ArtistWorks Drum Academy Launches Luis Conte School Of Percussion

Napa California-based technology and music education company ArtistWorks launched the interactive, online Luis Conte School of Percussion (LCSP) on April 11th, 2012, it was announced today. Grammy™ Award-winning, master percussionist Luis Conte has worked with some of the greatest names in contemporary music, including Madonna, Eric Clapton, Phil Collins, Santana, Jackson Browne, Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand, Ray Charles, Tony Bennett, James Taylor, Shakira, Ozzy Osbourne, and Arturo Sandoval among others. Known for his impeccable feel, technique, musical knowledge and tasteful musicality as well as his ability to blend Afro-Cuban percussion styles in to contemporary Pop and Rock music -- Luis Conte is one of the most prolific and talented artists in contemporary music. As part of the ArtistWorks Drum Academy (ADA), the LCSP contains hundreds of high quality video percussion lessons that explore a wide variety of percussion styles and world rhythms including Martillo, Cha-Cha, Guaguanco, Columbia, Bembe, Songo, Salsa, Merengue, Samba and Mozambique as well as Hip-Hop, Electronica, Jazz, Soul and Reggae. The LCSP also offers a full curriculum of percussion techniques on how to play a diverse array of percussion instruments including congas, bongos, timbales, cajon, guiro, hand percussion and more. For the first time ever, ArtistWorks will offer bilingual lesson options. A native of Santiago, Cuba, Conte has recorded a number of video lessons in both English and Spanish and will respond to student video exchange questions in the individual student’s language of choice. The LCSP utilizes ArtistWork’s patent-pending, breakout video technology to create a direct, personalized educational experience. Subscribing students view Conte’s extensive curriculum of beginner-to-advanced percussion lessons and submit a video with questions/performances directly to Conte via webcam or smart phone for critique and guidance. Conte then reviews and responds personally to each student video submission. These “video-exchanges” are posted in the LCSP for all subscribing students to view and subsequently learn from Conte and from each other – creating a “virtual classroom” with an ever-evolving curriculum. ArtistWorks students study in a guided, self-paced environment that allows them to drive the learning process according to their schedule and access instructor guidance and critique at their own pace. Multiple camera angles allow students to see lessons from alternate viewpoints so they may analyze techniques from different vantage points. In addition, students can slow lessons down, and loop lessons to allow them to break lessons down and focus on every detail. “I talk to young players all the time who have watched my educational DVDs and they always have questions for me,” says Conte. “Now they can just ask me those questions personally and I can help them on the spot.” The Luis Conte School of Percussion www.contepercussion.com is open to percussionists, drummers, drum circles and drum groups at all levels of proficiency. Subscription fees are reasonably priced at $90.00 for 3 months; $150.00 for 6 months and $240.00 for a 12-month subscription. The ArtistWork’s Drum Academy also offers Rock drumming lessons with The Thomas Lang School of Drums and Jazz/Fusion drumming lessons with The Billy Cobham School of Drums. The ADA is not the static online learning experience seen before on DVD or other online education and video download sites. Rather, ADA schools take full advantage of high-resolution video, leading-edge social media tools and the Internet’s interactive capabilities to create a robust learning environment Founded in 2009 by former AOL executive David Butler, ArtistWorks, Inc is a Napa California-based technology and music education company that has created a proprietary, patent pending, online "video exchange" visual education platform which allows virtuoso musicians to “teach the world” by presenting their full method, technique or curriculum in HD video to subscribing students. Utilizing simple web cams, students are able to submit videos through the site to the ArtistWorks’ instructors for individualized critique and guidance – creating a two-way, individualized educational experience. ArtistWorks currently offers curriculums from such world-class, virtuoso artists as: guitarist Andreas Oberg; harmonica artist, Howard Levy; fingerstyle guitarist Martin Taylor; DJ Qbert; pianist Christie Peery; rock drummer Thomas Lang, jazz/fusion drummer, Billy Cobham, percussionist Luis Conte, banjo player Tony Trischka, flat pick guitar player Bryan Sutton, dobro player Andy Hall, mandolin player Mike Marshall, double bass player Missy Raines and fiddle player Darol Anger. For more information please visit: www.artistworksdrumacademy.com, artistworks.com or contepercussion.com Contact: elizabethlang@rockarcadia.com