Ralph Humphrey is one of Los Angeles' most demanded studio drummers, recording for TV, motion pictures, albums and jingles. His most recent projects include Dancing with the Stars, American Idol, Charmed, Piglet's Big Movie, Star Trek Enterprise, The Simpsons, ABC 50th Anniversary Special, Far From Heaven, Coca-Cola, and Ping golf clubs. His past touring and recording experience includes the Don Ellis Big Band, Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, Akiyoshi-Tabackin Big Band, Al Jarreau, Manhattan Transfer, Seals and Crofts and Free Flight. He can also be heard on album projects by Wayne Shorter, Tom Rainer, Mike Miller, Jeff Richman, The Outsidemen, and Babaghanoush, among many others. Ralph is the author of the drum book Even in the Odds and contributes occasional articles to Modern Drummer Magazine.

Joe Porcaro's musical spectrum ranges from jazz and rock to opera and symphonic. He has recorded with jazz artists including Stan Getz, Gerry Mulligan, Freddie Hubbard, Don Ellis, Mike Manieri and rock/pop artists such as TOTO and Madonna. His credits includes numerous television shows and movies. One of the most highly regarded percussion and drum instructors in the world, Joe is the author of two drum books: Joe Porcaro's Drum Set Methods and Odd Times, and the instructional video Joe Porcaro on Drums. Please visit www.josephporcaro.com for more info.

Dave Beyer is an in-demand professional drummer and educator in the Los Angeles area. He toured and recorded for 3 years with Melissa Etheridge, and has played or recorded with The Motels, Jewel, Joan Osborne, Gregg Allman, Michael McDonald, Christopher Cross, Stephen Bishop, Helen Reddy, Jango, and Debra Davis. He has performed at major venues worldwide, including the Greek Theater, Universal Amphitheater, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Woodstock, Madison Square Garden and Royal Albert Hall; and has played on The Tonight Show, David Letterman and Ally McBeal, to name a few. Dave also stays busy as a session player, a producer and runs his own recording studio.

After his first recording at the age of 17 with Shirley Bassey, Gary began touring in the mid-70's with Etta James, Olivia Newton-John and Cher. Since then, he has also toured with Les Dudek, Eddie Money, David Benoit, Gary Moore, Charlie Sexton, John Hiatt, Glenn Hughes, The New Radicals, Steve Lukather, Edgar Winter, and Larry Carlton. He has also worked with Stevie Nicks, K.D. Lang, Hoku, Susanna Hoffs, Willie Bobo, Ray Charles, Billy Preston, and many others. In 2000, he performed on the Women Rock Lifetime television special, featuring Sheryl Crow, Emmylou Harris, The Dixie Chicks and more, as well as many film and jingle dates.

Richie Gajate Garcia is a drummer, percussionist, clinician and educator. He has traveled the world and recorded with many renown artists. His nickname is "El Pulpo" (which means the octopus in Spanish), a nickname given to him for his unique independence and ability to play multiple percussion instruments simultaneously. Richie was voted as one of the top Latin percussionists by his peers in the Modern Drummer Reader's Poll and one of the top rock percussionists in DRUM! magazine by its readers this year. Richie, who is Puerto Rican, grew up on the island with friends of his father, who included Tito Puente and Armando Peraza. Richie obtained his Bachelor's Degree in Music Education from the Conservatory of Music in Chicago. He is a sought after percussionist who has accompanied artists such as Phil Collins, Sting, Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, Diana Ross, Hiroshima, Patti Labelle, Amy Grant, Brooks and Dunn, Luis Miguel, John Denver, Art Garfunkel and many more. He has recorded on soundtracks to films such as The Italian Job, Maid in Manhattan, I Spy, and The Mummy Returns and is the percussionist of choice for the Disney studios and has played on many of the Disney animated films such as Kronk's New Groove, The Emperor's New Groove, Brother Bear, and Robots. Richie has toured the world as a top clinician for Latin Percussion Inc. and Sabian Cymbals Ltd. He has two instructional videos produced by LP and distributed by Warner Bros. entitled Close-Up on Congas and Close-Up on Bongos and Timbales. He is an author and has three instructional books on the market published by Warner Bros. Publications entitled Play Timbales Now, Play Congas Now and Play Bongos and Hand Percussion Now. Richie is also a contributing author to DRUM! Magazine and has released three solo CDs entitled Entre Amigos, Mis Tres Hijos, and Reggaeson.

