Jake has been teaching and playing music for over 20 years. He teaches all levels and styles of guitar, ukelele, voice, congas & hand percussion, songwriting, production, composition, stage presence, and artist identity development. He also teaches drum set, piano, and electric bass. Additionally, Jake enjoys leading band direction and rehearsals for developing musicians.Jake has an M.A. in Music Composition and has been a music instructor with Bay Area music schools such as Village Music School, School of Rock San Ramon, COVA, Star Power Music, Art and Soul Music Studios, Hayward Music Center, and ALMA. He was also Music Program Director at Mission Hills Middle School in Union City for three years where he designed and taught all music program classes to grades Pre-K through 8. Prior to that, he was the guitar and percussion instructor at St. Paul's Episcopal School in Oakland. Jake began studying guitar at age 11, jazz guitar at age 14, and majored in jazz guitar as an undergrad. His primary teachers were Steve Erquiaga, Dave Creamer, and Jack Wilkins. Jake also studied AfroCuban percussion for many years under the instruction of Josh Jones, as well as with Maestro Regino Jimenez, Sandy Perez and in Cuba with Grupo AfroCuba de Matanzas and Daniel Rodriguez of Yoruba Andabo. He also studied traditional AfroCuban singing with Lazaro Galarraga and classical voice with Jane Sharp. Jake has performed or recorded with musicians such as Boots Riley, Kent Nagano, Ambrose Akinmusere, Thomas Pridgen, Dayna Stephens, Josh Jones, Michael Aaberg, and The Hogan Brothers. He has played at jazz festivals including Montreux, North Sea, Vienne and Umbria. Jake has also performed at venues such as Yoshi’s, Zellerbach Hall, Cleopatra's Needle and Small’s. He is also a songwriter, composer, and music producer. In his spare time, Jake enjoys writing comedy, reading, and the great outdoors.