Artists - Yamaha

Teddy Campbell

American Idol

Gulli Briem

Born in Reykjavik, Iceland. As a child Gulli started banging on pots and pans on the kitchen floor of the family home in Reykjavik. Played guitar for two years and sang in a school band until the original drummer got sick and was forced to leave his chair. Practiced drums in the loft of the Briem family residence, while playing in high school bands and musicals, where he met Johann Asmundsson a co-founding member of Mezzoforte (1977). The pair soon met Eythor Gunnarsson and Fridrik Karlsson in a Reykjavik music store, where Fridrik sold guitars. Recorded and toured with the band internationally from 1982. Their first big worldwide success with the group was in 1983 with the U.K. dance funk hit "Garden Party" and the Surprise, Surprise album. Mezzoforte has been nominated five times as the drummer of the year in Iceland.

Larnell Lewis

Born in Toronto, Ontario, Larnell Lewis was first introduced to drums in church at a very young age. This is where he began to learn to play a variety of styles including gospel music. He worked tirelessly to not only develop his understanding of rhythm, but also studied electric bass and piano to further his knowledge of the melodic and harmonic aspects of music making.

Michael Baker

Matthew Garrison

Ignacio Berroa

Dizzy Gillespie//McCoy Tyner,//Chick Corea,//Wynton Marsalis

Yussef Dayes

Growing up in South east London, Yussef began his musician journey ...

Marcus Baylor

Kenny Garrett

Terri Lyne Carrington

Born in Medford, Massachusetts, Terri Lyne Carrington developed a reputation as a child prodigy, jamming with jazz veterans Dizzy Gillespie, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Oscar Peterson, Joe Williams, and many more. At age 7, she was given her first set of drums, which had belonged to her grandfather, Matt Carrington, who had played with Fats Waller and Chu Berry.

Dave Rowntree

Born in Colchester, Essex, Rowntree was born to musical parents – Susan, a viola player, and John, a sound engineer at the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). He attended the Gilberd School, Colchester during the week, and the Landermere Music School, Thorpe-le-Soken, at weekends, where he studied percussion. He played percussion with his father in the Colchester Silver Band, a brass band.

Cliff Almond

Michel Camilo//Wayne krantz