CK's Drum Shop

Retail music store, specializing in drums and percussion instruments.Instructors are Christopher J. Kent and Judy Sweeney. Christopher J. Kent or Chris received his Bachelor of Music degree in percussion performance from Western Connecticut State University, graduating Cum Laude in 1996. He studied percussion all four years at Western with David L. Smith, principal percussionist with the New Haven Symphony Orchestra.Chris has taught percussion professionally since 1996. Chris’s expertise covers all areas of drums and percussion such as snare drum, drumset, mallet percussion, and music theory as well. In addition, Chris is proficient at teaching all music styles from Concert/Orchestral, Fife and Drum, Jazz, Latin, and Pop/Rock. Chris teaches beginner, intermediate, and advanced students. In addition, Chris also teaches professional musicians who wish to strengthen weak areas in their playing, such as reading music, drumset coordination, music theory, music notation or transcribing, and drum rudiments.As a performer, Chris currently plays drumset, percussion, and Timpani in the St. Mary Mother of the Redeemer church choir, and is a member of the church as well. He also plays percussion in the Waterford Community Band. In addition, Chris is regularly called upon as a freelance percussionist to perform at churches, musicals, parades, private parties, weddings, and for professional music ensembles. Recently, he was a sub percussionist in the pit orchestra of Chestnut Street Playhouse in Norwich, CT. He has also played drumset and percussion with the Nathan Bayreuther Jazz Combo, the rock band Innuendo, singer/songwriter Ron Drago, Avalon Express, Ron Murray and Vuelo, The Norwich Concert Band, The Silver Cornet Band, and The Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra.