Mike Rocha

Mike Rocha and his band are bringing ALL THE JAZZ to Sound Union!

Four-time Grammy-nominated and globally acclaimed trumpeter and composer Mike Rocha first started playing the trumpet at age nine. While in junior high and high school, Mike performed with both the California All-State Honor Band and All-State Jazz bands, won concerto competitions, lead “The Barkin' Dawgs” dixieland band, toured Brazil with the Sacramento Youth Symphony as their principal trumpeter, and toured Japan with the Monterey Next-Gen band as their lead trumpeter.

Mike graduated Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Trumpet Performance from the Berklee College of Music in 2007 and subsequently landed the jazz trumpet seat on the Glenn Miller Orchestra international tour. The tour lasted all of 2008 across 48 states, Canada, and Japan. After touring, Mike enjoyed a brief teaching stint at Delta College alongside director Brian Kendrick and pianist Aaron Garner.

One year later, Mike relocated to Los Angeles to pursue his Master's in Trumpet Performance and Composition from the California Institute of the Arts, graduating in 2012. Notable mentors from whom Mike studied are: Larry Koonse, Darek Oles, John Fumo, Ed Carrol, Joe LaBarbara, and Paul Novros.

After completing his master's degree, Mike went on to enjoy a robust recording and performance career in Los Angeles. Mike has performed on the movie and TV soundtracks of The Color Purple (2024), Family Guy (2021), The Simpsons (2021), Legends of Tomorrow (2020), Ford v. Ferrari (2019), and more. Among the notable that Mike has played with are: Christina Aguilera, Bob Dylan, Gwen Stefani, Meghan Trainor, Panic at the Disco, Lorde, Gordon Goodwin's Big (and little!) Phat Band where he still holds the jazz soloist seat, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Nai Palm, Jeff Bernat, Postmodern Jukebox, the John Daversa Big Band, the Alan Chan Big Band, and the Vardan Ovsepian Chamber Ensemble. Mike has also performed at Coachella and the Governors Ball in New York. While doing all of that, Mike taught trumpet and gave lectures at Occidental College, Mount San Jacinto Community College, El Camino Community College, and MiraCosta Community College, as well as serving as acting brass coach at Harvard-Westlake High School. In addition, Mike co-led the Lappit-Rocha septet, performing his original jazz compositions all over Los Angeles and culminating with the recording of their debut album, “First Take.”

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