Jamey Arent
Session/touring guitarist and educator
LA-based guitarist described by Guitar Player Magazine as "a stunning player straddling blues, jazz, and rock." Has performed with Frankie Valli, Smokey Robinson, and Nigel Hall.
Full-Time Mentor
Sonora Mentor
Learn guitar with Arianna Powell.
Touring and Session Guitarist (currently w/ Olivia Rodrigo)
Currently touring worldwide with Olivia Rodrigo. Has played with Halsey, Nick Jonas, Black Eyed Peas, and performed on SNL. Featured in Guitar Player magazine's "50 Sensational Female Guitarists."
About Arianna
Arianna has recently been touring worldwide with pop superstar Olivia Rodrigo, and has also played national and international tours with Halsey, Nick Jonas, Black Eyed Peas, Chris Brown, and Asian star JJ Lin. She's played in the house band for American Idol and performed in several late-night TV performances including SNL with Dua Lipa in 2020. She's recorded on many of Halsey's (stripped) songs as well as having contributed nylon string guitar on Chappell Roan's song Coffee. In 2017, she was featured in Guitar Player magazine's cover story, "50 Sensational Female Guitarists."
Arianna holds a bachelor's degree in music education from Duquesne University and has taught hundreds of students over the course of her career. She has featured guitar lessons in Total Guitar magazine and teaches masterclasses through various online platforms.
Arianna is passionate about solo guitar playing and has garnered a respectable social media following through her unique style.
Playing Examples
Hear Arianna play.
Ready to work with Arianna?
Book a 1-on-1 call with the Sonora admissions team. We'll learn about your goals and show you exactly how mentorship with Arianna works.
Our Mentors
More Sonora mentors.
What sets Sonora apart is access. Our full-time mentors are touring artists, session players, and educators who bring real-world expertise to every lesson. Training you won't find anywhere else.
Ross Martin
Bluegrass & Acoustic Guitar
Genre-crossing guitarist blending bluegrass, jazz, country, and folk. Toured with Matt Flinner, Jacob Jolliff, Grant Gordy, and more. Acclaimed educator at workshops and music camps nationwide.
Full-Time Mentor
Brian Green
Session Guitarist, Songwriter, and Producer
LA-based session guitarist who has performed with John Legend, Michael Buble, and Andrew Bird. House guitarist for Dancing With the Stars. Emphasizes rhythm, form and harmony in his teaching.
Full-Time Mentor
Pritesh Walia
Jazz guitarist, composer and educator
Virtuoso jazz guitarist from New Delhi with degrees from Musicians Institute, Berklee, and NEC. Nominated for "Best Jazz Artist of the Year" at the Boston Music Awards. Endorsed by Collings Guitars.
Full-Time Mentor
Robb Cappelletto
Composer, Clinician & Session Player
Toronto-based guitarist and York University faculty member. Mentor to Grammy-winning students including Billy Strings. Stresses learning music by ear and fretboard visualization.
Full-Time Mentor
Curt Henderson
Guitarist, Producer, and Educator
Nashville-based guitarist, producer, and educator. Curt has collaborated with Fender, D'Angelico, PRS Guitars, and Walrus Audio, and is deeply committed to helping guitarists reach their full potential.
Full-Time Mentor
Francois Chanvallon
Guitarist and Educator
Paris-born guitarist with degrees from Berklee and Manhattan School of Music. Has worked with Chris Cheek, Gary Burton, and Kurt Elling. Expertise spans jazz, rock, pop, metal, and funk.
Full-Time Mentor
Greg Fleischut
Multi-instrumentalist rooted in Bluegrass, Americana, and Jazz
Versatile multi-instrumentalist specializing in bluegrass and jazz. Has performed at Red Rocks, Outside Lands, and Hardly Strictly Bluegrass. USC Thornton and CalArts graduate.
Full-Time Mentor
Trevor Giancola
Instructor, Bandleader, Composer, Sideman
Named one of Canada's Best Jazz Musicians Under 35 by the CBC. Has shared the stage with Seamus Blake, John Abercrombie, and Donny McCaslin. Music Faculty at Humber College.
