Joyful Music & Arts

Specialties

We teach children and adults the love of music. Motivational music education with the goal of performing together and having fun with music. All ages, all styles.

History

Established in 2011.

Founded by George Makinto in 2011, Joyful Music & Arts (JOMA) is the result of 25 years of musical excellence and experience of Mr. Makinto as a professional international recording artist and performer. He studied classical music in Germany, and toured the world as a pianist, flautist and singer performing Jazz, Blues, Gospel, Salsa, and other contemporary styles of music. He toured more than 65 countries, and established his first music school in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, in 1987. After moving to California from Paris via New York City, Mr. Makinto settled in the South Bay, and although still performing world wide, friends and neighbors asked him to impact their children with his joy of music. When the church building where he taught became too small to contain the growing number of students, he opened Joyful Music & Arts where he and his qualified staff of music instructors are impacting a growing number of students of all ages for the love of music and performance arts.

Meet the Business Owner

George M.

Business Owner

Born to a Liberian mother and a German father, MAKINTO was soon interested in integrating both sides of this cultural heritage into his music. He studied classical music in Germany, traditional and modern African music in various African countries. MAKINTO further studied American and other forms of black music, including Jazz, Blues, Gospel, Latin American and Brazilian music, while living successively in Germany, the US, Liberia, Spain, Canary Islands, Ivory Coast and France.

His natural curiosity, his interest in other cultures and music made him travel through over 65 countries. He is a composer, arranger, lyricist and multi instrumentalist.

His musical career spans over 3 decades of international performances. Highlights of his career include performing with Miriam Makeba and the Philharmonic Orchestra of Rome for Pope Jean Paul II in the Vatican on Christmas 1995; getting lost backstage at the Sidney Opera House in Sidney, Australia, winning First Prize for best musical theater