Business Spotlight: Culmone Percussion Drum Studios

  January 25, 2014, 11:34 am

By Wendy Visser Lojik

Ken Culmone is a drum master, but more than that, he is a mentor to his students. Having played drums all his life, Culmone feels passionate about passing his skills onto others.

Culmone stated that his musical inspiration came from his mother, who sang beautifully and always had music playing in the home. "She quickly noticed how the music moved me, and she gave me a drum when I was four," Culmone recalled. After that, he was hooked.

Culmone grew up outside of New York City and entered the music scene early—playing his first gig at the age of 12. He moved out to Utah after high school and continued to perform—sometimes for big crowds and with big names (i.e., The Beach Boys).

He gravitated toward the music of the 1930's and 40's and started an all-star high school and college band—"Ken Culmone's Kings of Swing". He has also performed with various symphonies in Abravanel Hall.

Today, Ken Culmone still loves to perform but focuses on teaching others the passion he has spent his whole life perfecting. He offers private instruction out of his Saratoga Springs home and also at Day Murray Music in Lehi. He is a certified professional drum instructor and has 28 years of teaching experience. He also has an MPA degree from BYU.

As far as methods, Culmone teaches unpitched percussion notation as well as sticking, pedaling, melodic improvisations, and music theory and interpretation.

When teaching, Culmone states that while he is very concerned about providing exceptional musical instruction, he focuses on being a good influence as well. "I love the chance to use my talents and be a significant figure in a young person's life." Culmone stated.

When asked what the optimal age is for a student beginning drum instruction, Culmone said that it varied based on the child's natural ability, motivation, and parental support. But generally, he said, most children start between seven and 17 years old.