Brett eastman

Brett Eastman is a native northern Californian and is a graduate of San Francisco State University where he earned a Bachelor of Music degree, studying classical percussion with David Rosenthal, drum set with Akira Tana, piano with Inara Morgenstern, and composition with Richard Festinger, Josh Levine, and Carlos Sánchez-Gutiérrez. As a composer and pianist, Brett has written for various ensembles including the Presidio Ensemble, San Francisco State University's percussion ensemble, as well as student ensembles including piano, voice, percussion and string instruments. Having received a Bachelor of Music degree in composition, Brett has learned to analyze and interpret the subtle details of a piece of music. This quality has given him musicianship skills that apply to his teaching, interpretation, and performance.

Although drum set has always been his main instrument, training in classical percussion with David Rosenthal has given Brett a special understanding of the modern Western percussion instrument family, most notably classical snare drum, timpani, tambourine, and conga drum, as well as mallet instruments including the marimba, vibraphone, glockenspiel, chimes, and crotales. Brett is also an alumnus of the Walden School's Teacher Training institute for music teachers, having completed levels I and II.

Throughout his life, he has been part of various musical groups based in Redding, France, and San Francisco, where he has resided since 2001.  He has performed in local bands with genres ranging from rock, jazz, and metal to folk and experimental. He has performed throughout California, toured on the East Coast and in France. Brett currently spends his time playing in local rock/experimental bands and composing both electronic and acoustic music.  He considers his objective as a musician to be a contributor to the growth of music and art in our community, through composing, teaching, and performing.  Aside from Brett's musical life, he also received a Bachelor of Arts in French and maintains an avid interest in French language and culture.