I’m a 1987 graduate of the Berklee College of Music in Boston with a dual degree in Jazz Performance and Music Education where I studied drum set with Gary Chaffee, Joe Hunt, Ed Kaspik and Robert Kaufman; vibraphone with Victor Mendoza; Improv Theory with Gary Burton; and ensembles with George Garzone, Donald Brown, Phil Wilson and Herb Pomeroy among many others. I’ve performed with Diane Schuur, Valery Ponomarev, Joshua Breakstone, Gary Versace, Scott Robinson, Richie Cole and many musicians and bands on the Kansas City jazz scene including as a founding member of the long-standing Doug Talley Quartet, which has toured extensively throughout the midwest since 1995 and recorded five albums.
I’m also a 1990 graduate of Park University where I studied Art and Graphic Design. I have paintings in numerous private and corporate collections, including H&R Block, T-Mobile, the Stowers Institute and the Heartland Spine & Specialty Hospital. I’ve designed magazine and book covers, postcards, posters and hundreds of CD packages for musicians from coast-to-coast. With the decline of CDs, I now build, maintain and host websites for musicians, artists, organizations and companies from a variety of sectors. See my work at keithkavanaugh.com and bauwau.com.
Private instruction
I accept drum set students at any level wishing to study jazz and related genres. I teach in-person or virtual lessons through an online component I’ve developed based on my upcoming book, Musical Independence on the Drum Set, with a focus on improvisational and listening skills. Click below to view the course introduction and to sign up for lessons.
In-person lessons are taught at my home studio outside of Independence, Missouri. Zoom lessons are also available. Frequency of lessons can be as often as you’d like and length can be half-hourly ($30) or hourly ($45). Payment may be made with Venmo (@kdkavanaugh), PayPal (kdkavanaugh), cash or check.
I don’t require that students keep a regular time slot and pay in advance. My schedule can be chaotic and I find that it’s easier to allow students the flexibility to sign up for any slot from week to week that works for them. Click the button below to see how it works.
Contact me today for more information or click below to schedule lessons at your convenience.
Pay for a lesson
