Dru Heller

Dru learned to play just by listening to music, and taught himself the drum sounds he enjoyed. He did not begin formal drum training until shortly before he went to college. He began in a community college and transferred to Whitworth University, earning two degrees: one in Percussion; the other in Jazz Performance. After first working in Spokane, WA for a few years gaining performance experience, he came to Colorado in 2013, to pursue a Master’s degree in Jazz Performance and Pedagogy at the University of Colorado Boulder. There he studied with Paul Romaine, John Gunther, Art Lande, and Brad Goode. Dru recorded the soundtrack for the PBS documentary, Sighted Eyes/Feeling Heart, the story of Lorraine Hansberry; the score was written by Don Byron. Dru credits Don with a great deal of support in his musical development. Dru is currently an affiliate faculty member at Metro State, where he teaches many music classes, including Music Performance for music majors.

Pathways To Jazz supported album: Dedication