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Chad Johnson Chad Johnson (drummer/percussionist), began playing drums at age 7. His interest was fueled by a very musical family, drum lessons and elementary band. At Gateway High School, Chad was exposed to many musical opportunities from band director Mr. Orlando Otis, including jazz band, music theory, marching band, orchestra and jazz combo music. In high school Chad also played in working top 40 bands "The Cocarolas" and "The Executives" who played numerous clubs in the Denver, private parties and wedding receptions. After high school Chad attended the University of Northern Colorado where he performed in the marching band, percussion ensemble, jazz big band and wind ensemble. He also took piano class and studied private percussion with Lonnie Ann Ackermann with emphasis on marimba and concert snare drum. Here he also studied drum set with Mike Packer, who is now a teacher at the Los Angeles Music Academy. Florida was Chad's next destination for a year to experience the Latin beat of Miami and perform with top 40 band "Public Sanctum". While there Chad also performed with master's student and brother Michael Johnson at the University of Miami. Next Chad attended the Metropolitan State College of Denver in 1994 studying voice, wind ensemble, jazz combo with Ron Miles and Percussion with Mark Foster. He was also involved with the Chamber Singers, an a cappella ensemble. At this time Chad played for several student recitals and guitar classes on the drum set. As studies were taking a lot of Chad's time, he was playing professionally with Denver based acoustic jazz trio "Perpetual Motion", playing congas, tabla, drum set and many other types of percussion oddities. He also recorded two CD's , 1993's "Ready, Willing and Able" and 1998's "Surfing on Cloud Nine". They played many different concerts ranging from Antique festivals to coffee shops to special Christmas concerts. Chad also performed in many musical theater productions as the pit percussionist including Godspell, Baby and Anything Goes at the Littleton Town Hall, Carousel, Fiddler on the Roof and Guys and Dolls at the Aurora Fox Theater. He has also performed with the pHAMALY doing productions of Mame and A Funny Thing Happened On the Way To the Forum. Other theater credits include A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline and the Taffeta's at the Carousel Dinner Theater in Fort Collins, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and The Music Man. Chad has also performed with Denver bands - Funkiphino, Freak Boy #9, The Garden Weasels, Tequila Mockingbird, Louder Than Words and Product 626. He has also played numerous casual jazz gigs with guitarist Paul Musso and pianist Judy Boyd. Currently he is working with Denver band "Highway 36" and subbing at the Boulder Dinner Theater. He has been teaching privately in the Denver area since 1992. He hashad students ranging in age from 4 to 48, teaching everything from theory to marimba to jazz and rock drum set. He has also taught hand drumming and classical percussion. Chad is proud to be a member of Echo Bay and enjoys the musical challenges of the soulful, eloquent material. |
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