To me, everyday I teach and play music is a gift.

 

I’ve been a professional drummer, producer, and teacher for over 20 years. My lessons combine traditional drum instruction with modern beat-making, giving students the tools to play, perform, and create music. I work with all ages and skill levels, offering both in-person lessons in Portland and online lessons anywhere.

I began touring after high school while also teaching percussion in Albuquerque, NM. Later, I earned a jazz performance scholarship at Arizona State University, studying under Chuck Marohnic, (pianist for Buddy Rich) J.B. and Dom Moio author of Latin Percussion in Perspective. After college I continued touring, performing everything from rock and jazz to funk and country. Along the way, I began composing and producing with digital audio workstations (DAWs) like Ableton Live, GarageBand, and BandLab—skills I now bring into my beat-making lessons.

Today I teach private lessons as well as music theory and beat-making classes at Portland Community College, perform with my band Small Million (featured on Willamette Week’s “Best New Bands” list of 2023), release solo music as Small Skies, and compose for TV and podcasts, including Apple TV+’s K-Pop Idols.

Whether you’re looking for private drum & beat-making lessons in-person or online I’ll help you build skills, confidence, and creativity.

 

Musicians I've played shows and/or worked with: Spoon, Phantogram, The Raincoats, Aurora, Com Truise, STRFKR, 1939 Ensemble, Gunther Schuller, Maynard Ferguson, Poolside, Passion Pit, Explode Into Colors, Pure Bathing Culture, Wild Ones, Antibalas and many others.