MEET OUR INSTRUCTORS

Merritt Partridge
Drums, Percussion, Director Of Education

Merritt Partridge is a freelance musician who has been performing since his teens. He has performed in a broad range of styles including: rock, soul, blues, country, funk, hip-hop, jazz, big band, theater, improv, avant-garde, and classical. Merritt is also an experienced studio producer and recording engineer. His versatility and experience bring a unique perspective and philosophy to his performing and teaching. He has been teaching since 1993.

His influences include Vinnie Colaiuta, John Bonham, Milford Graves, Tony Williams, Art Blakey, Jim Chapin, Kenny Soule, Jason Patterson, Gene Lake, Jabo Starks, Clyde Stubblefield, Buddy Rich, David Garibaldi and Tommy Lee.

Hunter Crews
Drums, Percussion

Hunter attended Drummers Collective in New York City (1994 and 1996). He studied sight-reading, technique, rudiments and various styles under Michael Lauren, Sandy Gennaro and Brad Flickinger. Hunter graduated from the Los Angeles Music Academy in 2001. While attending he studied sight-reading, playing techniques, rudiments, time signatures as well as many different styles including rock, funk, jazz, blues and latin under Ralph Humphrey, Joe Pocaro, Mike Shapiro and Michael Packer. Hunter has played in many bands including Omicron, Severed Existence, Individually Twisted, The Bookem’ Dano’s, Crucible of the Damned.

His influences include John Bonham, Bill Ward, Dave Lombardo, Tommy Aldridge, Neil Peart, Stewart Copeland and Gene Hoglan.

Kevin Rader-Rhodenbaugh
Drums, Timpani, Marimba, Percussion

Kevin took his first drum lesson with revered percussionist, Karl Gilbert, in 1980 at the age of 11. Six months later he boldly announced to the world, "I am going to college to study music". During the following 6 years, he held on to that dream, which eventually culminated in his acceptance to the Ball State University School of Music as a student of renowned tympanist Dr. Erwin C. Mueller. Kevin flourished as a collegiate percussionist and, in addition to his involvement in all of the top collegiate ensembles, became a frequent performer with many of the semi-professional orchestras in central Indiana. It was also during this time that Kevin co-founded the band Neurotic Box, which eventually signed a publishing/development contract with Interscope Music. He later left the band to accept a scholarship at Miami University where he would study under Dr. William Albin and become an award winning solo marimbist. Upon leaving Ohio, Kevin spent 3 years performing and recording as a rock drummer in Washington, DC. In 2003, He and his wife Marcey moved to the Raleigh, NC area where he began teaching privately.

Learn more about Kevin

Andrew Munger
Drums, Djembe, Vibraphone, Marimba, Percussion

Andrew Munger is a professional Percussionist, Composer, and Educator living and teaching in the Raleigh Area. After graduating from the Atlanta Institute of Music, Andrew moved to Raleigh and joined the Raleigh and Durham Symphony Orchestras as prinipal percussionist. Since then, he has played with a number of Rock, Jazz, and "World Music" groups. His teaching approach is founded on an "old-school" focus on basic techniques, tempered by a "real-world" understanding of what it takes to be a professional performer in today's music market. For more information about Andrew and his musical projects, visit www.rhythm-art.com.

Abdala Saghir (Hablo Español)
Drums, Conga, Timbale, Percussion

Abdala Saghir has been teaching drums and percussion since 1998.  His approach to education is straightforward, fun and exciting.  Abdala is well known for his high level of ability in various styles including rock, Latin and Afro-Cuban drum set techniques as well as timbales, congas and other percussion instruments.  In addition to being a great teacher, Abdala is a prolific performer and recording artist.

His influences include Steve Gadd, Tito Puente, Lars Ulrich, Richie "Gajate" Garcia, Patato and Tim Froncek.

Randy Evans
Guitar

Bio coming soon.

Nic Slaton
Bass Guitar, Music Theory

Triangle native Nic Slaton, is a graduate of jazz performance from the University of North Carolina Central. He is a founding member of diverse local and regional bands including The Proclivities, Mosadi Music, and CB-4. As a veteran of the experimental music scene Slaton has performed with Mondre Moffett, Frank Gratkowski, Oliver Lake, Mahlon Hoard, Ian Davis, as well as his own solo project slicnaton. As a local bassist he has performed with Jimmy Cobb, Grady Tate, Ed Thigpen, Nnenna Freelon, Fred Wesley and Branford Marsalis. Recently Nic has created the booking agency/publishing company; New Music Solutions to further his involvement in progressive music and experimental performance.

Mary Paul Thomas
Piano

Mary Paul has been playing piano since age 7 when she began study with a Juilliard-trained teacher in the small town of Fuquay-Varina. Upon attending UNC-Chapel Hill, she continued the study of classical piano in their music department for a total of 13 years. As an adult Mary Paul returned to musical pursuits and broadened her experience through cataloging music for the Meredith College music library, discovering jazz transcriptions as well as composers she had overlooked. She plays occasionally for weddings and private events as well as teaching children and adults. Mary Paul is now available here on Fridays for beginner to advanced piano lessons.

Shana Hammett
Voice

Born in Los Angeles, Hammett began her career in theatre, making her stage debut as Nora in Brighton Beach Memoirs. Shortly she found her greater love in opera.

Her music performances have taken her from coast to coast in the United States and to Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Italy. She is a graduate of East Carolina University with a Bachelor of Music and Masters of Music in Vocal Performance. She has studied with Andrew Wentzel and Jacqueline Bobak and participated in Master classes with Benton Hess, Carroll Freeman and Paige Whitley-Bauguess.

In opera scenes, she has sung the title-role in Lucia di Lammermoor as well as Violetta in La Traviata. Her other roles have included Rapunzel in Into the Woods, Lucy in The Telephone, Tamiri in Mozart’s Il re pastore with ECU opera, and Nedda in Pagliacci with Capital Opera of Raleigh.

She has advanced to the regional level in NATS competitions and was a finalist for the 2005-2006 Concerto Competition at ECU.

Currently she is a member of the faculty of Barton College in Wilson as their applied voice teacher.