Lincoln College Announces Clinic with Richie Gajate Garcia
Renowned Percussionist and Educator is also Graduation Honoree

[May 01, 2018] 

LINCOLN 

Richie Gajate Garcia, one of the world’s most in-demand percussionists and educators, will be presenting a special clinic that local students and members of the public can attend while he is in Lincoln for graduation ceremonies at the College.

The clinic is set for Wednesday, May 2, at 4 p.m. in the Johnston Center for the Performing Arts on the Lincoln College Campus. In addition to Jazz Studies students at Lincoln College, students from area high schools will have the opportunity to participate. The public is also invited.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for local musicians to learn from one of the masters of percussion,” said Dr. David Gerlach, President of Lincoln College. “We truly appreciate his generosity in sharing his talents with our students and with local high school students.”

“Richie Garcia is well known in the world of professional musicians. His clinics are in great demand and the fact that he is donating his time while he is here is very exciting,” said Dr. Denise La Grassa, lead faculty for Jazz Studies at Lincoln College. “This is perfect for our Jazz Studies program, where we are merging serious academic studies of traditional jazz with the modern influences drawn from worldwide musical traditions.”

Gajate Garcia will be in Lincoln for the College’s annual commencement ceremony, May 5, where he will be receiving an honorary doctorate.

Gajate Garcia has recorded and/or performed with Phil Collins, Sting, Don Henley, Frankie Valli, Stevie Wonder and Ritchie Sambora, as well as worked on film scores including Disney’s Oscar winning animated film Coco. He has also performed on a number of Grammy award winning and Grammy nominated songs. He has toured with a number of performers, including Diana Ross, Patti LaBelle, John Denver and Hiroshima.

In his career, Gajate Garcia has travelled the world performing at such venues as Madison Square Garden, the Royal Albert Hall, the Hollywood Bowl and the Mt. Fuji Jazz Festival stage in Japan.

He is the author of four instructional music books: Play Cajon Now: The Basics and Beyond, Play Congas Now; The Basics and Beyond, Play Bongos and Hand Percussion Now; The Basics and Beyond; and Play Timbales Now, The Basics and Beyond; while also teaching internationally.

He is a faculty instructor at the Musician’s Institute in Hollywood where he has taught for 15 years. Gajate Garcia is the father of percussionist and drummer Roland Gajate Garcia, who is the percussionist on Dancing with the Stars and has his own impressive resume. Richie and Roland have performed together internationally and have been featured as guest speaker/performers at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention which is one of the largest drum and percussion events in the world. Gajate Gracia’s other sons Tristan and Devin are musicians as well. Tristan is a trombonist and Devin is also a percussionist.

Richie was recruited by Franki Valli and the Four Seasons while attending the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago where he obtained his bachelor’s degree and teaching credentials. Richie was greatly influenced by his step father, Doel Garcia who was a percussionist with The Xavier Cugat Orchestra and the Director of tourism for the island of Puerto Rico, as well as his family friends growing up including Armando Peraza, percussionist for Carlos Santana and Tito Puente.

Gajate Garcia invented the popular Gajate Bracket and collaborated on the Richie Gajate Garcia Signature Series Congas, Bongos and Djembe all produced by Latin Percussion.

[Mark Gordon
Public Relations and Media Manager
Lincoln College]