Introduction: Available in Las Vegas, I am a skill-oriented instructor. Skills are abilities such as reading music, improvising, composing, transcribing, and performing.
Lessons take place in my fully equipped percussion studio, the student's home, or via Skype.
Lessons are always goal oriented. This means that students in my studio need to have goals in mind in which they want to achieve. It is my belief that every student needs to gain self-motivation.
Here is my bio:
Justin Truitt is an accomplished arranger, composer, clinician, drummer/percussionist, and educator in Las Vegas who has been playing since the age of 3.
Justin has had the opportunity to play with many musicians and has performed nightly on the Las Vegas Strip.
Justin has received two bachelor's degrees from UNLV with emphasis in music education and percussion performance. He recently completed his master's of music degree in percussion performance under the tutelage of Dr. Dean Gronemeier and Dr. Timothy Jones.
As a performer, Justin has excelled in the world of drum and bugle corps, having marched with the Phantom Legion in 1999 and the Phantom Regiment in 2002.
That same year, he became a world champion percussionist, by winning Drum Corps International's Individual Solo and Ensemble competition for his original composition, "Dream Wave." Since that time, Justin has appeared in Modern Drummer Magazine and Percussive Note.
"Dream Wave" has become a standard in vibraphone repertoire at The University of Maryland and is becoming popular around the world as well.
Justin has had a successful career as a drum set player and percussionist on the "Las Vegas Strip," performing nightly in such venues as the following:
* Bally's
* Peppermill Concert Hall
* Casablanca Hotel and Casino
* Mandalay Bay
* The Tropicana
* Planet Hollywood
* House of Blues
* Several nightclubs including the Whisky A Go-Go in Hollywood, CA
Justin has performed or studied with the following, just to name a few:
* Dr. Dean Gronemeier
* Dr. Tim Jones
* Jolana Adamson
* Robert Anthony
* Alvin Blaine
* Willie Chambers
* Pete Contino
* Russell Ferrante
* Will Kennedy
* Jimmy Hayslip
* Eric Marienthal
* Ralph Humphrey
* Daniel "Bass Face" Ragan
* Kurt Rasmussen
* Ronnie Vannucci
* Daylon Wear
As an educator, Justin was the assistant director/front ensemble specialist of the Vegas Vanguard Independent Drumline from 2004 to 2008. In 2006, this group won the Southern California Percussion Alliance Championships.
Justin is currently the director of bands, guitar and percussion at Spring Valley High School which has received superior ratings every year of Justin's tenure.
Justin also has a successful private lesson studio which specializes in all areas of percussion concentration.
In January of 2011, Truitt had a featured article about teaching percussion in Las Vegas. The article appears on Prof. Johnny Lee Lane's website, proflane.com.
Justin remains an active composer, percussion arranger, performer and educator in the Las Vegas valley while endorsing Vic Firth sticks and mallets, Sabian cymbals, Remo drum heads, Randall May International and sticktape.com.
