Karl Latham

My career has spanned the globe performing, recording, and producing with Grammy Award winning artists, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members and multitude of internationally acclaimed artists.  I combine wide ranging performance experience together with personal studies with drumming legends Gary Chester, Joe Morello and Michael Carvin together with decades of teaching experience (20 years plus on the collegiate level in the NYC area) to provide my students a positive, focused and holistic approach to learning the instrument. 

My current students range from an 8 year old to collegiate level (currently an adjunct professor at Drew University, County College of Morris, Raritan Valley Community College and Blair Academy), to professional drummers seeking topical master classes and at master classes in the USA and Europe. 

BIO Info:

Among the notable artists Karl has performed with include: The Dizzy Gillespie Alumni All-Stars; Dizzy Gillespie Afro-Latin Experience with Paquito D’Rivera; The Fantasy Band including Dave Valentine, Dave Samuels,  Chuck Loeb, Noel Pointer, Roy Ayers; The Bernie Worrell Orchestra; Mark Egan Unit1; Michael Urbaniak; Andy Snitzer; Edgar Winter; Johnny Winter; The Shirelles (Music Director); Howard Paul with guests Tom Scott and Anat Cohen; Ali Ryerson; Wolfgang Lackerschmid with Atilla Zoller, Ed Cherry, Cameron Brown; Karl has subbed on the Broadway productions of “Bring It On”, “Hamilton”, “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical”, and “Ain’t Too Proud”.   Karl is co-leader of Big Fun(K) with Don Braden and co lead the “2016 BMW Welt Jazz Award” nominated group “Constellations”.  To date Karl has releases as a leader: “Dancing Spirits”, “Resonance” and “Living Standards” with Mark Egan and Vic Juris.  

Karl is an endorsing artist for Yamaha Drums, Paiste Cymbals, ProMark Drumsticks, Evans Drumheads, Big Fat Snare, AEA Microphones, Radial Engineering, Heil Sound, ProLogix Percussion and RME. Karl is a current adjunct professor at Drew University, County College of Morris, Raritan Valley Community College and Blair Academy. Karl is included in Drummerworld Top Drummers lists. 

Karl is currently serving his 2nd term as a member of the international Percussive Arts Society Education Committee. 

My goal in teaching is to meet every student where they are in their musical journey and do whatever I can to assist them in pursuing their musical, personal and professional goals. I am very responsive to my student's goals and tailor each student's experience to assist them in achieving their goals. I feel most students who study with me privately (in an non institutional setting) would describe my teaching as relaxed and very encouraging, but also focused.

I focus primarily on providing my students with skills to perform in a wide variety of musical genres.

Some Students reach out to me for in depth studies in the methods of Gary Chester (I was a direct student of Gary's in the 1980's); Jazz Drumming; Funk Drumming; Afro-Cuban Drumming: Brazilian Drumming and general studies in Snare Drum and Drum Set skills.