I have been playing drums professionally for over 15 years. My styles range from traditional jazz, to jazz/fusion, Latin, Brazilian, rock and funk. I have studied music at Diablo Valley College, Southwestern College, and UCSD. I am a founding member of the critically acclaimed James Abbuhl band where I drummed and co-produced the CD "Voyages and Homecomings". My focus will be to get you to play musically. The drums should fit the music, meaning that as a drummer, one should play what makes sense for the music.

I'm Dale! 23 years old from San Antonio TX. I started playing drums when I was 7 years old, playing bongos during church. I marched on my high school's line all 4 years of school (snare two years, tenors two years) and marched a season of DCI indoor drumline in San Antonio. Since then I've been in numerous bands in Texas, recorded multiple EP's and played hundreds of venues including the White Rabbit in San Antonio, Texas, The Vibe in Austin, Texas, to The House of Blues on Sunset Blvd. I have a passion to the drumline/drum corps approach to drumming, since most of my speed, technique and endurance came from marching, but also appreciate and love every style on the drum kit. I am currently studying for my Associates of Arts in Performance for Percussion at the Musicians Institute in Hollywood, CA.

Music has been my number one passion since childhood. I discovered the snare drum in my third grade music class, and I knew there was no turning back. It was around that same time I knew I wanted to be a teacher. I am currently obtaining my associates degree in music. I have been performing professionally and teaching around southern California for the last ten years. I am an active session musician and perform on national and international tours. I play for a hand full of groups ranging from bluegrass and jazz to rock. When I'm not behind my kit, you can find me painting, cycling or enjoying almost any other physical outdoor activity.

I have been teaching music for about 20+ years. I'm completely self taught aside from some brief schooling at Musicians Institute of Los Angeles. I have taught myself how to read and write out musical notation by observing other great musicians and my own private studying along the way. I have found that whether your doing session or jamming with a band, the key is to listen.

Music is my life and drumming is my passion...
I first sat behind the drumset back when I was in middle school and suddenly, life had made sense and it was through rhythm that I defined myself. My obsession led me to a broad musical expansion in High School where I became strongly involved in the music programs there. Marching drumline, indoor drumline, symphonic, orchestral, concert and jazz ensemble filled my life with love and purpose. Some of my defining moments from those days were my involvement with the collegiate district honor band, coming in 3rd place for indoor drumline in all of Southern California, and being awarded the jazz soloist award for drumming excellence at the Cuyamaca jazz festival. After graduating I joined up with DCI group "The Velvet Knights Drum and Bugle Corp" and became the Tenor Section leader.
Now, Being a student in college, I have taken a multitude of music courses including, Jazz Improv, Afro-Cuban, Piano, Modern Drumset Technique, and Music...

Music has been a part of my life since I was 10. I was first introduced to percussion in marching band, starting out in drumline, and playing tenor drums and then snare drum. I continued playing the marching snare drum through high school and also professionally in division 1 drum and bugle corps. While at the same time I had acquired my own drumset and began to apply the skills learned on a snare drum over to drumset. I feel that having a marching snare drum background has more fully equipped me to play more skillfully on drumset. I have had many years of taking private lessons which has helped to not only encourage and inspire me, but has also provided a more personal approach to me learning the drums. I am currently playing drumset and making music with a local band here in San Diego.

Daniel , percussionist, performs newly commissioned works and standard repetoire in concerts throughout the United States. In 2002 he was the winner of the San Diego Symphony's "Hot Shots" Competition where he was featured as a soloist performing Paul Creston's "Concertino for Marimba". In 2003 he won the UC Davis Summerarts Festival Soloist Competition where he received a full scholarship and performed a solo concert of new and commissioned music at the famous Mondavi Center. In 2008 he was named the winner of the University of Massachusetts Concerto Competition where he performed Keiko Abe's "Prism Rhapsody for Marimba". Most recently he was awarded third place in the International Jefferson Symphony Young Artists Competition where he performed a solo concert at the Denver Metropolitan University.

In 2007, he received his Masters Degree in Percussion Performance from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst where he studied with Eduardo Leandro and DCI Hall of Fame...

As far back as I can remember, music has been a central part of my life. I grew up in a musical family; my father a drummer and pianist, my mother a woodwinds player, and my brother a bassist, I have been surrounded by music as far back as I can recall.

In 3rd grade, I remember seeing a brass quintet play at my elementary school auditorium. This was the moment I knew the trumpet was for me! From 3rd grade to my senior year in high school, I took private lessons and played in the top groups on trumpet and percussion - eventually achieving such awards as "Best Soloist at a College Jazz Festival" and "Musician of the Year at San Diego School for Creative and Performing Arts." Upon graduating from San Diego SCPA in 2005, I became interested in recording and audio engineering – eventually working as a 2nd engineer at Signature Sound in Clairemont, and main engineer at Proxy Music in Oceanside. This afforded me the opportunity to work with some of San Diego’s finest musicians...

Not only do I love chess and running marathons, but I also have three degrees in drums and percussion (Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate). I have ten years experience as a performer (including playing drums on a GRAMMY nominated album) with orchestras, touring big bands (Jimmy Dorsey, Five-By-Design), professional productions (Carnival Cruise Lines, amusement parks), jazz artists, and rock bands. I have also toured solo as a classical marimbist. Although I have a strong foundation in rudimental and jazz drumming, I also have roots in West African drumming, Cuban and Brazilian styles, and polka.

I have taught percussion lessons, percussion classes for band directors, jazz ensembles, percussion ensembles, and drum lines at Kansas State University, The University of Southern Mississippi, The University of Wisconsin Stout, and dozens of high schools. I love all things percussion related, including the history of the instruments and their performance techniques.

Although I was...

I began playing guitar and drums at 13 and quickly began to play live. As a drummer I have studied privately in NYC with Bernard Purdie , (Aretha Franklin/King Curtis/Over 100 Billboard Hits), and at The South Shore Conservatory of Music in the Boston area. Playing drums has taken me all over USA, Europe and Canada . Recording and songwriting on guitar has always been in my blood. I have played on over 10 full length albums and written over 100 songs, several of which have been licensed to television, movies and performed by other artists. I consider myself an all around performer with my forte being a drummer. I stand In contrast to your average teacher who has garnered a degree and moved straight to teaching without ever really tasting the life of a touring musician. Now that I am a father of three girls I have chosen to stay local to the San Diego area where I continue to play live and write songs.

After graduating from Salford University, England with a Bachelors degree (Honors) in Music and Composing I worked for a short time as a commercial "jingle" writer, before moving to San Diego, marrying my dream girl, and opening my own music recording, teaching and production studio. From there I have been teaching lessons, recording bands and writing music for independent film ad video games for the last 6 years. Throughout this time I've been continually performing live in venues all over California.

I truly enjoy teaching and have many years of experience teaching students of all levels and ages.

I try to teach my students how important it is to listen to themselves play. When appropriate, I bring a guitar or bass (depending on the student's need) and help the student learn how drums relate to the rest of the music. I want all of my students to enjoy playing and want them to have music as a tool for life: one that helps them express themselves, think creatively, learn specific and technical skills, and grow as humans. I believe that all people can benefit from learning to play an instrument. If you or your child believe that music can provide a new way to find meaning and joy in life while learning a valuable skill, please contact me.

In addition, I have successfully taught many students who have had trouble in school due to lack of motivation and/or learning disabilities. Drum/percussion lessons have reawakened these discouraged students' desire to learn and I am happy...