Mr. Francis Cassol is a drummer and guitarist originally from Porto Alegre, Brazil, and has been teaching drums and guitar for over 15 years. He has experience teaching students of all ages and also has had a professional career in music as a drummer.
When in Brazil, Mr. Francis was a drum instructor for 10 years at Bateras Beat, where he taught drums to students beginner to advanced. He taught several group classes at elementary schools and high schools in Porto Alegre.
In 2017, he received his Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from Instituto Porto Alegre in Brazil. In 2018, he received his Associate of Arts in Drum Performance from Musician’s Institute in Hollywood and was the recipient of two scholarships - the ‘Musicianship Scholarship’ and the ‘International Musicians Merit Scholarship’.
Along with his teaching career, Mr. Francis has been a very active performing musician for the past 20 years. He recorded three albums that were released worldwide with his band Scelerata. He did five Brazilian tours (50+ shows) as Paul DiAnno’s (former Iron Maiden’s lead singer) official drummer, from 2009 to 2014. In early 2018, he performed with America’s Got Talent winner Bianca Ryan. He also used to play live every week with his Top 40 rock band, Street Flash. He is currently performing with LA based artists Saul Losada and Worldwide Panic.
His intense performing career culminated with a five-page interview in Brazil’s edition of Modern Drummer magazine and a Paiste Cymbals endorsement. Mr. Francis is also endorsed by Urbann Boards Drummer Shoes and C. Ibañez drumsticks.
As a music educator, Mr. Francis believes that music makes a huge impact in people’s lives. It goes beyond learning and playing an instrument or singing. It has also to do with self-confidence, self-esteem, improving social and motor skills and bringing people together.
Mr. Francis speaks English and Portuguese fluently, and has a very good knowledge of Spanish.