This week, our featured instructor is the one and only owner of our school; jazz improvisation LA teacher Rick Rossi. An all-around woodwind master, Rick has been nominated multiple times for a Grammy and won when he was a member of the Brian Setzer Orchestra. His compositions and arrangements have appeared in TV and film, as well as studio recordings. His endorsements include Legere Reeds for use on all his saxophones and clarinets.

Rick’s live TV appearances include Conan O’Brian, David Letterman, the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Regis and Kathie Lee, MTV, and VH-1. Some of the world class artists he has performed with include Shakira, Natalie Cole, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Bobby Caldwell, and Cher. TV shows and movies he has appeared and composed music for include Friends, Everybody Loves Raymond, Wedding Crashers, and Monster-in-law.

Rick’s teaching experience goes back to when he was getting his master’s degree in woodwind performance at the University of Akron. There, he was an adjunct instructor of saxophone. While he was in Ohio, he also taught ensembles, methods classes and woodwinds at Muskingum College in New Concord. He was professor of woodwind classes and music history at Eubanks Conservatory of Music, and when he moved to LA he taught at the Grove School of Music as jazz improvisation instructor. He had a full studio of all woodwind instruction at Baxter Northup Music for over a decade, and since then he has maintained a private studio at his own school (Los Angeles Music Teachers).

His own jazz improvisation method in Los Angeles has been in use for decades and has helped students of every level, age and ability start improvising in just a few lessons. He has compiled videos and testimonials for many years which are proof that his method is 100% effective. His happy students stay with him for a long time and are constantly learning. Rick has written two books and has numerous free videos on his active YouTube channel, which has attracted students who saw the amazing power of the method in those videos. While he has employed traditional teaching methods in the past, he found that it is a lot more inspiring to inspire students with what they actually want to learn. They will only want to practice consistently if they are playing what they are interested in playing. He has fun breaking down difficulties for students and assessing their strengths and weaknesses. Rick is truly a diamond in the rough in LA as a woodwind and jazz improvisation teacher.

We have many talented instructors at Los Angeles Music Teachers, but today we would like to spotlight our teacher of the month: Manoela Wunder. She teaches a variety of different instruments, including most strings and piano. Manoela has lived in LA as a successful freelance musician for seven years, and throughout these years she has established herself as a prominent and versatile force.

Her vast experience spans all styles from rock and pop to classical, jazz/blues and country. She has been featured in numerous bands, nationally and internationally, including the world’s most traveled band (according to the Guinness World Records, as well as many other awards), Liquid Blue. A native of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, she is classically trained but has a strong passion for improvisation in the jazz, blues and rock genres and is an active composer for string ensembles and jazz bands.

Manoela’s chamber music and solo experiences have been extremely prominent. She founded an electric rock string quartet, the Electric Angels, who regularly perform at private events throughout LA and the entire country. She also has an active jazz group “The Wunder Trio”, has been featured with Rick Rossi's jazz band "Los Angeles Jazz Quartet", as well as performing as a s solo guest violinist with local acts “New Sensations” and international world music band “Esperanto”. Other live performances and recordings include Amanda Palmer and the Grand Theft Orchestra, Frank Ocean, and a Quincy Jones benefit with Lang Lang. In addition, Manoela has been featured in films and TV shows such as Suburgatory (ABC), Qwerty (best soundtrack at the Nashville Film Festival), Spaghetti Storm, The Composer, and The Monstrosity.

Manoela has performed with a wide range of orchestras and chamber groups in New York, Chicago, Miami, and Los Angeles as well as Europe. Her music has been heard in the most prominent halls across the country, including Alice Tully Hall (NY), Symphony Center Chicago and Walt Disney Concert Hall (LA). She is a multiple prizewinner of competitions in the United States and Europe and has been a guest at many prominent festivals throughout her career. In Brazil, she has been coaxed back to her hometown to perform as a soloist with the Philharmonic Orchestra of Rio de Janeiro, in the most prestigious halls of the city and on national television.

Manoela holds a Bachelor of Music from the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College (NY) in Violin Performance and a Master of Music degree with distinction under scholarship from DePaul University in Chicago.

Manoela has a strong passion for teaching, having taught pupils of all ages and levels. She prides herself in having a custom method for each student, tailored to his or her own interests.
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For more information about Manoela or any of our other teachers, please call Los Angeles Music Teachers at (818) 902-1233 or visit us at http://www.losangelesmusicteachers.com