Ever since I received my first drum set for Hannukah at age 8, I've been studying and playing percussion and drums. Immediately it became one of my passions in life. All my life I've been surrounded by music and art! My cousin Jessica is a songwriter, my cousin Phoebe is a violinist, my dad is an artist and my mom is passionate about music. I grew up listening to the music that my parents often put on, to name a few... The Beatles, Stan Getz, Stevie Wonder, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, Yes, Joe Sample, and Todd Rundgren. With all of these influences so close to me it wasn't hard for me to realize my calling.


In elementary school I expanded my musical circle and met friends who I still play music with today. I played drums for bands in elementary, middle, and high school, including the school jazz ensembles, jazz club, high school marching band, and Camerata (advanced boys & girls choir). I have also been part of various orchestras, concert bands,...

Hello Students/Parents,

I have been drumming for 11 years, performing, recording, and touring. My career started in San Francisco in High School performing in local venues and music festivals, with a Garage/Punk band. Then began performing in a jazz/funk band in SF and surrounding bay area cities. Congruently, I started performing, recording and touring with an Indie/pop band. Making records and touring nationally. Thereafter, I moved to LA to begin the next phase of my career. Teaching, Performing, Recording and Touring.

I have shared the road and stage with such acts: Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Fun., Jukebox the Ghost, Pop Etc, Miniature Tigers, The Submarines, Allen Stone, ZZ Ward, and many others.

I have studied at CCSF, and with Dawn Richardson (4 non Blondes, Tracy Chapman) and Nate Morton (The Voice).

My lessons are targeted toward fundamentals, time, groove and having fun!

Thanks for checking me out!

I have taught private guitar, piano, bass and drum lessons since the late 70s in Salt Lake City, where I majored in jazz guitar performance, and since 1980 in Los Angeles. I make the lessons fun. Some of my students have received college scholarships and won cash prizes for music contests. All of them had fun while learning and improving on their instruments.

I am a fun and energetic person! Especially about drums!

Ryan started his music with piano lessons at age four while lending his vocal talents in the recording booth for his musician/writer/ arranger father, Rick. Ryan was playing in piano recitals by age six, segued from keyboards to drums at age 14, and was subsequently accepted into the University of California, Santa Barbara percussion program after high school.

While an undergraduate at UCSB, Ryan spent three years as the principal timpanist for the UCSB Symphony and five years as timpanist with the UCSB Wind Ensemble. Concurrently over the same five year period, he performed with a diversity of UCSB ensembles, Orchestra and Jazz combos, work with the College of Creative Studies department (CCS), and a variety of recording and recital work in and outside the university. Chiefly among these was the UCSB Percussion Ensemble, where Ryan performed on a variety of percussive instruments, in solo or featured pieces. He worked over two years as a percussionist with the Santa...

I began playing drums at 13 when the drummer at a party let me sit down at his kit during a break. I don't remember having held a pair of sticks before that. My friends and I all agreed it's what I've been called here to do. I knew how to play before I ever sat down at a drumset. I have since been perfecting my skills, my approach and my voice on the kit ever since. I began studying formally at the age of 16 and attended Grove School of Music at the age of 19. My degree is in percussion performance and my education was only just beginning. I still study privately with master drummers to this day. I have performed and recorded a variety of musical types, from country to hip-hop, traditional ska and latin jazz to hardcore punk. I've performed with artists as varied as Digital Underground to Pete Escovedo. I'm currently the drummer with The Louie Cruz Beltran Latin Jazz Orchestra. I teach and play music full time out of the San Fernando Valley.

My Teachers/Mentors:

DAVID...

My love for music began at the age of 2 when my mother first took me to a small local music school. Ever since that day, I have always found myself studying one type of instrument or another. My sound as a drummer, composer, producer and instructor is a culmination of my experience across varied genres. Following a yearlong intensive training at the renowned Collective School of Music in Manhattan, I pursued a BFA degree at the famous New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music. I majored in music performance as a drummer and graduated with honors. While at school, I trained under some of New York City's finest. I have successfully extracted various techniques from these distinguished musicians and incorporated them into my own distinct style. During my years at the New School, I also worked at the renowned Drummers Collective School of Music, where I taught privately, and played gigs at various clubs throughout the City. After graduating, I decided to move to Los Angeles where I...

