Ms. Adriana – Instructor

Adriana Diaz-Donoso is a musician and educator from Lima-Peru where she taught general music and piano to children for more than 10 years, both privately and in schools.  After being awarded the Fulbright Scholarship, she moved to New York in 2011 to pursue an MA in Music Education at Teachers College Columbia University.

As a WeBop instructor since 2013, Adriana loves the opportunity to provide families with engaging and authentic musical experiences. Her favorite jazz styles are Swing and Afro-Cuban Jazz and she enjoys having families swing and sway in her classes.

She also holds a B.Sc. from the Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina, Peru and is currently a doctoral student and faculty assistant at Teachers College, where she conducts research on families with young children, focusing on underserved Latino population.

Ms. Andréa – Instructor

Andréa Wood is a jazz vocalist teaching and performing around New York City. She sings in a variety of musical settings including her own band that features her jazz and soul influenced music. Andréa was born and raised in Washington DC, attending the Duke Ellington School of the Arts. She received her Masters of Music from the Manhattan School of Music and will complete her Masters of Music Education from Columbia University’s Teacher’s College in 2017.  Her study at Teachers College has sparked an interest in early childhood education and the ways in which music contributes to development.

Andréa has been a Webop teacher since 2015 and loves it!  She enjoys the families and any moment when a child expresses joy and curiosity inside and beyond the Webop class.  Her favorite part of every class is the “Move” activity where children have the opportunity to be creative with musical movements.

Ms. Caroline – Instructor

Mobile since her birth in Singapore, Caroline Davis now calls New York her home. Aside from leading her own groups as a saxophonist, she has shared musical moments with a diverse group of musicians, including Matt Wilson, Ellis Marsalis, Matt Mitchell, Randy Brecker, Bobby Broom, Greg Saunier, Ron Miles, and Billy Kaye. In addition to being a featured sidewoman, her recent album, Doors: Chicago Storylines, was released by ears&eyes Records in 2015 to much critical acclaim.

As an educator, Caroline brings her unique knowledge of music and psychology to her teaching, as she completed a Ph.D in Music Cognition at Northwestern University in 2010. She has been on the faculty at Litchfield Jazz Camp and Stanford Jazz Workshop, and has been an adjunct faculty member at several universities in Chicago (DePaul, Northwestern, and Columbia) prior to moving to New York. Caroline has been part of the WeBop family for 1 year, and loves weird music!

Ms. Goussy – Instructor

Pianist, vocalist, composer and dancer, Goussy Célestin has been with WeBop since 2013. “What I love most about WeBop is the connection I get to make not only with families, but also the connection I witness within families, with music and movement as the focal point.” Goussy is also mother to two young WeBoppers- a 6 year old  and a “threenager”, who occasionally allow their mom be a part of their band. Currently, Goussy is an artist fellow with The Field and is a recipient of The Field Leadership Fund Grant, in support of her current music and movement project, Ayiti Brass. For more info on Goussy, visit www.goussycelestin.com

Ms. Patrice – Instructor

Patrice E. Turner is an accomplished classical, jazz, and gospel pianist and soprano vocalist who has shared her gifts nationally and internationally. She received a Master of Arts, a Bachelor of Music, and a Bachelor of Music Education from The Ohio State University. Patrice received both a Master and Doctor of Music and Music Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. She is the Artist in Residence at First Corinthian Baptist Church. Her debut EP is Introducing Patrice E. Turner. Patrice has traveled to South Africa, Zimbabwe, Greece, Mexico, Brazil, Chilé, Italy, the Czech Republic, and Sweden and has performed at such venues as Jazz at Lincoln Center, Smetana Hall, The Apollo, Carnegie Hall, and The Konserthuset. Part of WeBop since September 2005, she has been an accompanist, band/concert leader, composer, curriculum developer, and teacher. WeBop: A Family Jazz Party features Patrice as a vocalist and composer. The piano is her favorite!

Ms. Riza – Instructor

Riza Printup is a talented jazz harpist, recording artist, educator, composer and arranger. In addition to performing with notables such as acclaimed jazz trumpeter and husband, Marcus Printup, Kathleen Battle, Pacquito D’Rivera and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra featuring Chick Corea, Riza has also worked with children (grades K-12) for over ten years. She has headed an early childhood music program in the private sector and has led string departments in both public and private schools.

Riza pursued her undergraduate studies at Indiana University of Music and received her Bachelor of Arts in Music from Columbia College in Chicago.

With husband, Marcus, the Printups created RiMarcable Publications through which they have published their first children’s book and arrangements for big band and jazz combos. They also released their first jazz single for children on their label RiMarcable Notes. Riza continues to perform and record in the New York area.

