Multi-Instrumentalist
Bouzouki, Flutes and Whistles,
Guitar, Bass, World Percussion
Voice, Trumpet
Composer / Arranger
Engineer / Producer
Educator
Joel Reed Mankey
photo credit - John Hwang
Based in Los Angeles, California Joel Reed Mankey is a composer, multi-instrumentalist and music producer who has worked on both sides of the curtain in the music industry for his entire life. He has traveled around the world, performing and working in countries all the way from Bulgaria, Bali, Japan, Mexico, Germany, Scotland and back to the Fred Kavli Performing Arts Center in his home town of Thousand Oaks, California.
Joel is comfortable with any number of instruments and jobs in music. His diverse career includes highlights from every discipline he's involved with: performing, recording, teaching, mixing and stage managing. As a performer, Joel was a guest musician on Dancing with the Stars; as a teacher he's taught all ages and taught Taiko drumming workshops in Berlin; As a recording artist he's recorded French Horn on CBS's Survivor ; as a mixing engineer he has been a resident mixer at several Los Angeles venues and mixed shows all over North America and Europe for countless musical acts.
JRM - Full Biography Joel Reed Mankey is a musician, engineer, composer and multi-instrumentalist from Thousand Oaks, CA. He received his Bachelor's of Music from California State University, Northridge, where he graduated in 2007 with a Major in Music Composition for Film and Television with a Minor in Japanese Language. Joel has worked on both sides of the curtain in the music industry for his entire life, and has travelled around the world, playing and working at such venues as The National Palace of Culture in Sofia, Bulgaria, The International Music Festival in Chihuahua, Mexico, and Fred Kavli Performing Arts Center right at home in Thousand Oaks. He has worked either as a performer or a mixing engineer in countless venues around Los Angeles including The Los Angeles Coliseum, The Staples Center, The John Anson Ford Amphitheater, The Hollywood Bowl, The Dorothy Chandler Pavillion, CBS Dancing with the Stars, The Valley Performing Arts Center, Catalina's Bar and Grill, Cafe Metropol, and many, many more. As a professional musician, Joel has played nineteen different instruments as a regular performer more than ten different Bands and Ensembles and played on countless recordings, from small indie groups to major label releases and network television premiers. As a record producer and recording engineer he has produced countless recordings both live and in-studio from Monkey-Man Studios, the studio he shares with his father in Thousand Oaks. Joel has worked with a wide cross-section of professionals in the industry both in Los Angeles and around the world such as Brian Blades, Lionel Louke, Sara Gazarek, Jake Shimabukuro, Roger Wagner, Christian McBride, Jimmy Branley, Carlitos Del-Puerto, Alex Iles, Kim Richmond, Nels Cline, Josh Nelson, Rocco Somazzi and the Angel City Jazz Festival, LeRoy Downs, The On Ensemble, Dave Champagne, The California Traditional Music Society, TAIKOPROJECT, Folk Works, The Masanga Marimba Ensemble, Grand Performances: Los Angeles, James Stemen, David Whitwell, Gary Pratt, Matt Harris, John Magnussen, Katia Moraes, Aaron Serfaty, Sara Leib, Abe Lagrimas, Emi Meyer, The Culture Crash Orquestra, Masato Baba, Roland Garcia, Kris Bergstrom, Shoji Kameda, Mario Pallais, Michael Mull, Gigi Rabe, John Finseth, John Ferriter, Marty Greb, Sean FayeCullen, and many more.
PERFORMANCE / ENSEMBLE Credits Marimba Institute Ensemble (2018-2020) - Founder, Musical Director, Bandleader, Workshop leader, Performer - Vocals, Marimba The Sea Miners: Songs of the Sea (2022-present) - Arranger, Performer - Bozouki, Irish Tin Whistle, Vocals Tommy and the Brothers (2021-present) - Stage acting: Tommy Makem, Performer - Vocals, Banjo, Irish Tin Whistle WEEfolk Ensemble: Multi-ethnic acoustic folk Ensemble (2015-present) - Musical Director, Bandleader, Founder, Performer - Vocals, Mandolins, Guitar, Flute / Whistle Masanga Marimba Ensemble (2002-present) - Assistant Director, Workshop leader - Marimba, Trumpet, Percussion, Voice CSUN Jishin Taiko (2001-2016) - Founder, Past Director, Faculty Adviser - Taiko, Percussion, Japanese Flute Batare: Heavy-metal Taiko stage show (2013-2016) - Composer, Taiko Advisor, Producer - Japanese Taiko Bear Fruit Duo: Jazz Bossa duet (2010) - Co-Founder, Arranger, performer - Guitar, Voice Metro Steel: Fusion steel pan combo (2002-2006) - Co-founder, performer - Double Steel Pans Culture Crash Orquestra: Brazilian party-rock band (2005-2008) - Founder, Composer, Songwriter, Guitar, Lead Vocal The Lilt'n'Tang Band: LA style Irish pub band (2010-2016) - Co-Founder, Arranger - Cittern, Guitar, Flute, Tin Whistle, Percussion, Vocals Sean FayeCullen (2009-Present) - Producer, Music Director - Multi-Instrumentalist, Vocal TAIKOPROJECT (2007-2008) - Performer - Taiko, Japanese Flute Prota: Progressive Taiko (2008) - Performer - Taiko, Japanese Flute CSUN Orchestra and Wind Ensembles (2001-2003) - Performer - French Horn
