Meet the Teachers

His debut solo album, ‘Mediterasian,’ was lauded by the LA Music Critic Awards as ‘one of the best instrumental albums of 2018.’ 

Over the years, while continuously (and quite obsessively) honing his guitar skills, he has learned how to effectively deal with the business side of the live music industry: becoming a performer and bandleader, promoting his work, gaining online visibility, and getting paid to play the big stages.

In addition to more than 2 decades of teaching experience, Filippo has started the Master Accelerator program as a means to replicate his tried and tested process with students. Since then, he has helped thousands of musicians to become professionals, promote their work and get paid to play.

Giangiacomo Rosso approaches the guitar under the guidance of Pietro Ballestrero. From a very young age he became passionate about Django Reinhardt’s music thus starting a self-taught training in search of the sounds of Gypsy Jazz, appreciating the style of contemporary interpreters such as Bireli Lagrene, Adrien Moignard, Rocky Gresset and Sebastien Giniaux.

After studying and perfecting himself with musicians such as Bireli Lagrene, Angelo Debarre, Adrien Moignard embarked on a busy concert career as a soloist of the Gipsy Accident trio, participating in various editions of the Turin Jazz Festival, the Pennabilli Django Festival and the Popiglio Django Festival.

Finally he is part of the Electroswing project “The Sweet Life Society” with which he has performed in many European festivals: including Glastonbury, Boomtown Fair, Fusion, Peninsula FelZiget, Jiva Zik. In 2014 he played in the Jazz Festivals of Turin, Sorrento, Ragusa, and Rome.

He has performed in Italy, Germany, France, England, Spain, Croatia, Hungary, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium and Holland.

Since 2013, he is a teacher at the Torino Jazz School in Italy

John leads a busy double-life as an artist and an educator. He has performed with artists as diverse as Billy Cobham (Miles Davis), Alex Acuña, John Williams, Frank Gambale (Chick Corea), Paco Peña, Stochelo Rosenberg, Angelo Debarre, Paulus Schäfer, Mozes Rosenberg, Mike Clark and Bill Summers (The Headhunters), Carl Verheyen (Supertramp), Ralph Salmins, Paul Elliott, Keith Carlock and Laurence Cottle. John has toured the world with both Carl Palmer (ELP) and John Jorgenson (Elton John/ Hellecasters) and he is a regular contributor to Guitar Techniques UK, along with contributing numerous lessons for Guitarist UK, Guitar Part (France) and Guitar World (USA).

Francisco is one of my favorite players in the modern gypsy-jazz scene. He has the full package: beautiful improvisations, with great tone, soft touch and perfect timing. A real joy to make music with, and a real joy to listen to.

Lola Rutherford is a professional vocalist, certified mindset coach and the founder of Soulbird Coaching.

She has performed all over the world, on primetime TV (BBC1) and released music under her artist name “Lorena Dale”. She has played across Europe with DJ Sammy (Heaven, Boys of Summer), sang for HRH King Charles at a Prince’s Trust Charity event, and had a number 1 single in the iTunes Jazz Charts.

But before all that, she was a poor, struggling artist working multiple crappy jobs just to pay the bills, that drained her energy and led to her feeling burnt out and with no life.

Now, Lola teaches the same transformational money, mindset and business tools that helped her go from “starving artist” to an in demand, international session vocalist.

By rewiring their mindset for success and abundance, Lola helps other creative freelancers to ditch the self doubt, stop self-sabotaging and start sharing their artistic gifts with confidence, so that they can make a sustainable living doing what they love.