His infectious teaching style and honest excitement for drums and percussion have been carving out a reputation for Mike Otto as both artist and educator. Through hard work and dedication to his craft, the Erie Pennsylvania native has been developing a thriving private teaching practice and works steadily as a freelance drummer and percussionist on major stages across the Mid-Atlantic region.
Tutored by WGI Hall of Famer Dr. Cosmo “Gus” Barbaro and countless “unknown” session and club percussionists, Mike has taken the masterful “old school” techniques and blends them with the current trends of today to create a style all his own. Rock, Funk, Classic R&B, Jazz and Latin rhythms shine through each performance with excitement and inspiration.
Major brand name affiliations have not created a niche for Mike. It has been his artistry while opening for Chuck Mangione, Modern English and headlining events at the Rehoboth Jazz Festival that have caught the attention of manufacturers, musicians and fans.
Although Mike cherishes performing with great musicians, his love of teaching has always been at the forefront of his career. A dedicated Vic Firth Education Team member, Mapex Drums Learning Advantage member and associations with the Drum Instructors Guild have provided Mike both the tools and inspiration to continue his teaching path beyond his first 20 years.
Don't miss this opportunity to demonstrate your drumming ability and win a cash award!
The second Slapstik New Beat Contest is now open for submissions. The purpose of the contest is to encourage drummers to develop new techniques with the Slapstik. In order to participate shoot a short video of yourself playing the Slapastik and post it on YouTube.com as a video response to our video http://youtube.com/watch?v=QMg9Fxe8AEk
A panel of judges will review all the submissions and pick three finalists. The first prize is $300, second prize $200, third prize $100. The deadline for submissions is July 1st.
Hey Mike. Welcome to the Drum Network my friend. This is a cool spot to Hang and rap bruh. Man, another cat from DC/B-More area. That's really cool. One Love.
At 6:29pm on April 9th, 2008, Chuck Ferrell said…
I am all three. I teach at Music & Arts, My Studio and Damon foreman Music Academy. It works so far. I've been teaching since 18. I love it and I love to play. Where are you hitting next? I'm in DC this weekend at Teotro Goldoni.