I'm Kyle Caprista, and I've been blessed to be playing drums professionally for going on two decades now. I've played small dives and big rooms, in the US and abroad, for local songwriters and big names alike. My drumming, singing, and production have ended up on just about every genre of music and every medium of media there is, with song and album credits in the hundreds and counting. Along the way I’ve shared the stage with Mark McGrath (Sugar Ray), Bret Michaels (Poison), Coolio, The Sugar Hill Gang, Tone Loc, Steve Harwell (Smash Mouth), Chuck Prophet, Pat Monahan (Train), Phil Lesh (Grateful Dead), Peter Buck and Mike Mills (R.E.M.), John Doe (X), Peter Case (The Plimsouls/The Nerves), Ryan Merchant (Capital Cities), Mickey Thomas (Starship), Garry Beers and Ciaran Gribbin (INXS), and Jennifer Holliday (Dreamgirls). I have also performed on The Jimmy Kimmel Show!
My musical journey began in the Pleasanton public school system, where I was very lucky to be a part of multiple well-funded and passionate music programs before moving on to the community and state college levels. I was able to study and perform big band, small combo, and vocal jazz, afro-cuban and pop percussion, marching percussion (snare and tenors), and symphonic percussion, among many other musical styles and applications. All along the way, private instruction was the backbone of my passion and growth as a musician and I will always be indebted to my teachers for pushing me outside of my comfort zone, all while supporting my ambitions both within the school system and in the many bands and musical projects I took part in during my free time - I now strive to do the same for my students! I offer a personalized approach based on your drumming goals and musical tastes. The goal is always to find the fun in playing and learning! Here are just a few of the ways I can help you:
Drum set instruction on all styles of music, this includes:
Grooves, fills, and concepts in all styles of music
Approach to playing live and in the studio (playing to click and backing tracks, charting music, crafting parts, preparing for shows, working in bands, etc)
Integrating percussion into your drum set playing
Using drumless music tracks to learn and apply the concepts we’re working on together
Singing while playing (an underrated and valuable skill!)
Drum notation and theory
Marching and symphonic percussion
Percussion applications in popular music
Audition prep
At the end of the day, we will be working on what YOU want to get better at - whether you want to go pro or just play along with songs in your bedroom, we’ll get you where you want to go! I am currently teaching in the East (Dublin) and South Bay (San Jose) areas, and am open to other regions as well. I’m looking forward to hearing from you!