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ARTURO RODRIGUEZ
Coming from a musically infused childhood, the ever-versatile Arturo Rodriguez shares his passion for percussion with the Pacific Northwest and beyond. An accomplished musician, author, and teacher, Rodriguez has performed worldwide, sharing the stage with music legends that include Tito Puente, Dave Valentin, Paul Horn, and Pete Escovido. Says Rodriguez,
 "It is an honor and a privilege to even have my name appear in the same sentence with these great musicians." Never one to stand still for long, Rodriguez is both a popular face and a powerful force on the local Seattle performing scene. One night, you might catch him tearing up a flamenco-funk set with Fender-endorsed guitar efficianado, Omar Torrez, and the next performing his own brand of pilon with his Afro-Cuban ensemble, Ibatan. While moving through the musical boundaries of jazz, pop, rock, and even folk music, Rodriguez has an amazing talent for bringing things together. Rodriguez grew up in a household where his mother was an impassioned mambo and salsa dancer, and his father was an avid conguero who played with the Hispanic Music Association (HMA), and formed the group Salsa Express. They made certain music was integral to everyday family life. Rodriguez admits it is no surprise that he wound up in a career so completely reflective of his childhood experiences.
"Each morning, my mother would wake us up for school with the music of Celia Cruz and Ismael "Cortijo" Rivera, and a lot of soulful footwork in the livingroom."
Rodriguez' early love of percussion led him to study with promonent ethnomusicologists, and eventually became the genesis of his own company, Interact and Learn, which offers self-study courses, workshops, and public/private classes for beginning through advanced students. Now, with three books in his Ethnic Percussion Series published by Mel Bay Publications, Rodriguez' training style stresses the importance of community.
"I see music as an opportunity for people to learn to work together. Playing music within a group is a lesson in social awareness and collective consciousness. Ultimately the goal is to give of one's self - to be as one with the music and the musicians."
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