Yoni Bitterman

Born in Israel, I started to play the drums at the age of 13. Growing up, I had a keen interest in rock, funk and metal music and was also heavily influenced by Middle Eastern, African and Caribbean music. I had the honour and privilege of studying with amazing and diverse teachers such as Oren Avisar, David Rich and Dor Kelman. In 2003 I studied at the Los Angeles Music Academy (LAMA), California, United states. Lama is an accredited international member of the National Association of Schools of Music and a top international institution for aspiring musicians. During my time at the academy I observed and learned from some of the best drummers in the industry and gained the necessary skills to carry my drumming abilities to a professional level. The culturally diverse teaching faculty and international environment of the academy exposed me to an array of musical styles such as Jazz, Brazilian and Afro-Cuban. I successfully completed all courses on the drum department curriculum. I studied with teachers such as Ralph Humphrey (Frank Zappa, Dancing with the Stars US), Joe Porcaro, Michael Shapiro (Earth wind and Fire), Matt Star, Sherman Ferguson, Dave Pozzi, Michael Packer, Tony Inzalaco, Brad Rabuchin and Steve Bilman. After finishing my studies I returned to Israel where I was employed as a drum teacher in three music schools. I taught students of all ages (6 to 60) and have developed a unique way of teaching, methodical yet responsive to the individual needs of the student. Working with different projects as a session musician and within my own projects I was exposed to the process of music production, recording, mixing and arranging which I incorporated into my skill set. My experience in music production gives my students the unique advantage of having a guide to help them create and play music at a professional level in their own projects. In 2013 I traveled to India where I've studied the Tabla (percussion instrument) and Konnakol (the art of performing percussion syllables vocally in South Indian music). this developed my rhythmical understanding and opened my eyes to cultural diversity in music. I have been involved in a number of projects and bands in the UK, US and Israel (progressive rock, world music, funk/ hip-hop, metal, jazz, blues, ska and reggea).