In this workshop, participants will learn basic technique on a variety of instruments while crafting percussion parts that fit and drive rock music!

Workshop description

School of Rock Pleasanton is thrilled to welcome two-time Grammy winner Christian Pepin for an exclusive Winter Percussion Workshop!
Step into the groove and explore the heartbeat of rock and roll. In this hands-on session, you’ll dive deep into the art of percussion — learning how to create energy, texture, and rhythm that elevate every song.
Perfect for drummers but open to all students, this workshop will cover technique and performance on instruments like:
• Tambourine
• Shakers
• Claves
• Cowbells
• Bongos
• Congas
• …and more!
You’ll also learn how to craft percussion parts that fit and drive rock music — discovering what sounds and beats work best alongside a full drum kit.
Don’t miss this rare chance to jam, learn, and get inspired by one of the best in the business!

Open to students up to 18 years of age.

Christian Pepin Bio

Christian Pepin is a two-time GRAMMY® Award winner (and 2016 GRAMMY-nominated percussionist) known for his fluid versatility across musical genres. Often described as a “musical multi-linguist” who can make his drums speak, he seamlessly blends Latin, jazz, rock, and world rhythms. His supersonic slaps, thunderous open tones, and soulful grooves captivate audiences and inherently stir the human spirit. Born in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico into a family of musical legends (including great-grandfather Toño Pepin, grandfather Papo Pepin, and cousin Bobby Allende), Christian was immersed in rhythm from a young age—he received his first drum set at six and quickly mastered timbales, congas, and bongos. Music is the very essence of his being, passed down through generations.

Over the years, Pepin’s passion and talent have carried him to stages around the globe. After honing his craft in New York and the Pacific Northwest, he contributed to the GRAMMY®-winning album PMO by the Pacific Mambo Orchestra. Today, he stands as one of the most in-demand percussionists of his generation. Christian Pepin has performed and recorded with an eclectic array of top artists, including Latin jazz and salsa icons like Gilberto Santa Rosa, Poncho Sanchez, Dayramir Gonzalez and the Spanish Harlem Orchestra; rockers such as Papa Roach, One Tribe Nation, Sugar Ray; hip-hop innovators like Jarobi White (of A Tribe Called Quest); and world-music legends like Ethiopia’s Mulatu Astatke and Cuba’s Alexander Abrue y Havana D’ Primera, Afro-Cuban All Stars. Through each collaboration, Christian showcases unparalleled musicality – effortlessly bridging his deep Latin roots with contemporary and avant-garde styles, and making drums and percussion speak fluently to any listener.

what to expect

The Winter Percussion Workshop will run from 9am - 3pm.  The day's activities will include instruction on an array of percussion instruments, learning and practicing grooves, and other fun musical activities!

REMEMBER TO BRING: hearing protection, lunch

OPTIONAL: bring your own instruments (we will have school instruments available for your use as well)