Biographies.

Dom Famularo (Wizdom Media Co-Founder and Co-President)

His sensational drumming and brilliant communication skills have earned Dom Famularo a reputation of being the world's leading motivational drum set artist / educator. Through history-making tours of China and the Far East, and with standing ovations to capacity audiences at virtually every major drumming event in Europe and the Americas, this vibrant performer from Long Island, New York is renowned for delivering entertaining and awe-inspiring performances unlike any other.

Tutored by legendary greats Joe Morello, Jim Chapin, Al Miller, and Ronnie Benedict, Dom combines the masterful techniques of the past with the parameter-pushing concepts of the 21st century for a highly creative and uniquely personal style of drumming. With hands powered by the famous Moeller technique and feet dancing through high-speed double-pedal bass drumming patterns he delivers performances that dip and dive through dynamics and styles with energy and ease. Elements of jazz, funk, fusion, and latin rhythms permeate his sound, while every stroke speaks to the inventiveness that makes his drumming so exciting, entertaining, and inspiring. The first Western drummer to perform clinics in China, Dom is accustomed to making headlines. He was a special guest performer at the first-ever Buddy Rich Tribute Concert, an event which he helped organize. He was a highlight as host and performer at the Pacific Rim Drum Invitational (the first drum event to be simulcast live on the Internet), and he's a primary attraction at star-studded drumming events such as the Koblenz International Drummer Meeting in Germany, the Florida Drum Expo, the Paris Music Show, the massive Drummers Day in Australia, the Heartbeat World Rhythm spectacle for Canadian TV, and the Montreal Drumfest.

Dom doesn't rely on major band affiliations as a claim to fame, but performances with the Buddy Rich Big Band, B.B. King, Lionel Hampton, Chuck Leavell (Rolling Stones), T Lavitz (The Dixie Dregs), and the Louie Bellson Big Band reveal the pedigree of his playing. He has shared the stage with Dave Weckl, Steve Gadd, Vinnie Colaiuta, Simon Phillips, Billy Cobham, Bernard Purdie, Rod Morgenstein, Chester Thompon, Terry Bozzio, Will Calhoun, Deen Castronovo, Russ McKinnon, Chad Smith, Mark Schulman, Denny Carmassi, Liberty DeVitto and Jim Chapin in worldwide drumming events. Dom fondly remembers performances with both Jeff Porcaro and Larrie Londin, both of whom he is proud to have had a chance to meet and perform with.

In addition to large drumming expos and clinic tours, Dom is an active educator at colleges, drum schools and camps. He has performed at the Percussive Arts Society Convention (PASIC), Percussion Institute of Technology (PIT) in Hollywood, California, KOSA Camp in Vermont USA, North Texas State University, the Graham Cole Percussion Camp in England, and Drummers Camp in the Black Forest of Germany. In addition, he is an in-demand consultant to major music corporations, and serves as Education Director for Sabian Ltd., Vic Firth Inc., and Mapex Drums.

Please visit Dom's websites at www.domfamularo.com and www.myspace.com/domfamularo for more information.

Joe Bergamini (Wizdom Media Co-Founder and Co-President)

Joe Bergamini maintains a diverse career as a drumming performer and educator. Enjoying various styles of playing, he is most well-known for his progressive rock drumming in the bands Happy the Man and 4Front. As a New Jersey native who grew up immersed in the New York City music scene, moving into work on Broadway seemed a natural progression for Joe. He performed on Broadway and in the first national tour of Movin' Out, and currently plays at Jersey Boys and In the Heights. For 11 years Joe was the drummer in the popular New York City area band Power Windows, and has performed and recorded with many other artists as a sideman.

Recognized internationally as an educator, Joe has given hundreds of drum clinics in schools, retail stores, and conventions over the past 15 years. He has appeared at the Ultimate Drummers Weekend (Melbourne, Australia), the Cape Breton Drum Festival (Nova Scotia, Canada), and KOSA (Vermont, USA). In 2007 he was the featured drum clinician on the first Tama Dayz US tour. He also maintains a busy private teaching schedule at his studio in New Jersey.

Joe's interest in writing and education has led to him becoming very active in the music publishing world. He is the Senior Drum Editor for Hudson Music, and a contributing writer for Modern Drummer magazine. An active author, Joe has won three Modern Drummer Readers Poll awards for his drum books. He is the author of Turn It Up & Lay It Down, MD Classic Tracks, It's Your Move (with Dom Famularo), Drum Techniques of Led Zeppelin, Operation: Rockenfield - The Drumming of Queensryche, Drumming Out Of The Shadows - The Drumming of Jason Bittner and Shadows Fall, and Polyrhythmic Potential (with Chris Pennie). He was formerly Percussion Editor for Carl Fischer Publications, has worked on various promotional and R&D projects for Tama drums, and is co-owner (with Dom Famularo) of Wizdom Media, an independent music publisher.

