Morgan Hill native Sam Sotelo has been teaching privately and in the classroom for the last thirty years and is well-versed in all styles of music. He studied percussion/drum set with Ralph Hardimon, Dan Sabanovich, and Anthony Cirone, African drumming with Kobla Ladzekpo and Joe Caploe, Afro-Cuban, Brazilian and Latin percussion with Luca Brandoli, Changuito, and the late great Tito Puente. Mr. Sotelo spent most of his career in the Los Angeles music community doing sidelining work in film and has worked recording sessions with various artists such as the Yellowjackets. Along with this, he has also worked in Post Audio Production for Film/Television and the Web. Mr. Sotelo received his Bachelor of Arts in Music Improvisation from San Jose State University and his Master of Art in Ethnomusicology from the University of California, Los Angeles. He also has an Associate of Arts in Music Commercial Songwriting from Gavlian College and a Certificate of Recording Engineering from Soundmaster Recording School/Pinnacle College. Other than music, Mr. Sotelo’s interests are hiking and watching documentaries.