DRUMS

LUCAS GILLAN, drums

Lucas Gillan has been teaching drum lessons in the Chicago area since 2007. He teaches jazz drum set as part of the adjunct faculty at Wheaton College and is the percussion instructor at Fenwick High School. With a broad musical background that includes everything from garage bands to jazz gigs to professional orchestras, Lucas has a unique perspective on what kind of experiences music can offer.

His teaching approach balances a solid grounding in music fundamentals with a creative spirit that is open to each student’s musical interests. As a beginner himself, Lucas was much more interested in writing his own music than in learning how to play the music of others, and he passes on that creative spirit to his students.

Lucas originally began making music in his hometown of Tucson, AZ, where he performed in church, punk clubs, and all-city jazz ensembles by the time he had graduated from middle school. His passion for music led him to the renowned jazz-studies program at Northern Illinois University. He graduated with a major in jazz studies and a minor in journalism in 2007.

Aside from being an inspired teacher, Lucas is an active performer in Chicago’s music scene. He leads his own jazz group, Lucas Gillan’s Many Blessings, which released its debut album, Arroyo, in September 2017. He plays drums in the nationally-known soul/pop group The Right Now, and performs as a freelancer with a wide variety of different musicians in Chicago's diverse music scene. He has performed at venues ranging from the Jazz Showcase to the United Center. In 2017, he graduated with a Master of Music in jazz studies at DePaul University, where he studied closely with world-renowned drummer Dana Hall.

When he's not busy with his studies or his careers as a performer or teacher, Lucas enjoys reading, exploring the outdoors, and experiencing the cultural riches of Chicago with his wife, Anna.

MASON LAMPA, drums

Mason Lampa has been an active teacher and performer in the Chicago-land area since 2018. He is currently the Percussion Coordinator at York Community High School in Elmhurst, IL where he directs the drumline and various percussion ensembles. He also is the rhythm section coach for the esteemed York High School Jazz Ensemble, and teaches private lessons to students at the school.

As a performer, Mason works regularly with the band DC and the Love, led by veteran Chicago bassist Dennis Carroll. He also leads The Sullivan/Lampa Quintet, along with his good friend/bassist Connor Sullivan, performing intriguing arrangements of tunes by composers such as Jerome Kern, George Gershwin, Jimmy Van Huesen, and more. Mason is finishing his undergraduate Jazz Studies degree at DePaul University this spring ('24), where he studies with master drummer Dana Hall.

As a teacher, Mason aims to guide students in recognizing that a profound grasp of musical traditions and theory can serve as a powerful tool for high level self-expression. Additionally, Mason seeks to instill in students an appreciation for the  music-making process.

SID SMITH IV, drums

Hailing from the Oakland Bay Area of northern California, Sid Smith IV, is a Chicago-based drummer and educator. Having graduated with a Bachelor of Music in Music in Worship at North Park University, he is currently furthering his education in the Graduate Jazz Studies program at Northern Illinois University. While at NIU, he has also enlisted in the US Army National Guard to be a part of Chicago’s 144th Army Band.

Growing up playing music in church, where his father served as music director, Sid has been playing drums as long as he can remember, and teaching drums since the age of 15. He has also studied tuba and trumpet, but drumming is his passion.

During his time at North Park, Sid was involved in various ensembles such as the Gospel Choir and Touring Ensemble (Dr. Helen Hawkins and Stephen Kelly, directors), Jazz Band (Dr. Joe Lill, director) and the university worship teams. He toured with both the Gospel Choir and the University Choir on drum set. While at North Park, Sid studied with Phil Gratteau and Darren Scorza and was mentored by Stephen Kelly. He has also studied with the late great Joel Smith from 2010-2012 and coached by the legendary guitarist Bobby Broom from 2016-2019. As a musician, Sid has been greatly influenced by drummers such as Joel Smith, Calvin Rodgers, and Dave Weckl. Though he is well-rounded and adept with many genres, his strength is particularly in Gospel, Jazz, and R&B.

While at North Park, Sid played quarterback and receiver on the football team and served as assistant director for North Park’s summer sports camps. He is a member at the Awaken Chicago church, where he serves on drums each Sunday. Sid considers it his obligation and privilege to utilize his gifts and talents to tangibly express God’s great light and love to a dark and hurting world.

RICH TRELEASE, drums

Rich Trelease has a Bachelor of Music degree from Northern Illinois University in applied percussion, specializing in jazz and general percussion studies. Rich was a member NIU’s renowned 2:00 O’clock jazz band touring with LA jazz sax legend Don Menza. During and after college he had the opportunity to play with many of the great swing big bands including the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra (with Lee Castle) and Glen Miller Orchestra (with Ray McKinley) along with Helen Forest and Paula Kelly & the “Modernaires’ singing group, Bob Crosby’s ‘Bobcats’, and Les Elgart. Since college he has played a wide variety of gigs, performances, and recording sessions with a wide ranging group of musicians and name artists. As a jazz musician he has performed with many Chicago ‘heavies’ including Willie Pickens, Mark Colby, Frank Caruso, Howard Levy, Orbert Davis, and Steve Rodby among others. As a jazz fusion musician he was a founding member of ‘Juggular’ recording their debut album ‘Balls’ just after graduating college. When performing with Juggular at festivals such as Chicagofest, Taste of Chicago, and Milwaukee’s Summerest Rich had the privilege of opening for Dizzy Gillespie, The Dixie Dregs, The Jeff Lorber Fusion, Spyro Gyra and others.

He has also been a specialist in musical theater, having been the house percussionist at the Drury Lane Theater for over 30 years. He has also played for many large scale Broadway shows locally in downtown Chicago and nationally on tour including Les Miserables, Showboat, The Lion King, Wicked, Aladdin, An American in Paris, Anastasia, the Lyric Opera’s Jesus Christ Superstar, and most recently Hamilton. He is also a church musician playing many services, special events, and recordings (including both of WCCC’s ‘Preludes’ albums) in various genres of music and worship in both traditional and contemporary settings. Also, he is an endorser as a ‘Drumset Artist’ for the Innovative Percussion company, maker of various sticks and mallets. Lastly, he has taught hundreds of students of all ages and backgrounds on snare drum, drum set, and the mallet and other percussion instruments, many of whom have gone on to pursue professional musical careers.