Directory

Thirty-five year old drummer Louis Santiago Jr. has already had a remarkable musical career that is the stuff urban legends are made of. Born in New York City in 1976, Lou did not purchase his first drum set until he was eighteen. After two years of eight to twelve hours of daily practice, he quit playing and joined the Navy - intent on earning tuition money to attend the Drummer's Collective in New York City. Five years later, during his last year of enlistment, Lou finally picked up his sticks again and, incredibly, after eight months of practicing, won the 2001 Guitar Center South East Regional Drum-Off, placing him 7th in the nation. Two years later, in 2003, he won the over 18 age division of Modern Drummer's "Undiscovered Drummer" contest and then toured with legendary trumpeter Maynard Ferguson and his Big Bop Nouveau Band. "Louis is without a doubt one of the most exciting new young drummers on the scene. He is dedicated to his craft and I look forward to watching the progress of his career!" - Maynard Ferguson. Since then, Lou has gone on to work with some of the industry's finest artists, such as afro-cuban/jazz bassist, John Benitez, Composer/Bassist Adam Nitti, German bassist, Martin Engelien, Worship Leader/Pastor Marco Barrientos, Raul Sanchez, Lamar Boschman, Seventh Day Slumber, Jeff Deyo and Natalie Grant, this is just to name a few! In addition to performance ministry, Lou has a passion for teaching. He is part of the faculty at the following worship/music schools and conferences: IWI (International Worship Institute), PWI (Pure Worship Institute), DFJ (Drummers for Jesus), and Thunder School Nashville. Lou has also been very successful as a secular clinician, inspiring and influencing drummers of all ages both in Europe and the United States. Highlighted in Modern Drummer Magazine, Lou says his goal is, "To become a better person and drummer than I was yesterday. I sincerely believe that music both inspires and speaks to people. I pray that my drumming does the same. This isn't just a job or hobby for me. I understand fully that it is a gifting given to me from GOD to further his kingdom." After playing for little more than 4 years, Lou's prodigious talents have earned him endorsements from Odery custom drums, Sabian cymbals, Evans drumheads, Vic Firth drumsticks, Gibraltar hardware, Toca Percussion, Shure Microphones, CTM custom in-ear monitors and Souldog clothing.

Anna Watson is a graduate from the University of Mobile, where she earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance. During her college career, she was involved in various ensembles and opera workshops, as well as musical theatre. She played the role of Jennifer Owen in the musical Babes in Arms, and various other roles in Everything but the Groom, Cinderella, and The Lovely Sounds of Christmas. Anna was also a soloist in the University of Mobile Chamber Singers performance of the Vivaldi Gloria.
Having taken voice lessons since the age of 11, Anna is no stranger to the voice studio. Through her education and the many years of taking voice herself, she has gained an abundance of knowledge and experience that she wishes to share in order for students to pursue their passion in the most effective and fun way possible.
Her goal is to discover the student’s natural voice, and to encourage healthy singing in any style through vocalizes and breathing exercises. In addition, she incorporates music theory, ear training, expression, and music appreciation in order to encourage the overall music knowledge and natural creativity of the student.

Joshua Herrington is a Piano and Brass instructor, currently seeking his Bachelors in Piano Performance from the University of Central Florida. He has studied under numerous very accomplished teachers. Among them are Laurent Boukobza (Paris Conservatoire), Maxim Mogilevsky (Moscow Conservatory), Diane Charleton (Curtis Conservatory), and Alberto Portugheis (Nobel Peace Prize winner). He has 20 years of experience in music studies and has 8+ years of experience teaching. He frequently plays concerts and exhibitions in and around the area; and often in Europe (France, England, and Belgium). He has received many awards in music, one of them being UCF's Performance Excellence Award (the highest music award distributed at UCF). Joshua teaches all ages and levels of piano, and beginning to intermediate Trumpet/French Horn.