RECORDING ARTIST Credits Dancing With the Stars: Ssn19 Wk5, - Steel Drum, Indian Drum The Tearaways, Various Recordings - Trombone, Trumpet, Tin Whistle, Tenor Saxophone, Cittern, Tenor Banjo Record Production and Engineering CREDITS Jishin Taiko, Sampler - Recorded, Mixed, Mastered, Taiko Ghost Tiger, Vinyl EP - Recorded, Mixed The Lilt'n'Tang Band, The Water of Life - Recorded, Mixed, Mastered, Guitar, Flute, Whistle, Trumpet, Voice, Percussion Masanga Marimba Ensemble, Shakanaka - Recorded, Mixed, Mastered, Marimba, Trumpet, Percussion, Guitar, Voice Masanga Marimba Ensemble, Mas - Recorded, Mixed, Mastered, Marimba, Trumpet, Percussion, Guitar, Voice Masanga Marimba Ensemble, Masanga Marimba - Recorded, Mixed, Mastered, Marimba, Trumpet, Percussion, Guitar, Voice Sean FayeCullen, MeYou&Them - Producer, Recorded, Mixed, Mastered, Percussion, Piano, French Horn, Trumpet, Flute, Vocals Vengeance for Vincent, Demo - Recorded, Mixed The Three Lights, ??? - Recorded, Mixed, Mastered The Off and Ons, ??? - Produced, Recorded, Mixed, Mastered Tim O'Gara, The Heart of Amerikay - Recorded, Mixed Tim O'Gara, Here We Go - Co-Produced, Recorded Survivor, Season One: Main Theme - French Horn Shaheen Sheik, EP - Produced, Recorded, Mixed Kaitee Page, 2 Singles - Recorded, Mixed, Mastered Lunic, Skeletons (2006) - Recorded, Mixed Alex Smith Trio, A Taste - Recorded, Mixed, Mastered Metro Steel, Demo - Mixed, Steel Drum Culture Crash Orquestra, EP - Recorded, Mixed, Mastered, Guitar, Cavaquinho, Vocal Michael Mull, Ami Maeda, Cozy - 6 song EP
LIVE SOUND Mixing Clients Grand Vision Foundation - Grand Annex: House Mixing Engineer Jacaranda Veranda Concerts - Grand Annex: House Mixing Engineer Bonnie Foster Productions - House Mixing Engineer Catalina's Bar and Grill - House Mixing Engineer Cafe Metropol - House Mixing Engineer TAIKOPROJECT - Stage Manager: John Anson Ford Amphitheater Rhythmic Relations 2008 Angel City Jazz Festival - Stage Manager: John Anson Ford Amphitheater Los Angeles Asian American Music Festival - Asst. Stage Manager Strunz and Farrah - Resident Live Mixing Engineer Masanga Marimba Ensemble - Resident Mixing Engineer
STUDIO PRODUCTION / ENGINEERING Clients Grand Vision Foundation - We Love you San Pedro
Recordings
Production, Engineering and Recording Artist Credits
Recording Artist Credits
Engineering/Technical Credits
WEEfolk Productions
"The journey has been filled with inspiring teachers, friends, students, travels and music from so many directions. I have always tried to integrate everything that I learn and I love into my both my compositions and into my daily life. One such project, for which WEEfolk was awarded the Aurora Foundation’s Challenge Grant (2015-2016), was about connecting the Music of Japan, and the Celtic music of the British Isles. In January of 2016, thanks to the Aurora foundation's Generous grant, I was able to travel to Tokyo where I studied music of the biwa (Japanese lute) and shinobue (bamboo flute) and recorded music for our Eileen Aroon project with Biwa player and collaborator Tomoca Nagasu."
"Another favorite project is WEEfolk sessions Music video project.
WEEfolk sessions is a place to use our beautiful studio spaces to showcase all the great local talent we can find. The WEEfolk Sessions YouTube and Instagram channels are a great places to discover world-class talent, and also be moved by great live music performances."
WEEfolk Studios
The WEEfolk projects were all made in our home at WEEfolk studios, which are available for Recording, Videography, Mixing and Mastering. We specialize in high-end acoustic recordings and also have a host of vintage amplifiers, guitars, keyboards and interesting instruments from around the world to help you get the most out of your creative spirit. For rates and gear list, please reach out to Joel at joelmankey@gmail.com
Live Room
Project Room
Tracking Room
Teaching
"Being the son of an educator, I've always appreciated the importance and value of mentorship and inspiring teachers in the lives of young people. I've always felt that the joy of sharing and playing music with people shouldn't and doesn't stop at boundaries of skill and I've always enjoyed playing with musicians of any level. Some of the highlights of my educational career have been as an educator of world percussion, specifically Japanese Taiko, which I taught at CSU Northridge for 8 years and now at children's ensemble in Oak Park California where we perform traditional literature and write our own music as well.
My other deep love as an educator is of the Marimba, which is one of the most enjoyable and direct paths between young children and ensemble music. After my first 15 years with the Los Angeles fixture, The Masanga Marimba Ensemble facilitating countless workshops, I joined the Playmarimba.com team as a summer session teacher, teacher trainer and curriculum developer. I currently also teach a children's marimba ensemble in Oak Park California."
