About
KEVIN R. MOTT
Kevin Mott is a diverse Percussionist with a background spanning multiple genres and instruments. He received his Bachelors Degree from the University of Delaware where he studied with respected percussionist and educator Orlando Cotto. Afterwards he went on to receive his Masters Degree from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music where he studied and performed with Michael Spiro, a percussionist and educator known for his explorations into Afro-Cuban and Afro-Brazilian percussion. Throughout it all he discovered a passion for hand drumming, specifically Afro-Cuban rhythms and styles, and has continued to pursue this passion to this day.
As a percussionist he specializes in world percussion, specifically from Latin America, but can teach a wide variety of instruments. These include Congas, Timales, Bongo, Drumset, Marimba, Xylophone, Steel Pan, Snare Drum, Timpani, and auxiliary percussion instruments from both the orchestral and world genres. Outside of percussion he also is able to teach Piano, Acoustic Guitar, Bass, and Music Theory. In addition to teaching he has been designing and building Marimbas and Xylophones with his father since 2010.
Kevin currently resides in Silver Spring, Maryland in the DC Metropolitan Area where he performs with two groups regularly. The first group, Duende Camaron, is a Rumba Flamenca Group that travels the country playing concerts, private events, and weddings. The second group called Raymi plays a mix of Traditional Andean Music and Modern Jazz Standards both locally and nationally. Most recently Raymi performed at the Museum of the American Indian in New York as well as Blues Alley, Washington DC; one of the premier Jazz Clubs in the area. He also works for the Washington Performing Arts Society performing in schools spreading music to the greater DC area in a group called The Rhythm Wranglers led by fellow percussionist Steve Bloom. He has had the honor of playing with other prominent musicians and groups such as Michael Spiro, Orlando Cotto, Steve Bloom, Jstop Latin Soul, Verny Verela, and Jim Hannah.
On top of his playing experience Kevin has also had the honor of receiving grants through The Maryland State Arts Council. One such grant helped him to travel to Cuba where he met and studied with some of the foremost Rumba and Bata instructors in Habana including Ernesto “El Gato” Gatell, Julio Guera and Raul Alapón, former students of Ángel Bolaños, Maximino Duquesne, and Marino Angarica. On top of being able to study he was able to take in the culture and forge lasting relationships with which he keeps in contact with to this day. He plans to return in the future to continue further his studies. The other grant Kevin received was an Apprenticeship Grant to study Bata with Steve Bloom in order to deepen his understanding of this rich musical tradition.
