Party leader/Composer David De Palo has scored and/or orchestrated over twenty Studio films. He holds a Master's degree in composition from the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University, a Bachelor of Arts from Hampshire College, and an artist's diploma from The USC Thornton School of Music in Scoring for Motion Pictures, Film and TV. He has studied with Elmer Bernstein, Buddy Baker, Bruce Broughton, Christopher Young, David Raksin, Joe Harnell, and Marc Shaiman.
Deciding to move his studio from Hollywood to Thousand Oaks was the genesis of the concept behind Fun-do-mental Music. "Wow, this would be a great room for a jam..." was his first thought on seeing the expansive main room of the studio. Thus Fun-do-mental Music was born . . . but not before many long and decisive discussions with concert pianist wife and partner Seung-Un Ha.
Aptly described as a rare combination of silk and sinew, Korean-American pianist SEUNG-UN HA is equally praised for the uncommon grace, crystalline tone and singing legato she brings to Mozart, and the power and passion she brings to Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky. Her international career includes engagements with the Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, Quebec, San Diego, Baltimore, Utah, Phoenix, Pasadena and Pacific Symphonies and Tulsa Philharmonic; Florida Orchestra; Germany's Bremen Philharmonic, France's Orchestre Symphonique Français, Scotland's Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Mexico's Orquesta Sinfonica de Mineria and Mexico City Philharmonic; Buenos Aires' Orquesta de Camara Mayo and the National Symphony of Taiwan. Festival invitations include New York's Chautauqua (Rachmaninoff #3 under Paul Nadler), "Mostly Mozart," San Francisco's "Midsummer Mozart," Ravinia and Aspen. She made her Hollywood Bowl and Los Angeles Philharmonic debuts, performing Beethoven’s Third Piano Concerto, Lawrence Foster conducting., and her Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra debut, Music Director Jeffrey Kahane conducting. Other conductors with whom Ms. Ha has collaborated include Zdenek Macal, Leonard Slatkin, Joseph Silverstein, Maximiano Valdes and George Cleve. She has also offered acclaimed recitals in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Philadelphia and Detroit.
Ms. Ha began her piano studies at age three in her native Korea, giving her first public recital two years later. At seven she placed First in Seoul’s National Youth Piano Competition; at ten she and her family came to the United States, settling in Southern California. Her U.S. orchestral debut was at age thirteen with the Santa Barbara Symphony; her auspicious New York orchestral debut was in Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall, Leonard Slatkin conducting the Juilliard Orchestra. Following studies with Reginald Stewart at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, she graduated from the Peabody Conservatory and The Juilliard School. Her teachers include Leon Fleisher, Martin Canin and John Perry.
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Crystal Dawn: Party Assistant.
Crystal is CPR certified. She’s nearly fluent in sign language. She studies Early Childhood Development at Moorpark College, runs her own business: Loving Pet Care (pet nanny/house sitting services (805) 427-6405, and she’s a multi-media artist! She’s also a pumpkin carver extraordinaire, grows an almost self-sustaining vegetable garden, and she raises turtles, koi, and ducks in the pond behind her house! We are very lucky to have her.
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Frank Burman: Instructor
Frank Burmann brings a driving, unstoppable beat to Fun-do-Mental Music. He is passionate about World Music and Hand Drumming. He specializes in West African Djembe, Middle Eastern Doumbek, Talking Drums, shakers, and the magical Australian wind instrument called the Didgeridoo. What is most unique about his musical skill set is that he incorporates all the elements, including the Didgeridoo into his drum kit and plays with a combination of sticks, mallets, shakers, and hands while keeping an enchanting drone on his mounted Didgeridoos.
Professionally Frank Burmann is a teacher. He graduated from CSUN with honors and holds a Professional Clear Multiple Subject Teaching Credential with an emphasis in (CLAD) Cross-cultural, Language, and Academic Development. He has been teaching primary and middle school for over ten years and has integrated his musical skills into his day to day instructional lessons. Mr. Burmann also holds degrees in Psychology.
Musically Frank has over 15 years experience in studying drum-circle facilitation; he has studied and participated in drum circles lead by Arthur Hull, Kalani, and his mentor Eddie Tuduri. He has studied the work of West African master drummers Mamady Keita and Paulo Mattioli, as well as taking classes under master drummer Dibo Camera. Currently Frank is taking classes from master drummer Malik Sow at Fun-do-Mental Music.
Three years ago Frank was given a Didgeridoo as a gift and has taken to it with surprisingly magical results. His love of the long mysterious drone has compelled him to master the art of circular breathing. He enjoys mixing his didgeridoo skills with Middle Eastern Belly Dancing Percussions and the world percussion drum kit that he developed.
Over the years Frank has performed with many local bands and dancers but prefers staying focused on the present and looking forward to the future. He has recently finished collaborating with David De Palo and all his friends, staff, and students to make an altogether uniquely spontaneous experimental CD called the Song of Summer and he is looking forward to collaborating on other stimulating projects and classes at Fun-do-Mental Music. “There are so many interesting exotic instruments to play at Fun-do-Mental Music and David enthusiastically treats every performance by every musician as a unique masterpiece that could never be repeated.”
Michelle Fontaine
Michelle has played stages in Nashville, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Santa Cruz, Denver, Winston-Salemn, NC, Jacksonville, FLA, London, Mexico, Panama and Greece and hopes to continue playing music around the world until she is a very, very old lady!
See a music video we made for Michelle and hear her latest song here.
Malik Sow
Master Drummer, Composer, and Choreographer Malik Sow, born in Dakar, the capital city of Senegal, hails from the Fulani ethnic group of West Africa. Malik's father was a French Marine of a noble family who swept the beautiful singer and dancer of a griot family off her feet marrying her soon after. Malik followed in his mother's footsteps and became a performer of traditional music from the ancient Malian empire - which today includes the West African countries of Senegal, Mali, Guinea, Gambia, Cote D'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, and Cameroon.
As Malik says:
"I was born a musician and have played various percussion instruments since I can remember - and probably before that. I have seen people laugh, cry, dance, and receive spiritual healing from music. Music is a gift I love to give."
Richard Dubuc
Healer Richard Dubuc is a wonderful soul. He shares his Crystal Bowl Gongs with us from time-to-time, but his spirit is so much a part of the studio, I decided to add him to our line-up. Look at that face! Sometimes just sitting with him is all you need to feel better.
Yoga Doug
From Doug's website: YogaDoug.com:
After years of teaching free classes for students and studying with many master teachers, I (YogaDoug) entered the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts in Arizona to get my official certification. From there I continued teaching free classes for several years before ever offering my teaching to public studios.
I had never thought about or desired to teach yoga, but the universal energy had other plans, and chose to use my skills for just that.
I have evolved my practice to heights I never thought possible and continue to amaze myself with the process of yoga.
I teach yoga as a process of meditation, or a way of bringing yourself to superior levels of mindfulness and acceptance. To use asana as a way to meditate and to introduce the full spectrum of yogic philosophy into the modern mind.