Full-Time Mentor
Zakk Jones
Improviser at Heart, Mentor by Calling
Ohio-based guitarist and Coordinator of Guitar Studies at Truman State University. 2024 Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Award recipient. Has performed with Maria Schneider and the Columbus Jazz Orchestra.
Full-Time Mentor
Matt Sickels
Composer / Arranger / Performer
Versatile guitarist with nearly 30 years of experience, bridging jazz, fusion, and pop. Featured at the International Musicians Summit alongside Tom Quayle, Mark Lettieri, and Isaiah Sharkey.
Full-Time Mentor
Michael Agranovich
Guitarist and Educator
Guitarist with 25 years of experience spanning jazz, blues, folk, pop, and rock. His teaching blends real-world playing experience with a strong foundation in theory.
Full-Time Mentor
Michael Wynar
Guitarist and Educator
Prominent Bay Area musician who has toured with Grammy-winner Jody Watley and collaborated with George Clinton and Narada Michael Walden. Performed at the Monterey Jazz Festival.
Full-Time Mentor
Carter Arrington
International Educator, Studio Musician, and Performer
Austin-based guitarist known for his work with Arthur Brown, Eric Johnson, and Alejandro Escovedo. DownBeat award-winner who has performed at Montreux and North Sea Jazz Festivals.
Full-Time Mentor
Joseph Piilonen
Touring Guitarist and Educator
Toronto-based session guitarist who has performed with Andy Kim, Tanika Charles, and Classic Albums Live. Prioritizes musical fundamentals and individualized learning paths.
Full-Time Mentor
Ronan Delisle
Session Guitarist and Educator
LA-based guitarist, songwriter, and producer whose work blends jazz, songcraft, and experimental textures. Has studied with Julian Lage, George Garzone, and other renowned musicians.
Full-Time Mentor
Scott Smith
Touring and Session Guitarist, Songwriter, Educator
Scott is a Vancouver based guitarist and multi-instrumentalist. He has played guitar, pedal steel and dobro on hundreds of recordings and toured with numerous artists over the last 3 decades including Barney Bentall, Aaron Pritchett, Colin James and Rich Hope, as well as fronting his own projects.
Full-Time Mentor
Guest Lecturers
Real-world experience from the World's Leading Guitarists.
Sonora's guest mentors — from Grammy winners to world-touring artists — regularly lead live online classes and in-person events, offering students direct mentorship and insight into today's music industry.
Madison Cunningham
Singer-songwriter and guitarist
Grammy-winning singer-songwriter and guitarist. Best Folk Album 2023 for Revealer. Has collaborated with Andrew Bird, Mumford & Sons, and Lucy Dacus.
Guest Lecturer
Josh Smith
Guitarist and singer-songwriter
Blues guitar virtuoso and Joe Bonamassa's musical director and producer. Guitar World top 30 blues guitarists. Owner of Flat V Studios in LA.
Guest Lecturer
Becca Stevens
Grammy-Nominated Singer-Songwriter and Guitarist
Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter and guitarist blending jazz, chamber pop, indie rock, and folk. Has collaborated with David Crosby, Jacob Collier, and Snarky Puppy. Classical guitar training at NC School of the Arts.
Guest Lecturer
Greg Koch
Guitarist and clinician
Milwaukee blues/rock guitarist and WAMI Hall of Famer. Fender's top 10 unsung guitarists. Clinician with tens of millions of video views. Guitar World top 15 guitar teacher.
Guest Lecturer
Jack Ruch
Jazz, Blues, and Soul Guitarist
Nashville-based jazz, blues, and soul guitarist known for his brilliant tone and soulful phrasing. Influences include B.B. King, Ray Charles, and Oscar Peterson. Admired by Kirk Fletcher and Guthrie Trapp.
Guest Lecturer
Guthrie Trapp
Nashville Session Guitarist and Educator
One of Nashville's preeminent session guitarists. Has performed with Garth Brooks, Dolly Parton, Vince Gill, and Jerry Douglas. Popular educator with 70K+ YouTube subscribers. TrueFire and ArtistWorks instructor.
