The Jim Royle Drum Studio Faculty is made up entirely of former students from the Drum Studio and All faculty members have, or are working on, their college degrees in music performance or education. Being that they have all been part of the program they now teach in, the faculty all share the same philosophies and curriculum that have been passed down to them — continuing a 38 year tradition of excellence.

Jim Royle

Jim Royle is a native of Connecticut and former president of the state chapter of the Percussive Arts Society’s for seventeen years, and 2000 Chapter President of the Year. Jim attended the University of Bridgeport as a percussion and education major under the direction of Howard Zwickler, Arthur Lipner, and Bill Finegan. Jim has also studied various aspects of percussion with world recognized masters such as Max Roach, Alan Dawson, Keith Copeland,  Akira Tana, Norbert Goldberg, Vernal Fournier. And Pan Master Professor Philmore.

Although Jim enjoys his own performance career, his love of music and the pleasure of passing this love onto future musicians are equally important to him. His studio now in its 20th year, is well known for turning out remarkable performers and all of his students are exposed to many aspects of percussion. Even the youngest students are given the opportunity to progress from Drum set to World, Latin, Afro-Cuban, Orchestra, Steel Drums, Timpani, and Mallet studies. The current studio enrollment stands at over One Hundred and Twenty students, Five graded percussion ensembles from beginner to advanced, with a teaching faculty of six.  Jim’s ensembles have been invited and have performed at Bands of America four times over the last eight years. Other performances have included, The Panorama Steel Pan Festival in VA Beach in 2003, and 2006, Disney World, and Disney Land. His ensemble has also been invited to perform with collegiate ensembles, which include Ithaca with Gordon Stout, Jonathan Haas at NYU. His students have performed with Neil Grover, Liam Teague, Tom Miller, Jonathan Haas, Arthur Lipner, Dave Samuels, and Michael Varner to name a few. In 2004 the advanced percussion ensemble had a piece commissioned by renowned percussion artist Michael Udow, Rio Grande Riffs that will be on a CD of his works to be released in 2006. Jim’s students frequently go on to be collegiate music majors in percussion and younger students are well represented in summer music camps and pre-collegiate programs such as Juilliard. It is evident that Mr. Royle has forever touched the lives of these gifted performers.

Jim Royle’s name has become synonymous with jazz in the New England club circuit and his articulate playing is documented on several CDs, including Jim Clark, Old As New (2016), Jim Tutunjian Trio, Upright and Walking, (2016)

Storm Before the Calm on the Sea Breeze Jazz label (2000), as well as the more recent Jazz By Coogan, showcasing Jim’s small-group talents. Jim is the drummer for the prestigious New England Jazz Ensemble big band, which is the combined product of Walt Gwardyak (pianist of the famous Buddy Rich Band). Jim’s latest CD with the John Judd Jazz Trio. Jim was added to Western CT State University summer faculty in 2006 to present, were he was in residence to present a week long steel drum workshop. Jim was also added to the prestigious faculty roster for KoSA  Percussion Workshop 2007 to present in Vermont, and Montreal.

Jim Royle endorses products by Sabian, LP, Remo, Grover Pro Percussion, Vic Firth, and Mapex Drums.

Brian Ente

Brian Ente is a Musician and Composer who studied at Ithaca College with Gordon Stout and Conrad Alexander. He has performed across the US and internationally, including performances in England, Italy, China, and Trinidad.

Brian spends most of his time teaching at the Jim Royle Drum Studio in Bridgeport CT where he has been instructing young percussionists in their craft for the past 10 years, and is the director of both the D and B ensembles. He is also the assistant director of the award winning Silver Steel Band, which does performances across CT at various festivals, parades, fundraisers and private functions as the community band out of the drum studio. This year he will be acting as one of the percussion coaches and percussion ensemble directors for the Greater Bridgeport Youth Orchestras

Being a full percussionist, Brian has played in pits such as the Westport Country Playhouse’s production of Into the Woods in 2012. He performs with Roylety Entertainment on steel pan and marimba for cocktail hours, weddings, and private events, and does educational clinics on all forms of percussion at various schools and venues, such as Music for Youth. He has also been a percussionist for the Bridgeport Diocese since 1999.