exploring solo guitar playing through chord melody arrangements and is also amidst recording her first record. Click here to check out Arianna talk about GMI!

Dr. Molly Miller

Mentor

Since Dr. Molly Miller, picked up a guitar at age seven, she’s been captivating audiences with her sophisticated and raw style. Miller is the chair of the Guitar Department at Los Angeles College of Music. She’s one of Los Angeles’s most sought-after musicians, recording and touring with artists such as Jason Mraz, Black Eyed Peas, Donna Missal, and Morgxn at venues such as the Hollywood Bowl, Royal Albert Hall, Red Rocks Ampitheatre, and Summerfest. She is featured on multiple songs on Jason Mraz’s 2018 album Know. When Miller’s not on tour or in the studio, she heads her own trio, showcased on NPR’s Fresh Air.

Her debut album, The Shabby Road Recordings, released July 2017, includes the all-star rhythm section of Jay Bellerose (B.B. King, Elton John, Bonnie Raitt) and Jennifer Condos (Bruce Springsteen, Sheryl Crow, Stevie Nicks).

While Miller was developing her “uniquely captivating and exciting” voice on guitar, she received her Doctorate in Musical Arts from University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music. Click here to check out Dr. Molly talking about GMI!

Jeff Parker

Mentor

With a career spanning almost three decades, Jeff Parker is recognized as one of contemporary music’s most versatile and innovative electric guitarists and composers. Perhaps best known as a member of the influential indie band Tortoise, Jeff is featured on over 150 commercial releases and his credits as a side-musician include recordings and performances with Andrew Bird, Joshua Redman, Dave Douglas, Vijay Iyer, Smog (Bill Callahan), Toumani Diabate, Yo La Tengo, Daniel Lanois, Brian Blade and the Fellowship Band, Makaya McCraven, Joey DeFrancesco, Nels Cline, Meshell Ndegeocello and hundreds more. Parker has released several acclaimed albums as a leader, most notably 2016’s The New Breed, which was named as one of the Top 10 Jazz Albums by The New York Times, and the Top Jazz Album in The London Observer. His latest album, “Suite For Max Brown”, released earlier this year, debuted at Number 1 on the Billboard Jazz Chart.

As an educator, Jeff has lectured at the Berklee College Of Music, California Institute Of The Arts, and U Mass Amherst, and he has served on the faculty of the Banff International Workshop for Jazz and Creative Music, and the Stanford Jazz Workshop. Since 1995, he has been a member of the Association For The Advancement Of Creative Musicians (AACM).

"Parker has absorbed so many styles and worked in so many situations that he really comes across as an individual with vast roots."  
-Neil Tesser, Jazz Times Magazine 

“History will certainly reflect that he is one of the more noteworthy guitarists of his generation.” 
-Dusted Magazine

“There are certain artists that you know you can always count on. Whenever they are involved in something…often it will be great. Guitarist Jeff Parker is one of those artists.”
-Jakob Baekgaar, All About Jazz

Steve Cardenas

Mentor

Steve Cardenas is a New York City jazz guitarist. Cardenas was a longstanding member of the Paul Motian Electric Bebop Band (which later became the Paul Motian Octet) and Joey Baron's band, Killer Joey. He is a member of the Charlie Haden Liberation Music Orchestra, Steve Swallow Quintet, Ben Allison Band, John Patitucci Electric Guitar Quartet, and Jon Cowherd Mercy Project. He has toured extensively throughout Europe, North and South America and Asia, performing at international music festivals, theaters, and clubs. He leads a trio and has released several recordings as a leader.

He has also worked with Mark Isham, Marc Johnson, Norah Jones, Paul McCandless, Maria Muldaur and Madeleine Peyroux.

Cardenas is on faculty at The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York City. He has been on the faculty at the California Institute of the Arts, Siena Summer Jazz Workshop, Stanford Jazz Workshop, Banff International Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music, and Brubeck Summer Jazz Colony. Cardenas is co-author, with editor Don Sickler, of the Thelonious Monk Fakebook, released by Hal Leonard Publishing. The Thelonious Monk Fakebook marks the first time all of Monk's compositions have appeared in one volume, many the first time.

