ABOUT ME Hi everyone! My name is Paul and I'm an active drummer in the Uconn Music department and surrounding area. I've studied with Berklee College of Music Alums and I play heavily with both the Jazz program, and the UCONN Marching Band Drumline where I was a section leader in the drumline for 2 years. I started playing drums as a little kid using wooden spoons to bang on my dads guitar case. I picked up my first set of real drum sticks in middle school when I enrolled in band and in 8th grade I joined my first band and played Blink 182's 'All the small things' at the talent show. Through high school I explored music through a few different groups and I was always a part of all the music ensembles my school offered. I planned on attending college for music and my senior year I was accepted to Berklee college of music with a nice performance based scholarship. After high school, however, I realized that I had a profound interest in science and I chose to pursue a career in research instead. I enrolled in my parents Alma Mater and attended my first two years of college in Kentucky, where I had spent half my childhood growing up, and majored in Biology. In general, the south is well known for its dedication to quality music education, so I used this opportunity to further my own skills by being active in the University Marching Band and Jazz bands. I also performed undergraduate research which ultimately resulted in the discovery of a new species of tree and a publication in a scientific journal! After my second year however, I decided to relocate my studies back to Connecticut so that I could be closer to my family, and I transfered to the University of Connecticut. I am currently a graduate student in the Molecular and Cell Biology department working towards a PhD in Genetics and Genomics. I give lessons out of my home to stay active and spread the world of drumming to new folks all around. I have 11 years full of teaching, playing, and hundreds of performances. I'm looking forward to working with new students and I look forward to meeting you! ~Paul Gradie |
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