Sting, Frank Zappa, Paul Simon, Van Morrison, John Hiatt, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Joe Henderson, Charlie Parker, Lee Morgan, Max Roach, Roy Haynes, Art Blakey, Joe Chambers, Billy Higgins, Wayne Shorter, McCoy Tyner, Chick Corea, Return to Forever, Cannonball Adderley, Dave Brubeck, Michel Camilo, Joshua Redman, Kenny Garrett, Tommy Flanagan, The Police, Danilo Perez, Medeski, Martin and Wood, Cubanismo, Tool, Robert Walter, Garage a Trois, Charlie Hunter, Allan Holdsworth, Gary Willis, Bruce Springsteen, David Gray, 311, Dave Matthews Band, Victor Wooten, Bill Stewart, Tony Williams, Elvin Jones, Buddy Rich, Terry Bozzio, Bill Bruford, Vinnie Colaiuta, Steve Smith, Dave Weckl, Stanton Moore, Horacio Hernandez, Dennis Chambers, Billy Cobham, Bobby Sanabria, Billy Ward, Peter Erskine, Jeff "Tain" Watts, Paul Wertico, Andy Narell, Frank Gambale, B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Keb Mo, Robben Ford, Jing Chi, Mike Stern, CAB, Celia Cruz, James Brown, Coldplay, Dar Williams, Richard Shindell, John Gorka, Pat Metheny, Michael Brecker, John Scofield, O.A.R., Galatic, U2, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Mongo Santamaria, Randy Waldman, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Scott Henderson, Larry Coryell, T. Monk, Bud Powell, Jimmy Chamberlin, Yeska, Yerba Buena, Herbie Hancock, Horace Silver, John Patitucci, Irakere, the Greyboy Allstars, Fela Kuti, Blink-182, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Santana, Death Cab For Cutie and Many More
An old joke: How does a drummer and a treasury bond differ? One matures and makes money...Yup, looks like that college degree is paying off now!!
As a professional drummer in Chicago, I have performed and recorded with a diverse range of artists in many styles. A brief list would include the Jigawatt Trio, the New Fuse, The Psycho Kid, the Matt Robinson Band, Eric Mantel, Brent Kimbrough, Keith Wollenberg, Harry Hmura, Fred Krubel Trio, Joe Di Zillo, Christain Collin and Molasses, Florian Opahle and Leszek Cichonski. I've also collaborated with the music production company Groove Monkee to create MIDI loop libraries in the "Fusion" and "Power Rock" styles with more to come.
Discography: Jigawatt Trio "Scenes" (2007), The New Fuse "In The Now" (2008), Matt Robinson "Everybody Dreams Under Big Trees" (2008), "Drunk Dancing" (2008) and "Vines" (2007), The Push Puppets "A Living Experiment" (2008), The Psycho Kid "Punks Not Dead EP" (2008), Keith Wollenberg "As Is" (2005), Brent Kimbrough "IPO" (2006), James Marshall "We Are the Dreamers" (2005).
Born in Chicago and raised in the burbs, I picked up the drums as a way to get out of piano lessons and never looked back! While attending high school I performed with the marching, concert, jazz and theatre bands. I also got the opportunity to performance with the Greater Chicago Area Jazz Band under Orbert Davis and The West Suburban Youth Orchestra. During my high school years I studied under awesome local teacher Don Skoog. Under Don, I got the chance to perform with the Sherwood Percussion Ensembles and the Sherwood Salsa Big Band. After high school, I attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston. I had the privilege of studying with the world famous instructors Skip Hadden, Bobby Sanabria, John Ramsey and Ed Uribe. While at Berklee, I performed with the Salsa group Son Boricuba while playing recitals, sessions and gigs. I graduated with a degree in performance in the spring of 1999 and returned to the Chicago-land area that summer.
I am also a private instructor covering modern drumset and percussion. I welcome all skill levels and interests. I customize the lessons to balance the needs and interests of the student while making it fun for all! I teach all styles of music including Latin and World, Jazz, Rock and Blues. I also cover all technique issues, ensemble performance, chart interpretation, soloing, reading, brushes and basic sound reinforcement and recording technology for percussion. For Middle and High School levels students, I also provide assistance with school material and audition preparation. In addition, Latin Percussion (congas, bongos and timbales) are also taught. I encourage students to ask questions, interact and explore their interests. I'm currently teaching at A Sound Education in Brookfield (www.asoundeducation.com). Contact me for rates and schedule openings.