Rotem Sivan

Mentor

Rotem Sivan’s guitar skills are heralded across the globe. The New York Times has praised him as “more than a very good young guitar player.” Downbeat Magazine has called him “a remarkable talent. ” And universally beloved music platform, Treble FM, has described him as a “bonafide guitar god with rugged Israeli sex appeal and skills that make us swoon.” Rotem tours with his band most of the year playing in world-renowned festivals and clubs. He has performed in countries such as France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Poland, Slovenia, Mexico, Chile, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Israel, UK, Canada and India among others, and has given workshops around the world in top universities and schools.

He has performed at many clubs and festivals around the world such as Polanco Festival, Chutzpah Festival, Marseille Festival, Nice Festival, Exposure Festival, Montreux Festival, Utopia Music Festival, Bern Festival, Ottawa Festival and Sonora Festival to name a few.

Rotem has developed a strong online presence with over 44k followers on Instagram alone. The album "Antidote" (2017) & “My Favorite Monster” (2018) were both charting on Billboard Jazz, and # 1 iTunes iTunes charts and top 100 on iTunes. To check out Rotem talk about his time with GMI, click here.

Curt Henderson

Mentor

Curt Henderson is a Nashville-based guitarist, producer, and music educator. After completing a degree in Jazz Guitar Performance in his hometown of Vancouver, Canada, Curt moved to Nashville, TN and has since become an in-demand figure in Music City’s busy scene. He has played, recorded, and toured internationally with major label artists like EZA (Ellery Bonham), John King, worked with American Idol finalist Jonny Brenns, and has his own project with his musical partner in crime, Shannon Lauren Callihan. As Nashville’s culture demands, Curt is equally at home on an r&b session one day and then a country artist’s tour the next day. 

He is also passionate about his work as a featured artist and performer with brands like Fender, PRS, Music Man, D’Angelico, Supro, Strymon Engineering, and many other notable companies, as well as being a panel guest for institutions like Guitar.com. Curt’s teenage dream came true when Fender asked him to be their featured artist in the release of their 2019 Stratocaster line. All in, Curt’s music releases and videos have received millions of listens and views across platforms as he continues to grow his career as a performer and producer. 

A very significant part of Curt’s musical career has also been spent in music education. He is a dedicated educator, and has been invited to lead clinics and speak at colleges about the principles of effective guitar study, improvisation techniques, and how to translate the fundamentals of jazz and music theory to mainstream genres like r&b, funk, pop, and country. Curt has been teaching for over a decade and takes pride in working with students with the goal of mapping out the fretboard in a structured, systematic way so they can play more expressively and with intention. Curt is really just forever trying to recreate the same “lightbulb moments” that he experienced in his own development for each one of the students that he mentors today.  Click here to watch Curt talk about his time with GMI.

TJ Whitelaw

Mentor

Born in Toronto, Canada and raised in a small town north of the city Tj Whitelaw first began his musical journey when he got his first guitar at the age of 11. Having been raised in a relatively isolated area by a supportive family he was able to hone his craft and harness his creativity. Tj has performed on 3 of the biggest network TV stations in Canada, CBC, CTV and Global as well as performing on Mahogany Sessions (2019 w/ Amaal), The Directors Guild of Canada Awards (2019), the Indspire awards (national aboriginal awards), in the house band for Canada’s Walk of Fame etc. as well as multiple IHeart radio stations nation-wide.

Tj’s on-stage experience has been vast (touring in North America, Europe and Asia), and wide-ranging that spans from Pop/country to jazz to Gospel. He’s performed with MYA, Jessie Reyez, Madison Beer, Kardinal Offishall, Allan Rayman, Ruben Studdard, Carvin Winans, Johnny Reid, Sean Jones and many more. Currently Tj is performing with Aja9 (Musical Director), Amaal (Musical Director), Jp Saxe, and LIZA.

