John Bergamo facts for kids

John Bergamo (born May 28, 1940 – died October 19, 2013) was a talented American musician who played percussion instruments and wrote music. He was well-known for his work on movie soundtracks and for playing with many famous musicians. From 1970 until he passed away, he led the percussion department at the California Institute of the Arts, which is a famous arts school.

John Bergamo's Music Journey

In 1959, John Bergamo went to the Lenox School of Jazz in Massachusetts. He received a special scholarship to study drums with a jazz legend named Max Roach. He also learned from other great jazz musicians like Percy Heath and Kenny Dorham. He studied music history and theory with teachers like Gunther Schuller. Some of his classmates there included famous jazz artists like Ornette Coleman.

In 1962, John earned a master's degree from the Manhattan School of Music. He continued to study percussion and composition. After that, he spent time in New York City working as a freelance musician, which means he played music for different jobs and groups.

Creative Associates Group

In 1964, John Bergamo joined a special music group called the Creative Associates at the University at Buffalo. This group was started by Lukas Foss, a famous composer. The group included many talented musicians, composers, and singers. They explored new and experimental music styles from the 20th century. They performed regularly in Buffalo and even at the famous Carnegie Hall in New York.

Some of the music they created included pieces by composers like George Crumb and Sylvano Bussotti. Through this group, John Bergamo also played in smaller musical teams.

Studying World Drums

In 1968, John moved to the west coast of the United States. After teaching briefly at the University of Washington, he started teaching at CalArts in 1970. He taught there until he retired in 2005. While on the west coast, he became very interested in drumming traditions from other parts of the world, especially North and South India.

He learned to play the tabla, which is a pair of drums from India, from many great teachers like Ustad Alla Rakha. He also studied South Indian drumming with masters like T. H. Vinayakram. John even learned Indian classical music from Ali Akbar Khan, a legendary musician. He traveled to Chennai, India, in 1979 to study the thavil, another Indian drum.

Percussion Groups and Famous Collaborations

John Bergamo helped start two percussion groups that played only percussion instruments. In 1976, he co-founded The Repercussion Unit. Later, in 1997, he started The Hands On'Semble with other musicians.

Throughout his career, John Bergamo played with many famous artists and groups. These included rock musician Frank Zappa, the percussion group Nexus, jazz saxophonist Dave Liebman, and Indian classical musician Ali Akbar Khan. He also performed at a big event called "World Drums" at Expo 86.

John Bergamo also played percussion on the soundtracks for many Hollywood movies. Some of these films include Altered States, Crossroads, The Exorcist II, and Popeye.

Music Recordings (Discography)

Here are some of the music recordings John Bergamo was part of:

• 1977 - Zappa in New York with Frank Zappa.
• 1986 - On the Edge by John Bergamo himself.
• 1990 - Music for Guitar and Percussion with Lou Harrison.

Films (Filmography)

Here are some films that feature John Bergamo's work:

• 1987 - World Drums. This film was directed by Niv Fichman.
• 1990 - The Art & Joy of Hand Drumming. This was a film by John Bergamo himself, directed by Toby Keeler.