THE MUSIC ROOM
Lucas Gillan
Drums
Lucas Gillan started playing drums when he was nine years old in his hometown on Tucson, Arizona, and quickly found himself performing frequently in settings as varied as churches, punk clubs and jazz concerts before entering high school. While in high school, Lucas played in Tucson's top student jazz and classical ensembles and decided that music was more than a hobby. This led him to the elite Jazz Studies program at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, where he completed all the requirements for a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies.
While at NIU, Lucas maintained a 3.75 GPA and played in numerous jazz, classical, and world music ensembles including the Philharmonic, Percussion Ensemble, Latin Jazz Ensemble and the renowned NIU Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Ronald Carter. In the summer of 2006, Lucas played drums in the show band of the Carnival Pride cruise ship, playing for audiences of thousands every night in week-long trips to the Mexican riviera. Lucas has also maintained a freelance career in the Chicago area, gigging with jazz and rock musicians like Fareed Haque, Gary Tu and Dave Miller. Besides being a busy performer, Lucas is a dedicated educator, having taught privately for over six years. He loves sharing his passion for music and drums with beginners and experienced drummers alike.
Name: Lucas Gillan
College: Northern Illinois University
Major: Jazz Studies (Journalism minor)
At The Music Room since: September 2007
First piece of music that had a profound effect on me: Ben Folds Five’s self-titled debut album from 1996
Music teacher who inspired me the most: Greg Beyer, percussion professor at NIU
Favorite quote about music: “All music is folk music. I ain’t never heard a horse sing a song” ~ Louis Armstrong
My best gig: Playing with my jazz trio in Door County Wisconsin and getting to stay in a local philanthropist’s mansion.
Favorite classical piece: The Rite of Spring by Stravinsky
Favorite rock band: Radiohead
Favorite jazz artist: Thelonious Monk
Favorite singer: Johnny Cash
How I am making the world a better place: By providing young people with tools make their own music, making wonderful music free to listen to at my job as programming director of AccuJazz.com, and serving in my church, New Community Covenant Church, as a drummer on the worship team.
My recordings:
I play in a band called Bob Perna and Persistance www.bobpernaandpersistance.com led by a veteran jazz trumpet player named Bob Perna. I also co-lead a jazz organ trio called “Spiral Organ Trio,” and play off and on with a lot of other musicians including a rock band called Wyatt. I also perform sporadically as a solo singer-songwriter (playing guitar and singing), and have released a 5-song EP of my songs.
My email address:
My website
Piano
Guitar
Bass Guitar
Upright Bass
Voice
Woodwinds
Brass
Strings
Percussion