Tony Inzalaco received his bachelor's degree at the Manhattan School of Music in New York. He then received his Masters of Arts in Music Education and Bachelor of Arts in Percussion. He has played with many musicians, including Billy Taylor, Johnny Smith, Buddy Rich, Vinnie Burke, Maynard Ferguson (with whom he recorded in 1964-65), Jim Hall, Chris Connor, Ben Webster, Jaki Byard and Lee Konitz. Until 1974 he worked in Germany as a staff musician in radio, television, and record companies. He also played percussion with the Clarke-Boland Big Band, recording in 1968 and 1971. He returned to the USA in 1978 and worked as a freelance in and around Boston. He has many television appearances with the following artists: Chris Connor, Maynard Ferguson, Ben Webster, Oscar Peterson, Clark Terry and Carmen McCrae. Tony has also performed at the countless Jazz Festivals around the world.

Michael Packer graduated from the University of Northern Colorado with a Bachelor of Arts in Music. Michael has studied privately with Ralph Humphrey and Jeff Hamilton. Performance credits include Free Flight, Nils Lofgren, Carl Anderson, Ben Vereen, Steve Allen, Michael Bolton (CableAce Awards) and Cirque Du Soleil (CableAce Awards). Television credits include 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th Annual CableAce Awards (TNT), The EasterSeal Telethon (National Broadcast), KTLA Morning Show with Leeanza Cornet, World Cup Closing Ceremonies (World Wide Broadcast) and the New York New York Casino & Hotel, Las Vegas, NV. (In-house recording). His teaching experience consists of 15 years of private instruction and several clinics in the USA and Europe. Michael is the author of "Feet Don't Fail Me Now" (Hal Leonard Publications) and "Feet First" (Michael Packer Publications). Michael has also written for Modern Drummer Magazine. Please visit www.michaelpacker.com for more info.

Steve Pemberton, a musical chameleon, graduated Summa Cum Laude from Berklee College of Music. His work spans all styles, from touring/recording with noted jazz artists such as Mel Tormé, Doc Severinsen, Grover Washington, Jr., John Pizzarelli, the New York Voices, Patti Austin, Peter Nero, the Count Basie and Quincy Jones Orchestras, Ray Charles, Ken Peplowski, Don Menza, Pete Christlieb and Tom Scott, to being a member of the Boston Pops Orchestra as the featured drumset artist. In the world of film and Broadway, he has worked with John Williams, Marvin Hamlisch, Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne and Jerry Herman. Pop/rock/country artists include Jeffrey Osborne, Johnny Mathis, Melissa Manchester, Maureen McGovern, Peabo Bryson, Crystal Gayle, Amy Grant and Vince Gill. He has performed at the Hollywood Bowl to the White House, including 5 performances at Carnegie Hall, and has worked with over 125 orchestras worldwide. A published composer of percussion music, Steve has had numerous pieces premiered at the Interlochen Arts Academy, New England Conservatory of Music, University of Miami and the Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC). Please visit www.steve-pemberton.com for more info.

