Brandon Bridges | SoultoneCymbals.com

Brandon Bridges

Brandon Bridges

Since he was 4 years old, Brandon Bridges has wanted to play the drums. Inspired like many other young church goers by the fast fills and undying energy of his church’s drummer, he was eager to one day hold the sticks himself. As eager as ever Brandon finally got to play the drums in 7th grade at Bret Harte Preparatory Middle School where he enrolled in the concert band class led by the passionate Mr. Greg Martin. After playing primarily snare and bass drum as well as learning to read music and play other percussion instruments, he was given the opportunity to play the drum set. A year later, Brandon began attendance at Washington Preparatory High School, where he immediately joined the marching band seeking more opportunities to play. After being placed in the front ensemble to play the vibraphone, he quickly began to learn the marching bass drum with the help of his band director Corey Hogan, and drum instructor Nathaniel Lewis. It was around this time that Brandon also joined the school’s jazz big band in hopes of getting another opportunity to play the drum set instead of just marching drums. By the tenth grade he was involved in the marching band, jazz band, jazz combo, and a few other after school musical activities, which meant more play time. After playing the bass drum he moved to marching quads where he remained for his junior and senior years. Under the guidance of music magnet coordinator Stan Jackson and the beloved Mr. Richard Harris (R.I.P.), music became more than just something fun to play and listen to, it became the center of his world. With influential teachers such as his band director and personnel from the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz like Dontae Winslow, Daniel Seeff, and J.B. Dyas, Jazz took over as he fell more in love with the amazing art form throughout High School. After being accepted to UCLA, Brandon purchased his very first drum set and with it, and joined the Soultone family. Brandon is now a 2nd year student at UCLA majoring in Ethnomusicology, with an emphasis in Jazz performance, under the legendary Kenny Burrell and is taking lessons from the “Brush Master,” Clayton Cameron. He also teaches young children to play the drums at his alma mater Washington Prep on the weekends.