Afro Cuban • West African • Latin Percussion • Brazilian • Afro Peruvian • Middle Eastern • Rock • Jazz • Reggae • Classical • Latin Rock

Styles

Afro Cuban, West African, Latin Percussion, Brazilian, Afro Peruvian, Vallenato, Middle Eastern, Rock, Jazz, Reggae, Classical, Latin Rock.

About Dominic

Dominic Garcia began playing drums at the age of seven. By 1991, after being in marching, jazz and concert band as well as being a founding member of the Sacramento group, Deftones, Garcia began on a lifelong journey of study in world beat and percussion.

In 1994 he began studying conga with Eddie Diaz, a New York percussionist with performance credits ranging from Tito Allen to Yomo Toro. By 1996, he became a member of the Afro-Cuban dance group Ebo Okokan. Under the instruction of Harold Muniz and Beatriz Godinez, he learned to play an array of Afro-Cuban drum, song, and dance. Dominic continues to perform with Ebo Okokan.

By 2000, Dominic was involved in a variety of music projects, recording and arranging. In 2005, he became a student at C.S.U. Sacramento under the direction of Stephen Blumberg and Dr. Daniel Kennedy. There, he double majored in Music Theory & Composition and Percussion Studies, and plans to continue his studies in Ethnomusicology.

Garcia also has performed and recorded with the Sacramento State Latin Jazz ensemble, for which the group received a DownBeat award for their performance and 2008 recording entitled “Havana”. Dominic is also musical director of Latin American folk group, Paloma Negra. In 2007, Paloma Negra released a full-length CD entitled “En Otros Ojos”. In 2008, Paloma Negra was invited to perform in Monterrey, Mexico presenting repertoire for Día de Muertos.

In 2010, Garcia was commissioned to record and produce Paloma Negra’s second release entitled “Altar”. In addition, he also recorded and co-produced the Sacramento-based Latin Jazz group’s self-titled CD, “La Descarga”. Today, Garcia resides in his native Sacramento, California and is currently a freelance artist and clinician in Latin music.

Teaching Method

For the modern percussionist, versatility is a necessity to stay competitive in today’s music industry. Dominic offers a variety of hand drumming lessons involving traditional and non-traditional rhythms.

In addition to lessons, Dominic elaborates on the history and folkloric aspects of the tradition, while focusing on developing proper technique in hand drumming. No student leaves a lesson without learning something new.

Lesson Details

• Format: Private one-on-one lessons
• Levels: Beginner to advanced
• Ages: Kids, teens & adults
• Location: Skip’s Music, 4614 Madison Ave, Sacramento, CA