DAVE SCHOEPKE BIO
Dave Schoepke is a uniquely admired and respected drummer and percussionist whose wide-ranging approach always puts meaning and substance ahead of virtuosity. Whether holding down the groove in a prog, rock or singer-songwriter band, composing layered avant-garde or meditational music, or letting loose in free and freewheeling improvisational settings,Dave is always hailed for his musicality, professionalism, and his thoughtfulness as an artist and a human.
A lifelong resident of the Greater Milwaukee area, Dave has been. drummer and collaborator with the Willy Porter Band since 2002. He has also had the pleasure of touring with legendary Jethro Tull guitarist Martin Barre, who says, “Dave is a wonderful musician, extremely diligent, caring and an amazing team player on and off the road.”
Dave’s first solo project, Drums On Low(2019), has received acclaimed reviews from Modern Drummer, Recording Magazine, and numerous global on-line music critics. The 400th issue of Recording Magazine featured Dave on the cover and includes a multi-page feature of Dave’s process of writing and recording Drums On Low. Since then Dave has released two more solo albums and numerous collaborations.
His home studio is an up-to-date, high quality tracking room stocked with his sprawling collection of new and vintage drums, percussion and cymbals. An array of classic microphones, preamps and audio interface where he records all of his solo material and tracks for artists across the globe. Additionally, he is an extremely busy session musician working at great studios with legendary engineers and producers in the midwest and the USA. With over 50 albums to his credit, these albums cut across all genres of music.
A dedicated teacher, Dave has also recorded dozens of instructional CD’s for the Hal Leonard Corporation, and has just released a method book with a full year’s worth of daily style workouts called DRUM SET 365. A new book, ROCK DRUMS IN 14 DAYS will be released late 2022.
Dave has presented dozens of clinics and educational based symposiums with legendary artists such as Ed Thigpen, Paul Wertico, Dom Famularo, Greg Bissonette, Ernie Adams, and Carmine Appice. He maintains a busy schedule of teaching, touring, clinics, and sessions, and is always striving to evolve in every facet of his music making.