Piano with Tim S.

Tim S. is a jazz percussionist and music teacher specializing in live performance and studio work. Based in the Sacramento area, Tim plays regularly with the Tim S. Trio, The Pyronauts, and as a freelance jazz musician. In an educational setting, Tim has had the amazing opportunity to share the stage with such great artists as Donny McCaslin, Wayne Bergeron, Dave Pietro, Rick Shaw, Jim Snidero, Wycliffe Gordon, Nancy King and Joe Gilman. As a member of the Sacramento State Jazz Ensemble, he won several awards including an outstanding musicianship award and a 1st place ranking at the Reno Jazz Festival. This group, along with Tim's group Melopoeia, were invited to perform at the Next Generation Monterey Jazz Festival on 3 separate occasions. Furthermore, his involvement in the Sacramento State Jazz Singers resulted in 3 Downbeat college awards as well as the opportunity in 2009 to be featured on the Epic Records release: "Ben Folds Presents - University A Cappella." From this project, Tim auditioned and was accepted to perform with the Seattle Symphony as a backup singer for Ben Folds in his orchestra tour in 2009. In the same year, Tim formed the Tim S. Trio for the purpose of expanding and promoting jazz music in Sacramento. The trio has played all over Northern California in a wide variety of settings, ranging from intimate music venues, to restaurants, wineries, festivals, and private parties. In addition, Tim has led the band on tours in the Pacific Northwest and plans to continue to expand in upcoming years. The group seeks to inspire its audiences to explore new avenues of jazz by blending original compositions with arrangements of timeless standards. Other professional experience includes performing over 300 shows with The Pyronauts, an instrumental surf group based in Auburn, CA. The group has produced 9 of their own albums and has been featured on 3 compilation CDs. Their latest album, Play For Surf, features Tim on drumset, percussion, and mandolin. In the summer of 2014, the group will tour in Italy including a stop at the Surfer Joe International Surf Music Festival. Tim graduated in 2011 from California State University, Sacramento with a Masters of Music Performance and in 2009 with a Bachelors of Music in Jazz Studies from California State University, Sacramento. Tim's university training included study with Rick Lotter, Kerry Marsh, Dan Kennedy, Mike McMullen, and Joe Gilman.