About John
John is an active session musician, performing and recording Rock, Pop, Jazz, Blues, R&B, Reggae, Country, Folk, and Hip Hop. He also has years of experience in recording studios and is a valuable drum tech for hire.
John enjoys teaching privately at his studio in Oakland, in addition to numerous homes across the Bay Area. His students range from K-8 beginners, to semi-professional teens and adults. His students generally see him to work on three things: rhythmic ear training, reading, and technique.
John began studying concert snare drum at age 9 with (one of Anthony Cirone’s proteges,) Jim Kassis. In his teens, John played with a variety of working jazz, blues, and metal bands, released records internationally, and performed coast to coast. At age 19, John relocated to Boston to study performance at the Berklee College of Music, where he received instruction from world-renowned drummers such as Mike Mangini, Kenwood Dennard, and Dave DiCenso. After Berklee, John returned to the Bay Area to perform and teach full-time.
He is currently working as first call drummer with Stomacher and Frobeck
He also works occasionally with: the Justin Ancheta Band, the Mean Faces, Books on Tape, the Big Beat Trio, Jesse Brewster, Luce, the Jason Bodlovich Group, Bill Spooner, Lucia Comnes, Jake Mackey, and a handful of other great artists.