Kirk

As the son of a versatile drummer, Kirk was introduced to percussion at a very early age, and can recall being sat behind the drum kit as a toddler.  In fourth grade his dad set up some drums in his room, which quickly led to joining the school band, and soon he was taking lessons in both drums and keyboard instruments.

Kirk received his BA in Music Performance, Jazz Percussion from the University of Maryland, College Park.  After graduating in 2010, he dedicated his time to playing in a myriad of bands and  gigging  all over the Washington DC/Baltimore metro region. As part of the indy rock duo Ms. Fridrich he also completed a month-long cross country tour and  spent a week touring as a percussionist with Dr. Maddvibe. a solo project of the influential ska band Fishbone‘s front man Angelo Moore, on the Northeast leg of Warped Tour.

Kirk has been formally studying drums for fifteen years, and has studied under several notable musicians, including Chuck Redd, Tony Martucci, Steve Fidyk, Scott Tiemann, and Mahiri Keita-Edwards.  Kirk believes, contrary to popular perceptions, that in addition to being rhythmic, the drums are a melodic instrument, and thus should be played in such a manner.

Kirk encourages his students to step beyond simply trying to emulate a drummer’s style, by helping them find their own creative voice through incorporating the various textures and approaches of great drummers, old and new.  He strives to show his students how to draw music out of their drums, so they can play different musical “colors” through the use of dynamics, feel, and emotion.  He seeks to teach the value of cultural richness in the world of music, which includes looking at different cultures and their approaches to music and adapting the drum set to their traditional rhythms.   He is proficient in many styles of playing including rock, jazz, funk, blues, reggae, hip hop, bluegrass, latin and some African/Latin hand percussion. He offers a wide range of instruction from beginner to advanced, and works with every student to address their needs and goals.