Born in Santa Rosa California to Filipino Immigrants from Ilocos Sur Philippines, Stu Llanes Manzano grew up in neighboring Rohnert Park. He studied Jazz Composition and Contemporary Writing and Production at Berklee College of Music in Boston. Since 2010, he has been a Music Minister at St. Vincent’s Parish in Petaluma. He has played with many local bands and artists in Sonoma County including Streets of Rome, Snaps for Sinners (formerly
​Buck Thrifty) and Kyle Craft. As a Jazz Composer, his own compositions combine the Jazz Tradition with Filipino Folk Forms, Brazilian Music, Funk, and Electronic Elements using the Digital Audio Workstation Ableton Live.

As for teaching at MTME, he primarily teaches the
Non-Classical Styles he is deeply inspired by; the Swing of Jazz, the Soul of the Blues, the Sway of Brazil, and strands of culture and history that connect Latin America to other genres. His teaching style focuses not only on Essential Rhythmic and Harmonic Concepts, but also on how to harness one's emotional connection to musical ideas in order to share it with others.

In his spare time, he enjoys Swing Dancing and drinking Yerba Mate.