OUR MUSIC INSTRUCTORS
Instructor for Piano, Flute, Voice, Guitar, Percussions and Jazz Master classes. Born to a Liberian mother and a German father, MAKINTO was soon interested in integrating both sides of this cultural heritage into his music. He studied classical music in Germany, as well as traditional and modern African music in various African countries. He was part of several international music education programs, notably in Niger, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, France and The United States. He founded Joyful Music & Arts in 2008 and moved into the current facility in 2011.
George Makinto
Drum, bass and piano teacher for children and youth and music production course instructor at JOMA, David is Makinto’s son and has been playing drums since the age of 3 ½. His first public appearance as a drummer was May 2002, a month before his 4th birthday, when he played the tune “St. Thomas” with his father’s band during the UN General Assembly. David graduated from USC in 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts from the Popular Music program at USC Thornton.
David Lami Friebe
Our violin, fiddle and cello instructor Josh earned his Bachelor of Music degree in Violin Performance from California State University San Bernardino where he studied under Dr. Lucy Lewis. In 2022, he received his Master of Music in Violin Performance from the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at California State University of Long Beach. He has traveled internationally and has served as Concertmaster for several quartets, Chamber Strings, Collaborative Piano, and Chamber Singers.
Josh Rodriques-Irons
Our new drum/piano teacher Devan is one of the hottest upcoming drummers on the Los Angeles music scene, a graduate of USC Thornton school of Music 2020 and one of the kindest souls around. Originally from Texas, he has recorded with numerous artists and is a composer and producer in his own right.
Devan Monroe
Our acoustic, electric guitar, drum, bass teacher and beginners piano instructor. Jordan is an active gigging musician with a wide range of styles .
Jordan is patient, teaches all age-groups and is a very gifted teacher! After publishing his first music instruction book, Jordan in coming off a 2 year on-line only teaching stint back to on-site instruction, to the joy of all of us.
Jordan Hemphill
Our youngest and very talented drum instructor. Joël is Makinto's youngest son and took over the mantle of Makinto's church drummer from his brother David when he left for college. Joël continues to study drums with his older brother, but is a patient and joyful teacher in his own right. He also plays trumpet, piano and guitar.
Our new Trumpet, Trombone, Bass and Beginner piano instructor
Ivan is a graduate of the New World School of the Arts, the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, and most recently the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music, from which he obtained a Master’s of Music in Jazz Studies. He is a versatile instrumentalist having worked with the likes of Kanye West, YG, the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, and Philip Bailey of Earth, Wind and Fire. Ivan is a recipient of merit scholarships from the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, the USC Black Alumni Association, and the Gold Coast Jazz Society, among others.
Our new Voice, Flute and Piano/keyboard instructor
Alexis began singing and playing piano at an early age having grown up in a musical family. A native of Berkeley, California she moved to Los Angeles to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Popular Music Performance at the University of Southern California. While at USC Alexis studied privately with renowned vocal coach Jeffrey Allen. She also studied piano with jazz and R&B legend, Dr. Patrice Rushen, and Russell Ferrante of The Yellowjackets. Alexis is a sought after freelance musician having performed on the television networks Freeform and ESPN2, and venues such as the Hollywood Bowl and the Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival.
Our new classical Piano and guitar instructor
Jonathan graduated from Los Angeles Harbor college and is currently pursuing a Masters degree at CAL state University Northridge, with a focus on piano interpretation of the classical composer Alexander Scriabin. Jonathan is available for house calls.