Beside being a live musician, Tj also has a multitude of collaborations and session work, ranging from Canto-pop to Gospel some of these artists include, Alfred Hui, Jp Saxe, Billy Davis, Kiana Valenciano, Emma-Lee, LordQuest, Junia-T, and many more. Click here to check out TJ’s GMI Mentor Spotlight.

Nicholas Veinoglou

Mentor

Born on June 6th, 1993 in Great Barrington, MA, Nicholas Veinoglou began his hopelessly romantic exploration of the guitar at age 10. Highly influenced from Blues, Classical and Jazz, Nicholas created a unique and flavorful approach to his instrument which paved the road to his musical journey. Nicholas graduated Magna Cum Laude in May 2015 from Berklee College of Music with a Bachelor's Degree in Jazz Guitar Performance and a minor in Harmony, releasing his first album "Love Languages" January 13th, 2016 shortly after. Currently, Nicholas is touring both nationally and internationally with Jordan Fisher and Atlantic Records recording artist Bazzi, opening for artists such as Justin Timberlake, Camila Cabello, Shawn Mendes, Alessia Cara, Calvin Harris, Khalid, The Chainsmokers, Cardi B, Dua Lipa, Meghan Trainor, Plain White T’s, The Commodores, JoJo, and Allen Stone along the way. Check out Nicholas talk about GMI!

Nora Bite

Mentor

Nora Bite is a jazz guitarist, educator and composer from Latvia, based in London. She has been a guitarist for 20+ years, and has been a part of 100+ bands and projects in Latvia, the UK, Portugal, Italy, Boston (USA), Spain, Belgium, Egypt, Spain, Lithuania and Estonia, and has taught 200+ guitar students over many years in London, UK, Latvia and internationally over Skype/Facetime. She has been an active member of the London jazz community since 2010, running one of the best weekly jazz jams for 4 years, composing for and leading her modern jazz trio, working as a session musician as well as serving a global musician community on Instagram (instagram.com/norabiteguitar). One of the many artists Nora has had the opportunity to share the stage with the great, late Amy Winehouse.

Nora is always curious about exploring new styles of music. She is comfortable with many different guitar techniques and Musical styles including jazz standards (swing), bebop, fusion, modern jazz, Bossa nova, latin music, flamenco (in the beginning of her musical career), blues, funk, soul, pop, rock, classical guitar, finger style chord melody, African guitar, jazz comping in duos (combining walking bass lines with chords), playing with looper and bass guitar. Nora often plays jazz standard vocal and instrumental duos as accompanist, as well as trios and duos as a soloist.  

Nora has played in most of the important jazz clubs in London, such as “Ronnie Scotts”, “Vortex”, “606”, “Charlie Wrights” and others together with various artists and as well as a leader of multiple jazz projects. 

Before moving to London, back in Latvia, she was leading her modern jazz quartet, and playing in many other projects, including big bands, jazz bands, blues-rock, funk and pop bands, playing in restaurants as a flamenco and jazz solo fingerstyle guitarist, as well as being part of international jazz concert management organizations. She was also giving regular guitar workshops in ”Madona Guitar sessions”, that happens once a year in the Latvian town Madona.

Jordan Peters

Mentor

Jordan Peters is a Brooklyn based guitarist and producer whose influences range from jazz, hip-hop, blues, folk, rock, funk, soul and electronic music.  Originally from Lachute Québec, he has worked, toured, performed and recorded with numerous artists such as Lauryn Hill, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Jon Batiste, The Weeknd, NAS, Billy Porter, Quiñ, The Roots, Andra Day, Antonio Sanchez, Tony Allen, Femi Kuti, Darlene Love, Bokanté, Alex Clare and Renee Neufville. He has appeared the Tonight Show, NPR Tiny Desks, Austin City Limits, The View, CBS This Morning, NBC’s Annual Christmas Tree Lighting, BET Black Girls Rock.

He also produces music for “Output”, an innovative music software and sample library  company based out of LA, crafting instrumental beats and analogue based samples that range from Hip-hop, Acoustic Soul, Vaporwave and everything in between.

