Mike DeSimone Mike was born in Hoboken, New Jersey.
His interest in music began after seeing the great jazz drummer Art Blakey on television. Mike's teachers include Larry Rosen (Andy Williams' drummer), Sam Woodyard (Duke Ellington's drummer) and Mel Lewis. He studied orchestral percussion at the Julliard School of Music in New York with Elden " Buster" Bailey and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Jazz Performance from William Paterson College. In addition to his drum studies with Mel Lewis, he studied Jazz Arranging with Thad Jones and Percussion with Raymond De Roches. Mike also earned a Masters Degree in composition from Rutgers University. Mike has been performing and teaching professionally for over 40 years. |