Cited by the San Francisco Chronicle as a "local phenom," Mick Berry has been playing drums for over 35 years. Originating from & growing up in the birthplace of Jazz, Mick has studied with New Orleans drumming legends James Black and John Vidacovich. Additional education includes classical percussion studies with Richard O'Donnell (principal percussionist with the St. Louis Symphony for over 40 years), Afro-Cuban drumming with the legendary Walfredo Reyes, Sr., and Latin music studies with Latin percussionist & internationally recognized musician/educator, Michael Spiro.



After leaving the Berklee College of Music in 1977, Mick Berry toured for several years in over two-dozen bands across the United States, Canada and Mexico. Notable performing/drumming credits to date include: saxophone master Craig Handy of Mingus Dynasty, New Orleans piano virtuoso Henry Butler, Eddie Henderson (trumpeter for Elvin Jones), Michael Wolff (former band leader for the Arsenio Hall show), The Spiral Starecase, (famous for the hit song "I Love You More Today Than Yesterday"), The New Leviathan Oriental Foxtrot Orchestra, and blues musicians E.C. Scott and Lane Coker & Big Delta.



Before moving to San Francisco in 1986, Mick Berry played for a year and a half in his own duo with the renown former child prodigy/keyboardist Lawrence Hess, recognized by Ripley's Believe it or Not as having taught himself to play over 15 musical instruments by the age of 8 years old.



Mick Berry is also an accomplished hammered dulcimer player, having performed on the instrument with The San Francisco Mime Troupe, The San Francisco Shakespeare Festival and the National Anthem for the San Francisco Giants (nine separate performances as of 2007).



Drumming recording credits include the first two studio CDs by Joti (with members of Tower of Power) and the second CD by Burgess Shale (having been personally selected by sound engineer James Boblak, former assistant to Stuart Copeland of the Police).



Teaching credits include The Academy for Contemporary Music in Guildford, England, The California Shakespeare Festival, The San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, Haight Ashbury Music Center in San Francisco and Marin Music Center in Novato, California.



In addition to having an ongoing private clientele of over thirty five drumming students, Mick Berry still manages to play in well over half a dozen bands on a regular basis, including Who Too (The SF Bay Area’s premier Who tribute band), Offbeats (original Rock, Ska and Reggae), The Adam Stein Band (original progressive rock), pianist Richard Crook (original Jazz), Jazz Trek (Jazz standards) and The Michael Robinson Band (original blues).



Along with his co-authorship of The Drummer's Bible, Mick is currently finishing work on a matching book aptly entitled, The Bassist's Bible, while also completing a text on how to overcome stage fright called, Scared Senseless: How Over 50 Stars Conquered Stage Fright.



Mick Berry's scholastic credits include a Master of Fine Arts in acting from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Along with his musical endeavors, he continues to actively participate in theater. Having written & performed three critically acclaimed one-man shows, Mick Berry has recently finished his fourth, focusing on rock drumming legend Keith Moon, which premiered in the fall of 2008.