Mr. Adam – Accompanist

Adam Platt is a pianist, composer, and educator who has been involved with WeBop since 2007. Adam began playing piano at the age of four and released his first jazz trio album at the age of fourteen. He performs regularly around the New York area with his trio, AP3 as well as nationally and internationally with a many different artists ranging in styles. Whether it’s jazz, electronic, rock, or various world musics, Adam always keeps an open ear and brings the ever evolving influences into his improvisations. Adam’s favorite aspect of WeBop is seeing how jazz can bring people of all ages and backgrounds together in a joyous celebration of community and individual expression.

Mr. Brad – Accompanist

Brad Whiteley is a New York City based pianist, organist, and keyboardist.  His debut jazz album “Pathless Land” was recently released on Destiny Records to rave reviews including 4 stars and an editor’s pick in Downbeat magazine. Brad has performed and recorded with many notable artists, including pop artists Regina Spektor and David Byrne and jazz artists KellyLee Evans, David Liebman, Lionel Loueke, and Grace Kelly. His television appearances include The Colbert Report, Letterman, and Leno. Brad recently composed music for, and appears in, the PBS Learning Matters show “School Sleuth.” He has performed at the Royal Albert Hall, the Sydney Opera House, The Beacon Theater, and jazz clubs including Smalls, The 55 Bar, Smoke, and The Jazz Gallery.  He received a Masters Degree from the Indiana University School of Music with further studies at the Mancini Institute in LA, The Banff Centre, and the Aspen Music Festival.

Ms. Caili – Accompanist

Caili O’Doherty, a native of Portland, Oregon, currently resides in New York City, has received national awards for jazz piano performance and composition from Downbeat Magazine, as well as an ASCAP Foundation Young Jazz Composer award. She has performed with various jazz groups at the Monterey Jazz Festival, Kimmel Center, Panama Jazz Festival, Guinness Cork Jazz Festival, and UNESCO First International Jazz Day, as well as two US State Dept. supported tours to Colombia and Togo, and Benin in West Africa. Her 2015 debut album, Padme, was named NPR’s best debut jazz album and selected as a Downbeat Magazine Editor’s Pick. Caili has been a piano accompanist for WeBop for three years and teaches private piano lessons to many WeBop alumni. One of her favorite things about the program is watching the students grow, from first being exposed to jazz music in the classes and then learning to apply what they learn on an instrument.

Ms. Mika – Accompanist

Pianist and composer, Mika Nishimura was born and raised in Nagano, Japan. She started classical piano at age three. Having completed her studies at Tokyo University of the Arts High School for composition, she received a scholarship to attend Berklee College of Music in Boston where she graduated with Performance Bachelor’s Degree. Mika was selected for the prestigious piano spot at the International Association for Jazz Education Sister’s in Jazz in 2007. They took her music throughout U.S. and South America where they performed with extraordinary trumpet player Ingrid Jensen and held clinics for young children. Soon after, she performed with her quartet to play her original music at Monterey Jazz Festival in Monterey, CA. Mika has also performed in various venues such as the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, New Jersey Performing Arts Center, the Apollo Theatre, Symphony Space, Harlem Stage, the United Nations and at the US open Tennis Championships in NY.

Mika has been part of the WeBop faculty since 2008 with great joy and enthusiasm.

Mr. Zach – Accompanist

A native of Vancouver, Washington, Zach Lapidus is a pianist, composer, and teacher currently based in Brooklyn, NY. A graduate of Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, Zach studied jazz under pianist Luke Gillespie and David Baker. Zach completed his Bachelor’s Degree in Jazz Studies in 2008, and was awarded a Performer’s Certificate, the highest undergraduate honor. He was also awarded a fellowship at Ravinia’s Steans Institute for Young Artists, where he studied with Rufus Reid and James Moody. Most recently, he was named as one of five finalists for the American Pianists Association’s 2015 Jazz Fellowship Awards. He was also selected as a finalist for their 2011 competition as well. His playing has been featured on broadcasts of NPR’s Jazz Set with Dee Dee Bridgewater and Morning Edition, as well as on Voice of America and WBGO. Among other musicians, he has performed with Dee Dee Bridgewater, Wycliffe Gordon, Claudio Roditi, Rich Perry, Corey Christiansen, Bobby Watson, Derrick Gardner, Jon Irabagon, Ralph Bowen and Billy Drummond.

  Mr. Tim – Instructor (Offsite Contributor)

A two-time alumnus and outstanding soloist award winner of the Essentially Ellington Competition and Festival at Jazz at Lincoln Center, Tim made his way to New York City from his hometown of Eau Claire, WI, by way of performing and studying in Chicago and New Orleans. Being a sought after player on baritone and tenor saxophone, and featured with artists ranging from the Marsalis Family to Aretha Franklin to nearly a dozen NEA Jazz Masters, Tim joined the WeBop family in 2009.

Since his arrival in New York, Tim graduated from Teachers College, Columbia University, where he served as the Community Music Fellow; in addition to being an Adjunct Faculty member at Long Island University, where he taught Jazz Saxophone, Woodwinds, and American Music History.

Currently, Tim continues to work remotely for JALC while on sabbatical, in addition to writing curriculum for the World Famous Apollo Theater in Harlem.​