Drum Teachers
Anthony Amodeo
Anthony Amodeo
Anthony earned a degree from the Musicians’ Institute in 2000, studying with a long list of drumming luminaries: Elvin Jones, Steve Smith, Peter Erskine, Dave Weckl, Joe Porcaro, Mike Clark, Maria Martinez, Dave Allen, Fred Dinkins, Gary Hess, and Chuck Silverman. Anthony applies teaching techniques taken from each of them into his own instruction. He performs as a session drummer throughout the tri-state area. He also performs live and tours with a number of acts from around the country. Anthony teaches all music styles and bases his instruction on blending classic techniques with real life situations because for him, “making music comes first.” Anthony says, “If I can tap into something in each student that creates the two most important things: curiosity and desire, I’ve done my job.” He has been teaching privately for over 20+ years: he taught for 11 years in Los Angeles and Boston before returning to New Jersey, where he teaches full time.
Mike Coiro
Mike Coiro
Mike Coiro is a drummer and multi-instrumentalist from Brooklyn, NY. After majoring in music at Columbia University, Mike completed his Master’s degree at the University of Oxford. Since beginning to play the drums at 9 years old, he has performed music professionally across a host of genres on drums, percussion, keyboards, guitar, and bass. Past roles include Principal Timpanist of the Grammy Award winning New York Youth Symphony, pit musician in musicals ranging from Les Misérables to Legally Blonde, and sharing the stage with rock icons such as Roger Daltry (The Who), Alice Cooper, Vince Neil (Mötley Crüe), and Steven Tyler (Aerosmith). Currently, Mike plays drums in the cover band In the Name of Love, guitar in his rock band Bloom, and is an active instructor. In what time he has left, he enjoys reading, running, and doing the New York Times Crossword.
Paul Gunsberg
Paul Gunsberg
Paul Gunsberg is a multi-instrumentalist specializing in drums/percussion, guitar, keyboard, and voice. He began playing music at age five when he received his first drum kit. Growing up in a musical family in metropolitan Detroit, he was exposed to many different musical styles including rock, jazz, classical, and various types of world music. By age sixteen, he was playing drums professionally in the Detroit area. Upon graduating high school, he received a scholarship to attend The New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) in Boston majoring in Jazz Studies. At NEC, he was a member of the Honors Ensemble in Contemporary Improvisation and studied with jazz greats like Bob Moses, Cecil McBee, Joe Morris, and Jerry Bergonzi. After graduating from college, he began teaching music lessons in Detroit and later New York City, New Haven, Seattle, and Washington D.C. He recently moved to New Jersey with his wife and two daughters, and he is excited about the musical opportunities that lay ahead here. He welcomes students of all ages and abilities.
Kerry Popp
Kerry Popp
Kerry studied drums at Lou Rose Music in Edison, NJ for four years before earning a Certification in Audio Technology from SAE Institute in NYC. She’s an experienced performer, having played in various bands throughout the NY and NJ area. She worked as an audio engineer on many major commercial projects for companies like McDonalds and Audible. Kerry teaches all genres of music, but specializes in metal and rock. Kerry likes to make learning fun and simple and believes that anyone can learn to play the drums.
Dave Heilman
Dave Heilman
Dave studied at New Jersey City University and has garnered over 10 years of experience teaching privately. Dave mentored on Norway’s The Voice and served as a clinician for jazz ensembles at Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School. His Broadway performances include Swing!, Spring Awakening, American Idiot, Burn the Floor, and STOMP. He also collaborated and recorded with Grammy-nominated artists Regina Spektor, Lars Vaular, Bernhoft, and Sondre Lerche and has performed on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and Late Night with David Letterman. He is co-founder of nationally touring synth-pop group Jupiter One, which signed a two-album deal with Warner Music Group. The group recently appeared on the finale of FX’s Pose.
Upright bass, also called string bass or double bass, is a member of the orchestra family. Just as often, however, it appears in jazz, bluegrass, folk, and other genres. With a large hollow body and 4 thick strings, the tones produced by the upright bass are low and rich. The instrument is capable of long, expressive tones when played with a bow; and short, percussive tones when plucked with the strings. String bass is a dynamic and impressive instrument to play!
The oboe is a woodwind and a member of the double-reed family. It is played by blowing air through the reed, attached at the top of the instrument. The reed consists of two very thin pieces of cane, pressed together with a small opening to allow air to pass through. The sound can be high in pitch, but it has a variety of colorful tones, from bright and piercing to low and mysterious.
