Hi! My name is Tanner. I've been playing music since I was at least 5 years old. I've been drumming for 11 years and teaching for 7 years. I've had students from 5 to 42 years old. I love to teach music because I love seeing other people get excited about music!


I was classically-trained in percussion, and even performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City. I've been playing drums for my own bands since as early as junior high. In high school, I was co-captain of my school's drum line, and was awarded Most Outstanding Percussionist.


After high school, I continued to form my own groups playing drums and other instruments, and have even been hired by others as a session drummer. I've played with lots of different kinds of groups over the years, played gigs and toured all up and down the West Coast. As far as drum set goes, I can play all styles (rock, metal, drum line/school band, progressive, punk, funk, hip hop, blues, jazz, etc.).

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 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.

Music has been my number one passion since childhood. It was in third grade that I discovered the snare drum in music class, and I knew there was no turning back. At the young age of 7 I had already decided that I wanted to be a teacher. My passion for drumming grew stronger as the years went on, and I was constantly searching for new challenges to conquer. Relocating to San Diego contributed to this as it introduced me to a huge constantly evolving music scene.

I'm currently obtaining my associates in music at Mesa College. I have been performing professionally and teaching around southern California for close to ten years. I've worked as a session drummer and recorded several albums and EP's for a number of bands. I co-managed San Diego Drum Shop with Jon Oren in 2011 to early 2012. I now 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.

With twenty five years as a professional musician and teacher, my experience has taught me that building a strong foundation, with a focus on musical and skill fundamentals, is the key to the success of students fulfilling their musical dreams.
Often I get students who come to me frustrated with their lack of progress. While teaching them songs they wanted to learn, their former teachers failed to provide the basic skills needed for continued progress. Once these basic skill were integrated into their lesson plan, the roadblocks preventing their progress were removed and students became more motivated and excited.
My musical experience and education include:
Twenty Five years as a professional musician and teacher
An AA degree in Musical Performance from Grossmont College
Grossmont College Guitar Ensemble
A former member of the United States Marine Corps Band
Three time superior rating in the San Diego Solo and Ensemble festival
Featured artist on two albums of...

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'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 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...

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 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.

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...

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.