He is set to release his debut album as a leader in January of 2021.  Entitled “Dreams”, it is a tapestry of colors and moods; a blend of electronic/indie/beat/jazz influences.  The album features several New York City musicians, notably veteran drummer Obed Calvaire, vocalist Mike “Maz” Maher, woodwind genius Sly5Ave, violinist Lisanne Tremblay, drummer David Frasier and multi-instrumentalist Jesse Fischer.

Mark Whitfield - Mentor

Mark Whitfield is a Berklee-trained jazz guitarist who has collaborated with legendary artists including Dizzy Gillespie, Art Blakey, Quincy Jones, Ray Charles, Herbie Hancock, Carmen McRae, Gladys Knight, Burt Bacharach, Jimmy Smith, Clark Terry, Shirley Horn, Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Joe Williams, Stanley Turrentine and his greatest teacher and mentor George Benson. In 1990 the New York Times dubbed Whitfield “The Best Young Guitarist in the Business”. Later that year, Warner Bros. released his debut album The Marksman. The success of his debut release led to a recording career that has produced a total of 14 solo recordings and a myriad of collaborative efforts with some of the most important artists in recent years; Sting, Steven Tyler, D’Angelo, Mary J. Blige, John Mayer, Chaka Khan, Jill Scott, Diana Krall, Christian McBride, Chris Botti, Roy Hargrove and Nicholas Payton.

Josh Sklair

Mentor

Josh Sklair is a two-time Grammy Award winner, honored during his 20+ years collaboration as band leader, guitarist, arranger and co-writer with American Music icon Etta James.

After briefly attending Berklee College of Music – Boston in 1978, Josh graduated from Howard Roberts’ Guitar Institute of Technology – Los Angeles (later “Musician’s Institute”/ M.I.).

Through the 80s and 90s Josh was first-call guitar player for Dick Clark’s Good Old Rock ‘n’ Roll Show House Band – the Brother John (Goines) Band – backing the legends: Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Del Shannon, the Shirelles, Darlene Love, Lowell Fulson, Henry Butler, Lee Allen, Leo Nocentelli, Little Anthony, Mary Wells, Martha Reeves, the Coasters, the Platters, the Rivingtons, Bobby Vee, Bobby Rydell, Bobby Sheene, The Drifters, The Olympics, Fabian & Freddy Cannon. Valuable experience gained playing with these music pioneers gave Josh a solid foundation in the roots of Rock, Soul and Rhythm & Blues.

Between regular touring and recording over a dozen studio albums with Etta, Josh maintained a solid career in Los Angeles, recording and/or performing with Jon Lucien, Sophie B. Hawkins, Jim Belushi & Dan Aykroyd/the Blues Brothers, Jeffrey Osborne, the H.B. Barnum Orchestra, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, and many others.

Josh’s guitar tracks, production and/or compositions can also be heard on numerous Movie Soundtracks, Television Shows and Commercials in addition to solo albums “Josh” on VTL, “After Hours” and “Internal Voices”.

Ryan Lerman

Mentor

Since graduating from the studio/jazz guitar program at USC in 2009, Ryan Lerman has toured with Vanessa Carlton, Joshua Radin, A Fine Frenzy, Ben Folds, Michael Buble, Tallest Man On Earth, John Legend, Darren Criss, and Lea Michele as guitarist, bassist, singer, music director, and arranger.

He has released three solo records under his own name, Pinstripes, The Sky (2012), Friends (2017), and Noisy Feelings (2019), co-written singles on the last two Michael Buble albums, and collaborated with Vulfpeck as a writer, guitarist, and engineer (and videographer!). In 2017, Ryan co-founded the funk cover band Scary Pockets with his best friend from high school, Jack Conte (Pomplamoose, Patreon). Scary Pockets currently has over 65 million views on YouTube and tours internationally.

These days, Ryan spends the majority of his time running Scary Pockets, working on his own music, writing/producing for others, and drinking the best damn coffee he can find.

Adam Levy

Mentor

Adam is a Los Angeles-based guitarist with 30 years of experience as a performing artist, teacher, and studio musician.