In 2002, bassist Rufus Philpot moved from his native land of London, England, to New York and (then Los Angeles in 2004) to pursue his musical vision. He has since played/recorded with Planet X, Randy Brecker, Bill Evans, Jeff Golub, Dave Samuels, Mark Whitfield, Minu Cinelu, David Gilmore, Buddy Williams, Al Di Meola and Joel Rosenblatt. While in New York, Rufus was also invited to join the faculty of the world renowned Drummers/Bass Collective. Now based in LA, he can be found touring the U.S. with the British acid jazz group Down to the Bone and playing locally with such virtuosi as Steve Weingart, Tony MacAlpine, Brandon Fields, Joel Taylor and Mitch Forman. He is also a clinician for La Bella strings and most recently an endorsee for Ibanez Basses, having designed custom fretted and fretless basses for himself in addition to using a stock Roadgear fretted model live and in magazine advertisements.

Aaron Serfaty has been playing professionally for 20 years. From 1980 - 1990 he was a first call session drummer in his native country of Venezuela. He moved to Los Angeles in 1991 to attend the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts). Soon after he began touring and recording with Arturo Sandoval and Jon Anderson, and performing with Sergio Mendes, Dori Caymmi, Oscar Castro Neves, Frank Gambale, Shelly Berg, Juan Carlos Quintero, Rique Pantoja and Don Grusin. Aaron is currently the director of the Latin Jazz Ensemble at the University of Southern California (USC).

A native of Toronto, Matt has studied under such luminary drummers as Ralph Humphrey, Joe Morello, Jim Chapin, and Vito Rezza. He moved to Los Angeles in 2001 and has performed with pop artists and singer-songwriters such as Christopher Cross, Kevyn Lettau, Kiki Ebsen, D. Booker, Lily Wilson, Sara Lovell and Dan Carlson and jazz artists such as Russell Ferrante, Jeff Richman, Steve Tavaglione, Joe Bagg, Bill Reichenbach, The Andrew Campbell Network, Brad Rabuchin, Billy Mitchell, the Mark Harrison Quintet, and 2azz1. Matt has also shared the stage in concert/clinic situations with legendary guitarists Mike Stern and John Scofield, and has performed live with prominent Latin artists like Pablo Montero and Pamela Cortes, both in the US and South America. He splits his time evenly doing recording sessions and live dates across a variety of genres, performing at venues such as The Hollywood Palladium, The Wiltern Theatre, the Anaheim Convention Center and legendary jazz hotspots like The Baked Potato in North Hollywood and Catalina Bar and Grill in Hollywood.

Dave Pozzi has been a Los Angeles based free-lance artist since 1979, recording and playing with artists like: Henry Mancini, Mel Torme, Celine Dion, David Foster, Johnny Mathis, Jeff Hamilton, Rich Little, Charlie Shoemake, Mellissa Manchester, Marvin Stamm, Bobby Shew, Pete Christlieb, Don Menza, Roy McCurdy, Bob Cooper, Jeff Berlin, Diana Krall, Billy Childs, and others. Big band credits include Ray Anthony, Bob Crosby, Bill Watrous, Louie Bellson, Bob Florence, and Doc Severinsen. Dave is featured as a soloist on recordings with John Patitucci, Nick Brignola, Dick Berk, Bob Magnusson, Ray Pizzi, and Milcho Leviev. Other recording work includes radio and TV commercials, TV shows like The Osbournes, and numerous demos and record dates.

After receiving a master's degree from the Eastman School of Music, Howie moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career as a musician/composer/arranger. He soon took a slight detour to go on the road where he played lead trumpet with the Woody Herman Orchestra. After two years, he moved back to LA, and has since performed on countless TV and movie soundtracks, commercials, Broadway shows and recordings. Howie has performed with Tony Bennett, George Benson, Stevie Wonder, the Temptations, Natalie Cole, Linda Ronstadt, and Mel Torme, to name a few. In addition to performing, Howie has been an active composer/arranger/orchestrator getting his first big break as the musical arranger for the Joan Rivers late night talk show, where he composed for a 16-piece big band 5 nights a week. Howie is currently scoring his fourth movie and, in 2002, received his doctorate in music from the University of Southern California.