My son Michael who loves to play the drums!

NEWS

08/01/08 -Whew! July flew by like a whirlwind! Party Jones was extremely busy last month with concerts in the park (one of which was attended by 15,000 people!), a large corporate function in Santa Barbara and several private functions as well as our usual club work. August gives us a chance to relax a bit as our performance schedule isn't quite as hectic. I'm going to take this opportunity to relax with my family and recharge. The Professional Drum Teachers Guild continues to grow. We are getting some more famous names involved as well as more local instructors. In other news, my student Dylan Todd played his first live gig with his dad's band "BuzDawg." The momentous occasion occured on July 12th at Peppino's in Foothill Ranch. Dylan played a Ramones tune and killed it! I am very proud of Dylan's accomplishment. He played to a full house and performed very well under pressure! As soon as I get a video link, I will be sure to post it. Another student of mine, Alana Fan, attended Camp Jam two weeks ago. Her group worked with renowned drummer Liberty DeVitto (of Billy Joel fame.) They worked on and performed "Paradise City." I'm waiting for a video link for this performance as well! My former student Forest Allen's band "The Open House Collective" will be opening for "Flock of Seagulls" on Thursday, September 18th at the Coach House. I've also added the "Student Spotlight" hyperlink on my Lessons page where I will be featuring pictures and videos of my students doing what they do best! Be sure to check it out!

07/01/08 - July is here and the heat is on! Despite the oppressively hot temperatures (I'm not really a hot weather person) I can't complain. My teaching practice has really grown and this time of year is usually slow. Thanks to all my students for the laughs and inspiration. One of my students (Brandon Kelley) played a sweet gig at Cook's Corner. You can check out the video of his shreddage HERE. I'm sad to say that two of my students are moving away. Stig Regan is moving to Japan and Phil Badrov is moving to Idaho. I wish both of them safe trips and am confident they will pursue their drumming in their new locations! I also developed a relationship with Onboard Research, maker of the BeatNik Rhythmic Analyzer. This has been one of the greatest tools I've found for my students and myself! Be sure to click on the link to check this amazing unit out! Party Jones performed well in Las Vegas and DaVita has hired us to play in July in beautiful Santa Barbara! Party Jones also recently signed a contract with Fortune Entertainment thanks to a referral from our contact at DaVita. We are very excited about the prospects of more corporate/casual gigs. Be sure to check out Fortune Entertainment's website. Their client list is very impressive! Special thanks to my good friend Marty Fullard for working his proverbial butt off with the Professional Drum Teachers Guild. Our membership is growing and we recently added my former teacher Chuck Silverman! Chuck is a great guy and a ridiculously good teacher. It is a real honor to have Chuck on board as well as Dom Famularo and many other notable drumming educators.

06/01/08 - I just returned from my big corporate gig at the Red Rock Resort in Las Vegas. I have to say this place is one of the nicest places I've ever stayed at. The facilities are amazing and the staff are all very friendly and helpful. DaVita was a wonderful company to work with. Their people are amazingly friendly and down to earth. They spoiled us all rotten and we hope to work with them again in the near future. I'm in the process of sorting out all the pictures I took. Many of them turned out darker than I like. My camera can be a bit finicky at times. There are more than enough to get a good feel for the scope of this gig. I'll try to post them up on my MySpace account as soon as possible. We came home a bit tuckered out but with lots of great memories and stories!

05/01/08 - May has arrived and brought with it more exciting news! I'm now officially a Remo Educational Endorser! I've been playing Remo heads since I've been playing drums! In my opinion, Remo makes the best drumheads on the market. I'm proud to be affiliated with THE company that revolutionized the drumhead industry by making the first synthetic drumheads. In addition to all the fine products they make, they place a huge emphasis on education. Many thanks to Bruce Jacoby, Manager of Education, for making this happen! Party Jones also survived 3 full days at the Long Beach Grand Prix. The experience was grueling, but worth it. This month finds us heading out to Las Vegas, NV to the Red Rock Resort and Casino to play for DaVita Corporation's yearly function. The boys and I are very much looking forward to the trip. The Professional Drum Teachers Guild is growing on a weekly basis. I'm very excited about the growth and the camaraderie that is perpetuated amongst its members.

04/01/08 - I know I'm posting this early, but this year keeps getting better and better and I couldn't wait! The Professional Drum Teachers Guild was featured in Modern Drummer Online! Our membership list is growing as is support from many of the drum companies and organizations we endorse. The feedback from companies such as ProMark, Vic Firth and Modern Drummer has been extremely favorable. Many thanks to my good friend Martin Fullard for all his hard work and encouragement! Speaking of drum companies, I have decided to end my relationship with SilverFox drumsticks. Although they make fine sticks, I have decided to return "home" to the sticks I started out with and played for many years. I was also accepted into the Vic Firth Education Program which I'm very excited about. Many thanks to Olin at Vic Firth for making this happen. I'm extremely proud to be associated with such a prestigious stick company that puts so much emphasis on drum education. This month also has Party Jones playing all three days at the Long Beach Grand Prix as well as various club and private functions. Party Jones also had its website revamped. Be sure to visit and check out all the new changes!

03/01/08 - I have some really exciting news to share. One of my former students just informed me that he was accepted to the prestigious Berklee School of Music in Boston! He was nice enough to share his story on my Testimonials page. Be sure to check it out! I have been busy recording with some of my peers. We are sharing files via the internet and working independently in our own home studios. I should have a couple of finished songs which I will most likely post on my MySpace page in the very near future. I am now an official member of the Percussive Arts Society. I'm proud to be affiliated with such an outstanding organization that promotes education. Speaking of drum education, my friend and fellow drum educator Martin Fullard has spearheaded the Professional Drum Teachers Guild. The guild is in its infancy, but aims to hold its members to a higher standard and promote greater accountability within our profession. As the guild progresses, I will be sure to post updates here on my site. Finally, Party Jones has continued to fill up its performance schedule. Be sure to check my Calendar page for live performances!

02/01/08 - I had a great time in New York, but I'm very glad to be back home. Everything is getting back to normal and it feels good to be back in the swing of things! Country artist Heather Wilkins has released a single that is nothing short of awesome. All proceeds from the sale of the single will go to the Freedom Alliance's Scholarship Fund. You can check out the song at Heather's website. Party Jones is now officially back from taking time off. We have just received confirmation on many of our regular, yearly gigs including the Long Beach Grand Prix, Canyon Lake Fiesta Days, Fountain Valley Pony League Award Ceremony, Long Beach Auto Show, Auslich Ski Club Awards Banquet and Christmas Party and the GeoSyntech Christmas Parties as well as many other private functions and club dates. We just received confirmation that we will be playing at the luxurious Red Rock Resort in Las Vegas for Da Vita corporation's huge, annual party. We are very excited about this event in late May. Be sure to check my new Calendar or the Party Jones website for specific dates and times!

01/01/08 - It's hard to believe, but 2008 is here! I don't know if it is just me, but it sure seems each year is going by faster and faster! This month, I will be out of town visiting relatives in upstate New York for two weeks. I will be back in town the last week of January. My good friend Randy Walker will be covering the Party Jones drum seat for me in my absence. I certainly need a vacation after my busy year and I'm very much looking forward to some downtime in the Northeast! Last year there was no snow/ice so I couldn't go ice fishing. This year I should be able to get out on the ice. Last month I figured out how to do a simple performance calendar so anyone wishing to see me perform can simply click on the calendar link to see where I'm playing. I hope to continue playing with Party Jones as well as country artist Heather Wilkins. Happy New Year to all my students, clients, friends and peers!