He has released more than a dozen albums of his own, and is featured on recordings by Norah Jones, Vulfpeck, Ani DiFranco, Allen Toussaint, and other renowned artists. He has toured extensively as a solo artist and as a collaborator. Recently, he has been touring the U.S. and Europe as part of Lizz Wright’s band.

Adam has led classes, private lessons, and masterclasses at universities and academies worldwide, including USC and NYU. He has written numerous educational articles for Acoustic Guitar and Guitar Player magazines, and is the author of the book Play the Right Stuff. He is the host of the YouTube series Guitar Tips, and has released several video courses via TrueFire.

Adam’s teaching style was influenced by the mentors he studied with as a developing player — Ted Greene, most notably. Step by step, he helps his students understand the fundamentals of music and the idiosyncratic logic of the fretboard, so that they can express themselves dynamically on the instrument. Click here to check out Adam talk about his experience with GMI.

Becca Stevens

Mentor

Becca Stevens is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist who draws upon elements of jazz, chamber-pop, indie-rock, and folk.

She has collaborated with artists including Jacob Collier, Laura Mvula, Billy Childs, David Crosby, and many others. She has also worked with pianists Taylor Eigsti, Timo Andres, and Brad Mehldau, in addition to the Grammy award-winning jazz ensemble Snarky Puppy.

She attended the North Carolina School of the Arts and studied classical guitar, then went to The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York City, where she received a degree in vocal jazz and composition. 

Brian Green

Mentor

Brian Green is a guitar player and producer based out of Los Angeles, California. He has toured, performed and/or recorded with artists including John Legend, Michael Bublé, Nayo, and Kat Mcphee. Brian has also worked as a guitar player for television and award shows including Dancing With The Stars, American Idol and the Emmys. Additionally, he records and performs with the band Pomplamoose, releasing weekly videos with guests including Inara George of Bird and the Bee and Kina Grannis. As a producer, Brian has worked with various artists, including Rozzi Crane, VINCINT and Lily Kershaw as well as making commercial music for major brands and production music houses. Brian also releases music under his own name, including his latest instrumental release, Impressions For Headphones. To watch Brian talk about his experience with GMI, click here.

Mimi Fox

Mentor

Internationally renowned guitar virtuosa, composer, and recording artist Mimi Fox is a six-time DownBeat magazine International Critics Poll winner and has been recognized by writers and colleagues alike as one of the most eloquent guitarists on today's scene. In one of many feature stories, Guitar Player magazine hailed Mimi as “a prodigious talent who has not only mastered the traditional forms but has managed to reinvigorate them.” 

She has performed and recorded with a who's who of great artists, including Abbey Lincoln, Joey DeFrancesco, Charlie Byrd, Branford Marsalis, Diana Krall, and Stevie Wonder, among countless others. She performs at prestigious concert halls worldwide; recent sold-out shows include those at the Kennedy Center, Montreal Jazz Festival, and Newport Folk Festival.

With her 11th album as a leader or co-leader, This Bird Still Flies, Fox delivers a seamless but far-ranging album that’s breathtaking it its beauty, emotional immediacy and stylistic reach. The all acoustic recording captures a commanding artist in full -  transforming folk tunes, jazz standards, original compositions and popular songs into exquisitely crafted improvisational vehicles. The new reviews rolling in could not be more glowing:

“ Utter mastery, four stars! “ - Downbeat Magazine

" A Tour de Force from one of the preeminent practitioners of our time " - Midwest Record

" A dazzler from start to finish...remarkable. " -Jazz Times

" Wonderful...glows like a candle. " - Jazz Weekly

As a composer, Mimi has written and performed original scores for orchestras, documentary films, and dance projects and received grants from prestigious funders, such as Meet the Composer and the California Arts Council. Mimi has repeatedly received grants from the William James Association and California Arts Council to give concerts and workshops in California prisons as part of the highly successful California Arts in Corrections program. A devoted educator and clinician, Mimi has taught master classes worldwide while serving as associate professor at the California Jazz Conservatory in Berkeley and adjunct professor at New York University. 

Whether delivering jaw-dropping solo sets, performing dazzling duets with sympathetic partners, or leading a hard-charging combo, Mimi is a consummate improviser who seizes the imagination of her listeners with her passion, soul, and unerring ear for beauty.

