Pasadena, CA – July 31, 2008 – LA Music Academy (www.lamusicacademy.edu) today announced that author, drummer and percussionist Mike Packer, who also teaches Applied Sight Reading and private lessons for the school’s drummers, was appointed Director of Educational Operations, effective immediately. A University of Northern Colorado graduate, Packer, who upon moving to Los Angeles studied under industry veterans Ralph Humphrey, Jeff Hamilton and Freddie Gruber alumnus Carl Tassi, joined the school in 1996 and has since played extensively throughout the Los Angeles area. Most recently, Packer designed DW Drums’ new “heel-less” bass drum pedal (model 5000ADH), which allows the player unprecedented access to the sweet spot of the pedal while promoting total relaxation and comfort in the resting position.

“It’s really an honor to be teaching at the Academy and I look forward to expanding and advancing the school’s curriculum across all departments,” says Packer. He adds, “We will continue recruiting top quality students from around the globe, but the competition to get into the Academy is fiercer than ever, not to mention scholarship applications are at an all time high.”

Packer’s resume is extensive with performance credits including clinics and concerts with the jazz classical quartet Free Flight, Steve Allen, Carl Anderson, Nils Lofgren, Lorna Luft, Regis Philbin, Susan Lucci and Ben Vereen. Television credits include Grounded for Life (WB), Mad TV (Fox), The People's Choice Awards (CBS), the CableAce Awards (TNT) and an Easter Seal Telethon. He has written for Modern Drummer and Drum! and released an instructional book, Feet Don’t Fail Me Now, and a DVD, Bass Drum and Hi Hat Technique.