Chase Culp

Drums/Mallet Percussion/Piano

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At the young age of 13, Chase Culp found his passion for drumming after seeing Alex Van Halen and Tommy Lee play.  Chase holds a BA in Music Education from University of Utah.  During his tenure there, Chase was a member of the award winning National Champion U of U Percussion Ensemble. He has also played on Robert Schuller's Hour of Power, toured though out the United States, Europe, UK, Australia, Caribbean, and South America. Chase has played with Point One, The Crying Spell, Peter Distefano, James Byrd, Ed Kowalczyk, Jerry Cantrell, and done music for the XBOX, MTV, CBS, ESPN, Netflix, various movies and commercials. He currently plays with Aisha, The Gemini Affair, Iron Dragon, and Readymade (a tribute to the Red Hot Chili Peppers).  Recently Chase was tapped by the multi-platinum band Queensryche, to fill in on drums, for a couple of shows and his bands have shared the stage with and/or toured with Killing Joke, VAST, Sevendust, Godsmack, Kings of Leon, Avenged Sevenfold, Green Day, Buckcherry, The Crystal Method,  and many more. Chase also maintains a successful teaching practice which has taught musicians who have played or play with bands such as The Naked Giants, Modest Mouse, The Shins, Julien-K, Lords of Acid, Avoid, Aiden, and recently owns and operates West Coast Drum Shop located in the iconic former location of Donn Bennett Drum Studios, in Bellevue, WA.  Serving the community in a positive and productive way is and remains Chase’s primary goal.

Will Andrews

Drums

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Will is a professional drummer/drum instructor in Seattle, WA who’s been actively playing for over 30 years. At a young age, Will cut his teeth by meticulously learning his favorite songs on the radio. Growing up near Boston MA, Will’s passion for music naturally led him to attend Berklee College of Music. During his stint, he was lucky enough to pick up skills from some talented friends, and study with Mike Mangini for two years. After getting the itch to leave his home state of Massachusetts, Will left Boston and moved to Seattle in his late teens to pursue new projects that would perpetuate his musical growth. Will has played on dozens of recordings ranging from progressive rock, alternative rock, singer songwriter, metal, and experimental. He has performed live in clubs, arenas and everything in between. He is the current drummer for three Seattle area bands, Walking Papers, Ten Miles Wide and the instrumental group Night Palm. Walking Papers has headlined tours in the US and Europe, and toured supporting Alice In Chains, Stone Temple Pilots and Myles Kennedy. Ten Miles Wide has toured the west coast performed on shows with Korn and Stone Sour.

Will has been a drum instructor for 7 years, and helped many local drummers refine their skill set. His ground-up approach to teaching zooms into the fundamentals of hand/foot technique, posture, time, counting, expanded rhythmic knowledge, coordination and proper practice. Working on these elements in a deliberate, focused way will allow drummers to pave new pathways for musical expression and create a bridge between the impossible and the achievable. Will is also able help with song performance, chart memorization, auditions, site reading, tuning and drum set ergonomics.

Bruce Weitz

Drums

Bruce Weitz has been working as a professional drummer for the last thirty years. He is versed in various styles of music and has played with many different artists. He has also toured extensively across the US and Europe with the rock band Vayden and is currently playing with two Seattle based bands, Santa Poco and Bakersfield Mafia.

In addition to his performing career, Bruce has eighteen years of teaching experience wherein he has worked with students of varying ages and skill levels ranging from beginner to professional. Bruce teaches the fundamentals of drumming, including, time keeping, reading, rudiments, technique and independence. He believes that laying a solid foundation of these fundamentals combined with a fun and positive approach to studying music helps give the student the tools necessary to find their own creative voice on the drums.

 

Cole Paramore

Drums

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Cole has been teaching drums for over 12 years and has studied with some of the world's top professionals including Mike Johnston, Mark Guiliana, Robert "Sput" Searight, JP Bouvet, and more.

​Cole is happy to work with all skill levels and all ages and is comfortable teaching rock, pop, funk, hip-hop, R&B, fusion, jazz, and rudimental drumming.

​Cole's book, The Sixteen Paradiddles, is also available in the shop!

 

Henry LaVallee

Guitar, Bass, Ukulele, Songwriting, and Drums

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Instructor Henry La Vallee is a touring drummer, recording artist, and music educator from the greater Seattle area. He has been a gigging musician since the age of 13, and, in the last 3 years, has toured the world from Australia to Europe, to Madison Square Garden. He started the band Naked Giants in his senior year of high school, and since then, has played in SoundOff! (2015), Bumbershoot (2016), South By Southwest (2016-18), and Primavera Sound (2018) with Car Seat Headrest. His experiences range from being taught a “paradiddle” in 5th grade, to talking to Questlove backstage at The Tonight Show.

Henry is also a singer-songwriter and brings that creative side to all his drum parts. You will learn how to work with other musicians, how to improve your technique, and how to create tasty grooves that are unique to you!

Wade Reeves

Drums

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My formal musical training started with Jr High and through High school and College, playing drums and percussion for Concert bands, Orchestra, Drum Corps and Jazz ensembles. Working drummer for fifty three years touring across Canada and the US with a multitude of Rock, Funk, R&B, Jazz and Country bands. I presently play drums regionly for: The Wally’s, CJQ, Chris Anderson, Danny Vernon and Joey Jewell. Studied drums with: Steve Jordan, Mike Derosier, Joel Rosenblatt, Billy Ward Dave Weckl and many more. I teach drums presently at my studio in Renton WA and “West Coast Drum Shop” in Bellevue WA with some of the most talented drummers and drum instructors in the State. I am also the owner, operator of “Dragon Audio Recording Studio’s” in Renton WA.

 

Conrad Ormsby

Drums

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Conrad has been playing drums and hand percussion for over 40 years both professionally and recreationally. Conrad is a certified musical instructor and has been teaching music for over thirty years.

Conrad is a strong believer that everyone should be able to have a life of music. That's why he became a teacher. Whether you're just a beginner or an advanced student needing guidance, let's explore music together!

Conrad offers both in-person and online subscription-based private lessons, separated by skill level, for everything drums and percussion. If you're unsure about which level is appropriate for you, please feel free to reach out and we can discuss your goals with drums.

Conrad regularly studies with some of the world's top drummers.

 

Ben Smith

Drums

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Ben spent high school in Seattle, playing locally, then moved to NY and worked with Phoebe Snow, the musicians of the Conan O’Brien band, and with many artists in a variety of styles.

Ben has performed and/or recorded with: Heart, Ann and Nancy Wilson, Taj Mahal, Cyndi Lauper, Lovemongers, Walt Wagner Trio, LeRoy Bell, and His Only Friends, GE Smith, Pete Droge, Arlie Neskahi, Mike McCready, Don Gilmore, Tracy Nelson, Shawn Smith, Liv Warfield, Ryan Waters, BoyMeetsGirl, Deniece Williams, Peter Frampton, P.F. Sloan, Cornelius Bumpus, Danny O'Keefe, Sugar Pie de Santos, jazz artists Nancy Wilson, Ernestine Anderson, and Glenn Alexander, Phoebe Snow, The Songcatchers featuring Charles Neville, Kenny G, banjo god Danny Barnes, as well as many other talented artists live and in the studio.