Teaching Experience
Vance has been teaching private lessons for the last 31 years. He has taught private lessons at home, in public schools and through music stores such as The Melody Shop & School of Music and The Drum Exchange.
He currently teaches at his new studio located at StudioWorks in Ballard and at Off The Wall Music in Wallingford.
Playing Experience
Vance Nurkala has been a drummer/percussionist for 38 years and has performed in a wide variety of musical groups. Throughout High School and College he performed in marching bands, jazz bands, pep bands, concert bands and percussion ensembles. He also played with local variety and wedding bands such as Center Stage & Runaway. In 1993 Vance moved from his home state of Michigan to Seattle. He and has been drumming in the local music scene with the bands Crybaby, Simple Machine, Chill Factor, Stranger By The Minute, iCandi, Idol Eyez, ML3, City Eagles, Charlie Drown, and Hysteria-Def Leppard Tribute Band.
Vance has honed his experience with click tracks and playing along with sequences and is known for keeping a solid beat. He has pro gear, reliable transportation, and is dedicated to any project that he gets involved in. He is very punctual, organized, a fast learner, and he is very easy to get along with.
Instructors Vance Studied drums and percussion with:
Ed Hartman – Yamaha Performing Artist
Simone LaDrumma – Conga/Djembe Instructor and Performer
Wayne Oien – DCA 2011 World Champion: Snare Drum / Master Performer and Drum Instructor.
Bob Simonson – Cold Shot Blues Band
Dr. Robert Stephenson – Percussion Instructor; Northern Michigan University
Vance has also had private drum lessons with: Bryan Hitt – REO Speedwagon and Allen White – YES.
Groups Vance Performed In:
Rock Band: Runaway
Variety Band: Center Stage
Top 40 Rock Band: Crybaby
Original Rock Group: Soulfolk
Top 40 Rock Band: Simple Machine
Top 40 Rock Band: Chill Factor
Top 40 Rock Band: Star 69
Original Goth Metal Band: Charlie Drown
Original Blues Band: Stranger By The Minute
Top 40 Rock Band: iCandi
Top 40 Rock Band: Idol Eyez
Original Hard Rock Band : ML3
Original and Cover Rock Band: City Eagles
Def Leppard Tribute Band: Hysteria
Influences
Neil Peart, Peter Criss, Eric Carr, Rod Morgenstein,
Alex Van Halen, Bun E. Carlos, Alan White, Bryan Hitt,
Rick Allen, Taylor Hawkins, and Dave Grohl, Wayne Oien, Ed Hartman.
Current Releases
Crybaby: self-entitled CD
Stranger By The Minute: Shameless Nights
Charlie Drown: Perfect Strangers
City Eagles: Various Tracks