Guest Lecturer
Adam Levy
Session Guitarist and Educator
Session guitarist for Norah Jones, Tracy Chapman, Vulfpeck, and Ani DiFranco. Played the iconic solo on "Give Me One Reason." Member of Norah Jones' Handsome Band on her Grammy-winning debut.
Guest Lecturer
Andy Wood
Nashville Session Guitarist and Clinician
Award-winning Nashville session guitarist and clinician. Guitar Center Guitarmageddon national champion. Known for his genre-blurring style spanning rock, bluegrass, country, and jazz.
Guest Lecturer
Kirk Fletcher
Blues guitarist
Four-time Blues Music Award nominee. Former lead guitarist of The Fabulous Thunderbirds. Key collaborator with Joe Bonamassa on Billboard No. 1 live albums.
Guest Lecturer
Tim Lerch
Jazz and Blues Guitarist, Emmy Award-Winning Composer
Emmy Award-winning composer and world-renowned jazz/blues guitarist. Member of Pearl Django. Has studied with Ted Greene, Joe Pass, and Lenny Breau. Author of three bestselling guitar books.
Guest Lecturer
Jamie Drake
Singer-Songwriter and Multi-Instrumentalist
LA-based folk/indie artist with 25M+ Spotify streams. Has collaborated with Moby, Jim James, Nickel Creek, and Wilco. Album featured on Wilco's "Favorite Albums of 2019" list.
Guest Lecturer
Rotem Sivan
Jazz Guitarist and Composer
NYC-based jazz guitarist and composer from Jerusalem. Down Beat 4.5-star review. Performs regularly at Smalls, Birdland, and Blue Note. Has played with Peter Bernstein and Ari Hoenig.
Guest Lecturer
Cecil Alexander
Jazz Guitarist, Composer, and Educator
Former Berklee faculty member. Winner of Lee Ritenour Six String Theory Competition. Signed to Kurt Rosenwinkel's Heartcore Records. Touring with Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah.
Guest Lecturer
Seth Rosenbloom
Blues Guitarist and Singer
Blues guitarist hailed by The Boston Globe as "a searing blues-rock guitarist." Has sat in with Joe Bonamassa and Eric Johnson. Berklee scholarship recipient. ArtistWorks instructor.
Guest Lecturer
Noel Johnston
Jazz Guitarist and Educator
Jazz guitar faculty at University of North Texas. USC and UNT graduate. Has performed with Kenny Wheeler, Gary Willis, and Lucky Peterson. DownBeat award-winning educator.
Guest Lecturer
Drew Taubenfeld
Musical Director and Multi-Instrumentalist
Musical director for Kacey Musgraves, Selena Gomez, Leon Bridges, and Lil Nas X. Berklee graduate. Multi-instrumentalist covering guitar, pedal steel, banjo, and dobro.
Guest Lecturer
Steve Cardenas
Jazz Guitarist and Educator
NYC jazz guitarist since 1995. Member of Paul Motian Electric Bebop Band and Charlie Haden Liberation Music Orchestra. The New School faculty. Co-author of The Thelonious Monk Fakebook.
Guest Lecturer
Rob Compa
Progressive Jam and Fusion Guitarist
Berklee-trained guitarist known for his work with progressive jam band Dopapod. Has performed at Red Rocks, Bonnaroo, and Summer Camp. Blends rock shredding with jazz, gypsy, and country influences.
Guest Lecturer
Emil Werstler
Metal and Gypsy Jazz Guitarist
Nashville-based guitarist known for metal (Dååth, Chimaira) and gypsy jazz. Atlanta Institute of Music graduate. PRS Guitars artist. Billboard-charting albums with both bands.
Guest Lecturer
John Schroeder
Session Guitarist and Producer
LA session guitarist and USC Thornton graduate. House band guitarist on Dancing with the Stars. Toured with Frankie Valli. Nephew of Russ Freeman (The Rippingtons).
Guest Lecturer
Marcel Camargo
Guitarist, Composer, and Arranger
Brazilian guitarist who worked with Michael Bublé for 10+ years. Music director for Gretchen Parlato's Grammy-nominated album. UCLA ethnomusicology grad who studied with Kenny Burrell.
Guest Lecturer