A Coachella Valley Afternoon with Daniel de los Reyes of the Zac Brown Band

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A Coachella Valley Afternoon with Daniel de los Reyes of the Zac Brown Band

by Kat Ballard

Saturday I spent a wonderful afternoon attending a special percussion “Master’s Class” sponsored by Kevin Smith with Indio’s Drum Concepts. It had been a long time since I had the pleasure of the company of a small group of people who love and celebrate music. It felt good and was quite exhilarating.

 Guest instructor was the fabulous Daniel  de los Reyes, percussionist with the Zac Brown Band. Not only was he a forthright when speaking about the ups and downs of his career, he was a thoughtful instructor, reaching out to his students with sage advice. I had no idea how many types of percussion instruments there are and their numerous uses.

 He is currently developing a school to help all musicians find their rhythm. It was easy to see he is a natural instructor, which was no doubt inherited from his family. Daniel is a third generation musician.

His grandfather, Walfredo de los Reyes II was a founding member of the Cuban orchestra, Casino de la Playa. Father, Walfredo de los Reyes  and brother ( Jr. ) are well-known and in-demand drummers in Cuba. I can visualize each of those generations passing on their skills, singing and playing with the children.   

  I found Daniel to be highly gifted, warm, genuine and very handsome (smile). The students that attended this class are so fortunate to have instructors of his quality.

 A special thanks goes out to Kevin Smith for bringing musicians of this quality to the Coachella Valley as an inspiration to our youth.