I have played drums for twenty years now, and I am currently drumming for several artists and bands around the Los Angeles area. I also own a studio, where I record bands, and play drums on their songs and albums.

I studied Drums and Percussion at Musicians Institute, Hollywood California in 2003-2004. Since then, I have maintained a steady career as a touring and recording drummer for hire, playing for various rock, pop, country, and electronic acts.

I love all types of music, drumming, and teaching students things I've learned over the years. I am friendly, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic.

Olises N. began formally learning drums at age 12 when he attended Washington Irving Junior High School.
Having received a strong musical foundation under the direction of Ms. Lynn Johnson-Lang, he went on to being accepted into the Hamilton Music Academy/Humanities Magnet school in Culver City. Under the direction of David Sears (Senior Director at The Grammy Foundation) and a "whose who" of visiting artists, Olises' basics were sharpened, his musical horizons expanded and his passion and admiration for teaching were fueled.
Olises' first teaching experience was at a local high school where he was asked by the music director to teach a summer drums/percussion course.
He continued to perform, travel, and record with many groups while attending Pasadena City College where he studied music theory, piano, classical percussion with Ken McGrath and further Jazz performance with the legendary Bobby Bradford.
Today, Olises continues to enrich his students by...

Derek S. is a drummer/percussionist from East Lansing, Michigan. He got his start playing in youth group and from there went on to be a regular sub in many different churches in the area. While still in high school, Derek participated drum line, jazz band, and symphonic band as well as the Michigan State University Community Jazz Orchestra directed by Rodney Whitaker and Diego Rivera. From this, Derek decided to continue studying music at Western Michigan University.

At Western, Derek received four-year scholarships from the jazz studies program and the classical program. He studied percussion under Judy Moonert, drum set under Keith Hall, and also with master drummer, Billy Hart. At Western, he was involved in many ensembles including the award-winning WMU Jazz Orchestra directed by Scott Cowan and the world-renowned WMU Gold Company directed by Steve Zegree. With these groups, Derek played with incredible musicians such as Janis Siegel, Peter Eldridge and Paquito D’Rivera in...

My goal as a teacher is to make music enjoyable and educational for any student. I meet each of my students at their level and my passion is to ensure that all of my students' musical dreams come true.

I have studied classical guitar and saxophone since 1999. I continued my studies of both instruments while at university. While at UNT, I learned how to play all of the wind and percussion instruments and I studied piano as well. I have played in several bands and I have recorded three albums with those various groups (all original music).

Education/Work Experience

-Earned undergraduate degree in Music Education from the University of North Texas

-Earned a Master's Degree in Music at the University of Southern California

-Certified public school teacher

-Local area Session Guitarist/saxophonist

-8 years of private teaching experience; I have taught 100 students since opening my private music studio. I have taught students as young as 6 and as old as 48. I...

Keith E., originally from St. Louis, MO, Currently resides in Santa Monica, California. He is an innovative and dynamic musician who continues everyday to work on, educate and study various genres including rock, funk, blues, classical, jazz, reggae, hip hop, Latin, country and Afro-Cuban, (among others).

Keith earned a B.A in Music from Florida State University where he studied with Gary Werdesheim, John R. Beck, Leon Anderson, Brian Gaber and others. His focus was in classical percussion and commercial music which focused on engineering, composition and business)Studies. During his college years, Keith played with many original bands, cover bands, church and school ensembles. He also spent much of his free time interning at George Clinton's studio in Tallahassee, learning pro tools from head engineer Gary Wright.

Today, Keith is most noted for his diverse and inspired percussive abilities. From a simple mainline groove to high speed, complicated poly-rhythms; he is in a...