Mario Calandrelli
drums, percussions
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J-Blog...
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Mario
Calandrelli drummer, percussionist, internet-based recording musician,
computer - drum machine programmer, educator, clinician, music typer & engraver,
was born in
Venosa, a small pleansant town lied in the bed of a lake - basin,
in the North - East of
Basilicata
(a region in the South of Italy). His beginnings are very similar to a lot of other
famous music mates' ones, drummers and no drummers. While still very young he demonstrated
a gift for rhythm and music. The fateful meeting with drums occurred when
he was only three years old. While attending a family wedding he was dazzled by
the sight of the drums. There was, in fact, the typical band cheering up the party.
The next day, using pot lids, boxes and washing powder bins he began practicing.
Soon he was able to reproduce accurately the drum parts he heard on recordings he
used for his practice sessions: at the age of four, he was already able to play
along the records with an excellent time keeping.
When he
was eight years old, Sandro Barbano a adear family friend who wished to assure
that little Mario's passion would not fade, convinced his parents to purchase his
first real drum kit. He perceived the little Mario's music abilities and his natural
talent, and even pleaded willing to give Mario as present a drum set. For years
he studied his instrument seven / eight hours a day, which enabled him to achieve
an excellent technical level.
At age of eleven years, his formal studies began. He took drum lessons
with Fulvio Angelotti, and then harmony and solfege lessons under a local
teacher's guidance.
His talent for drumming and music in general, made him be involved in
different music situations: from the music folkloristic ensemble and the band of
his secondary school to groups with different stylistic directions.
Later, he enrolled in the
Umberto Giordano
music conservatory where he studied for one year, under the direction of
Prof. Antonio
Santangelo (the well known Italian drummer Clemente Santangelo's
son), and later at Timba,
a well known roman school for drummers and percussionists, studying with
Beppe Giampietro and
Paulo La Rosa.
By the time he completed his
high school and resolved to dedicate himself completely to music and drums
which became his life by now.
In
October 1996, he moved to
Boston to attend
the prestigious Berklee
College of Music to study with peers like
Rick Considine,
Skip Hadden,
Jon Hazilla, Ed Kaspik,
John Ramsay,
Ron Savage,
Casey Scheurell and
Steve Wilkes (about drums), and,
Sa Davis,
Ernesto Diaz,
Joe Galeota,
Jamey Haddad,
Victor Mendoza,
Mikael Rinkquist and
Bobby Sanabria
(about percussion). In addition he had the opportunity to study with the great
Gary Chaffee,
considered one of the greatest drum teachers in the world, a real drum guru.
During his staying in
Boston, he was
able to record several cd's (as drummer and / or percussionist) by students from
Berklee
or local coming up artists, and he played in several prestigious pubs and jazz clubs
in Boston and
New York.
In
January 2000 he released his first solo record
entitled
The rhythms of my life
(self - produced, with 15 tracks). The making of it is a very important target and,
in the same time, a starting point in his career. It takes him towards a major musical
maturity and sensibility. In the mean time, it represents the attainment of the
first step in his career. This cd reflects who
Mario Calandrelli
was at that time, and, also it expresses the musical assumptions where the New
Mario Calandrelli
would have grown from.
The cd, handed in January 2000 as
final project at Berklee
and considered one of the best produced among other students' cd's during the last,
enabled him to win the Professional Music Achievement Award, a prestigious
award consisting of a plate and a sum of money, granted to the most meritorious
students standing out for their talent and academic accomplishments.
On the 13th of May 2000 he obtained
his Berklee
diploma with full marks in
Professional Music with a 3.90 Gpa.
In September he moved to
Los Angeles and studied
for three months at
L. A. Music Academy, under the direction of
Ralph Humphrey and also, privately with drummers and percussionists
like Steve Ferrone,
John "JR" Robinson
and Luis Conte.
In
L.A he had the pleasure
to collaborate with several arrangers, producers and musicians to record several
cd's, jingles and film scores.
He partecipated in several drums and percussion clinics held by famed
Italian drummers and percussionists such as
Ellade Bandini,
Maurizio Boco,
Maurizio Dei
Lazzaretti,
Alfredo Golino,
Rosario Jermano,
Agostino Marangolo,
Gabriele "Lele" Melotti,
Vittorio Riva,
Franco
Rossi ed
Ezio Zaccagnini, and international famed drummers and percussionists
such as Gregg Bissonette,
Terry Bozzio,
Jimmy Brandly,
Gary Chaffee,
Dennis Chambers,
Billy Cobham,
Dave Di Censo,
Sonny Emory,
Peter Erskine,
Larry Finn,
David Garibaldi,
Bob Gatzen,
Skip Hadden,Gavin
Harrison, Horacio
"El Negro" Hernadez, Ed Kaspik,
Rod Morgestein,
Simon Phillips,
Mike Portnoy,
Walfredo Reyes Jr,
Walfredo Reyes Sr,
John "JR" Robinson,
Trichy Sankaran,
Chuck Silverman,
Chad Smith,
Dave Weckl
and Zoro.
In 2002 he publishes
his web site,
reached by more than 12.000 net navigators (counting at the first of August
2006), notified in more than 100 among search
engines, music database, music related directories, and national and international
musicians' web sites.
Besides his main work as session man, he carries out some important teaching
activities at his drums and percussion school in
Venosa, the
MC Drum School,
founded in 2002.
In 2003 he foundes his own production
company, the
Perfect Groove Music Group, consisting in several divisions,
specialized in different music related fields (among them
MC Drum School
too).
As regards his listenings, being exposed to different music styles, he
acquired a major awareness of what he really prefers to listen to and to play. He
enjoys listening to pop, rock, funky, fusion, Latin jazz, Brazilian, world music
and all the music genres where drums and percussion have a predominant role, owing
to the strong rhythmic characterization. Anyway, he loves all good music....music
played with heart.
His drumming influences include
Alfredo Golino,
Gabriele "Lele" Melotti
(among the Italian drummers),
Vinnie Colaiuta,
Steve Ferrone,
Steve Gadd,
David Garibaldi,
Trilok Gurtu,
Gavin Harrison,
Simon Phillips,
Jeff "Jeffrey"
Porcaro ("The Drum Brother"),
Steve
Smith,
John "JR" Robinson and
Dave Weckl.
Among the percussionists, he admires
Rosario Jermano
and Ernesttico Rodriguez
(among the Italian ones), and
Alex Acuña,
Lenny Castro,
Luis Conte
and
Giovanni Hidalgo,
Contacts and Information:
Mario
Calandrelli at
Perfect Groove Music Group
Via Roma, 33
85029 Venosa (PZ) - ITALY
Mobile Phone Number 1: +39.(0).338.38.185.41
Mobile Phone Number 2: +39.(0).349.56.890.46
(except on Sundays and holydays, from 9:00 to 13:30 AM, and from 3:00 to 9:30 PM
-
Local time)
Skype Screen Name: perfect_groove
E-mail Address: info@mariocalandrelli.com
Web Site: www.mariocalandrelli.com
Questa pagina è stata visitata 4.111 volte
Data ultima modifica: 31/03/2007
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