Amanda Monaco

Mentor

Guitarist/composer Amanda Monaco has performed at venues such as Jazz at Lincoln Center, Birdland, Jazz Standard and Flushing Town Hall, and with artists such as Milt Hinton, Steve Wilson, Rufus Reid, and the Mingus Orchestra. She has released six albums to date and her current jazz projects include her eclectic quartet Deathblow, rambunctious organ quartet Glitter, and all-female jazz sextet Lioness. Her New Music ensemble The Pirkei Avot Project performs her original music with lyrics from selected verses (from a collection of rabbinical teachings with the same name) compiled in the third century C.E.

Amanda’s guitar playing is “well within the modernist canon, but quite distinctive: her phrasing is often made up of tartly dissonant chords and insistent yet off-kilter repetitions that remind one of Grant Green by way of Andrew Hill… her playing is utterly unique, a breath of fresh air in the cookie-cutter climes of both mainstream and free jazz.” (Clifford Allen, The New York City Jazz Record)

An educator since 1990, Amanda is an Associate Professor at Berklee College of Music where she teaches private instruction, labs and guitar ensembles. Amanda’s book, Jazz Guitar for the Absolute Beginner (Alfred Publishing), is available worldwide.

Amanda is the Artistic Director of Convergence Arts, Inc., a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization whose mission is to share the art and fun of improvisation with people of all ages. Since 2013, Convergence has received funding from the Queens Council on the Arts for myriad projects including the Six String Summit Guitar Festival, The Queens Jazz OverGround Spring Jazz Fest, and the Lioness: Women in Jazz concert series.

Amanda received her M.A.from The City College of New York in 2008.  In her undergraduate years, Amanda studied with Ted Dunbar, Kenny Barron, Rufus Reid and Harold Mabern.  She received her B.Mus from William Paterson University. Click here to check out Amanda’s GMI Mentor Spotlight!

Horace Bray

Mentor

Horace Bray is a guitarist, singer, and producer based in Los Angeles, California. Horace studied jazz performance and music theory at the University of North Texas (UNT). As part of the internationally recognized jazz studies program, he was the first undergraduate in 15 years to hold the guitar chair in the Grammy nominated One O’clock Lab Band. After graduating from UNT in 2015, Horace debuted his self produced and critically acclaimed jazz album, Dreamstate, before moving to New York City. While living in New York City, Horace released two singer/songwriter EPs, How It Ends and Rosa. In addition to performing his own music, Horace has played for India Arie, Jordan Fisher, Taylor Dayne, Sofia Carson, Sam Fischer, John Splithoff, Michael Blume, Abir, and more. Horace is an accomplished educator, teaching college clinics on improvisation, jazz, and songwriting around the world. After moving to Los Angeles in 2019, Horace launched a lofi hip hop project, Felty, under the Dutch label Chillhop. The debut EP, Movement, received 600k plays in the first month and features producers Blue Wednesday, Ezzy, and G Mills. Horace has amassed millions of views on different platforms and has attracted over 134K international followers.

Robb Cappelletto

Mentor

Robb Cappelletto is a guitarist, composer and educator based in Toronto, Canada. He has two decades of professional teaching experience and has been on faculty at York University as a jazz guitar instructor since 2007. An in-demand session player in Toronto's hip-hop, R&B and EDM scenes, Robb has recorded and performed with such diverse artists as Lord Finesse, Shad, Saukrates, APB, Skratch Bastid, Keys n Krates and A Tribe Called Red. As a composer and solo artist, his music asserts a lyrical and forward-thinking approach to the intersection of jazz and progressive rock, while his playing with the group re.verse continues to redefine what the guitar can do in a hip-hop context.

“What sets him apart from his peers is his conscientious attention to the nuances of tone, and his commitment to building a multilayered sonic world in which his music can live.” - The WholeNote

Our Team

For musicians, by musicians.

Our entire team is composed of people who play music. From the people you chat with in your admissions interview, to the people writing the code. We are all obsessed with crafting the most incredible experience for musicians like us.