Please visit Joe's websites at www.joebergamini.com and www.myspace.com/joebergamini for news, schedule, and multimedia clips.

Claus Hessler (Author of Open-Handed Playing)

Technique Legend Jim Chapin states: "I hardly know anyone who is closer to the real Moeller than Claus Hessler ...".

In fact the heritage of this omnipresent technique; named after Chapin's mentor, could hardly be in better hands - especially if Jim himself puts out a quote like this. Claus is currently one of the in demand drum coaches and clinicians in Europe; in addition to his busy teaching schedule his first and long awaited educational book "open-handed playing vol. I" (co-written with Dom Famularo, including a foreword by Billy Cobham, 4 star Modern Drummer review) has been released worldwide with Alfred Publishing. Claus' approach to playing drums using a mixture of his incredible technical skills, open handed playing and ostinato work yet never gets into being "just drums": " ... his flawless and fluid motions, the way he applies this technique for ostinatos over various toms and cymbals along with independent patterns of his feet is really unique, very "drumistic" and yet musical. And I'm sure there is still a lot more that we have to be prepared for ... " Jim continues. His credits include live and/or studio appearances with musicians like the New York Voices, Mike Stern, Barbara Dennerlein, Bob Mintzer, Dominic Miller and Matt Smith just to name a few. See www.claushessler.de , www.myspace.com/claushessler and www.drummerworld.com for more informations, pictures, selected discography and soundfiles.

"I travel the globe performing, teaching and mostly learning drum set. It is rare when I meet someone who has all the qualities of being a wonderful person and performer. Claus has both! He understands the bigger picture of drumming and music. He learned all the techniques the best I have seen and when I return each year to Germany I learn again when we perform together! I suggest all drummers to spend some time with Claus and watch yourself grow!" Dom Famularo

Glenn Ceglia (Author of Eighth-Note Rock and Beyond)

Glenn Ceglia, originally from Long Island, has been an active drummer and music educator in upstate New York for over twenty years. He has earned an associate's degree in music from Nassau Community College, and bachelor's and master's degrees in music education from the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam. Glenn has had the privilege of studying drums with John Blowers, Ronnie Gould, Charles Perry and Jim Petercsak. Since 2001, Glenn has been studying with Dom Famularo who has not only brought him to a whole new playing level, but has been an incredible inspiration as an educator.

Stephane Chamberland (co-author of The Weaker Side)

Stephane Chamberland is a drummer, clinician, educator, and author. He has played and recorded with countless musicians performing literally hundreds of live shows in Canada. Known to be a versatile drummer-performing, reading and writing all styles of music-Stephane is currently playing with his own jazz band and working on many other projects with freelance musicians.

Recognized internationally as a clinician, Steph has presented hundreds of clinics and masterclasses in stores, schools, camps and festivals in the US, Canada, Taiwan, and China over the past 10 years. He performed at the Canadian Cape Breton Drum Festival 2008, the Taipei International Percussion Summer Camp (Taipei National University of the Arts), the Da Dong Tian Xia Music Concert (Shanghai Grand Theatre) and the Shanghai Int'l Percussion Camp. He also maintains a busy private teaching schedule at his studio in Quebec City, The Wizdom Drumshed, and also teaches regularly in New York with Dom Famularo. Steph's studio is a state-of-the-art teaching and recording facility where drummers from all around the world come to study. Steph is also part of the education team for Vic Firth with the PDT program, and has been working with Mapex to create The Mapex Learning Advantage Program and various educational posters.

Stephane has studied drumset with many respected teachers in New York, New Jersey, and Toronto, including Dom Famularo, Jim Chapin, Rick Gratton, Robby Ameen, Jeff Salem, Paul DeLong, Joe Bergamini, John Favicchia, Aldo Mazza and Frank Belluci. He attended Manhattan School of Music to study with John Riley and Bobby Sanabria, and also studied at the Conservatory of Music in Quebec City.

Steph is a contributing writer for Modern Drummer and Classic Drummer magazines. He has also been featured in Gigging Musician, Drums Etc, International Musician and Percussive Notes. He endorses Mapex Drums, Sabian Cymbals, Vic Firth Sticks and Evans Drumheads. For more information visit Steph at www.stephanechamberland.com