Adam M.

Guitar

Genres: Jazz, Pop, Folk

Teaches in English

 

A native of Los Angeles, guitarist Adam M. studied first at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA) under the tutelage of Jason Goldman, Walter Smith III, and Kenny Dennis. In 2010, he moved to New York City to study Jazz Guitar at the Juilliard School.

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Since then, Adam has collaborated with music greats both nationally and internationally, including Herbie Hancock, Freddy Cole, Mike LeDonne, Cecile McLorin Salvant, and George Coleman. He has performed at venues including the Hollywood Bowl, Jazz at Lincoln Center, The Blue Note, Birdland, Smoke, Scullers, and Bird’s Basement.  

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Adam has been performing regularly with his band The Folk Element since 2017. The trio is rooted in the jazz tradition, but is influenced by folk music from all over the world, including West Africa, South Africa, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and Appalachia. In January of 2020 they embarked on their first tour of the West Coast and in April 2021 they officially released their debut album “Folk Element Trio” on the Outside In label to many rave reviews. 

 

Along with being a passionate performer, Adam is also highly devoted to spreading the gift of music to young people of today. He has been a part of such educational programs as the Juilliard School's Jazz Education Tours, the Thelonious Monk Institute’s "Peer to Peer Workshop,” Jazz at Lincoln Center's "Jazz for Young People," and NJPAC's "Jazz for Teens".  

Adam has taught privately for over 17 years to children and adults of all ages, levels, and styles. He strives to tailor his lessons to each individual student. He understands that everyone has their own personal goals in terms of learning, making sure that they have all the tools necessary. Learning an instrument can be challenging, but also extremely rewarding and a lot of fun! Adam does a great job of balancing these things so that his students become great musicians but also thoroughly enjoy the process. To him, the journey is just as important as the destination!