Summer Shot Discount

Staffan Lahti (PIT '89)

|    Jan 01, 2005

Staffan Lahti traveled from the northern regions of Sweden to study at PIT in 1988, completing the one-year program and then returning for an extra brush-up quarter in 1993. Since then, he’s been working professionally in Sweden as a drummer, producer, educator and clinician. “MI was the school that made this possible,” Staffan recalls. “The teachers at MI are all professional musicians, and because of that the classes are up to date on what’s going on in the music business. MI is also a fantastic place to get to know musicians from all over the world. The address book is one of the most important tools for getting work in the music business, and from my classes at MI I have also been able to work in almost any style of music.”

Staffan’s resume includes a cross-section of contemporary styles, including punk with Eddie and the Hotrods, funk with Cat Grey, several Scandinavian blues tours with guitarist (and GIT instructor) Keith Wyatt, afropop with Abdoullayeh Camara, R&B with Swedish artists Therese Neaimé and Christian Walz, plus hip-hop, jazz, free-form, pop, percussion music, country rock… If you can name it, Staffan can play it.

To find out more about Staffan, check out www.ima-music.net, and if you're a fellow MI grad who wants to get in touch, drop him an email at staffan@staffanlahti.com.

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“More and more of the auditions I’m having for recording artists are turning out to be MI class reunions. The graduates of MI have been dominating the new, young music scene in LA”.

- Barry Squire
  Music Industry Talent Coordinator
  MI Hiring Hall Manager



MI alumni are working on stage, in the studio and behind the scenes around the world, with new stories arriving nearly every day. A sample of former MI students who have achieved industry recognition also includes:




Alessandro Cortini
Nine Inch Nails

Kalen Chase
Korn

Dave Kushner
Velvet Revolver

Rafael Moreira
Pink, Christina Aguilera,
Rock Star: Supernova

Mike Ward
Wallflowers, School of Fish

Kevin Hastings
Liz Phair

Pete Griffin
Hanson

Rivers Cuomo, Brian Bell,
Scott Shriner
Weezer

Curt Bisquera
Elton John, Mick Jagger,
Bonnie Raitt

Pete Anderson
guitarist, producer

Paul Gilbert
Mr.Big, Racer X

Norman Brown
recording artist

Scott Henderson
recording artist

Oscar Cartaya
Jennifer Lopez, Spyro Gyra

Alex Al
Tupac Shakur, Stevie Wonder

Keb’ Mo’
recording artist

Fred Clark
Chaka Khan, Ray Charles,
Stevie Wonder

Dave Weiner
Steve Vai

Jennifer Batten
recording artist, Jeff Beck,
Michael Jackson

Toss Panos
Steve Vai, Mike Landau,
Robben Ford

Frank Gambale
recording artist, Chick Corea

Kevin Dukes
Don Henley, Boz Scaggs,
Jackson Browne

Chad Smith,
John Frusciante
Red Hot Chili Peppers

Clayton Gibb, Les Falconer
Keb’ Mo’

John Shanks
Melissa Etheridge, Bonnie Raitt

Allen Hinds
Randy Crawford, Natalie Cole,
Crusaders

Jeff Buckley
recording artist

Ray Luzier
Korn, STP, Army of Anyone,
David Lee Roth

Matt Laug
Alanis Morissette, Slash

Ash Sood
Sarah McLachlan

Joacim Cans
Hammerfall

Leah Andreone
recording artist

Irene Gutierrez (DJ Irene)
DJ/producer/remixer/recording artist

T.J. Guger
Göla

Valerie Vega
Zomba/JIVE recording artist (France)

Ernest Tibbs
Alan Holdsworth, Natalie Cole

Toshi Hiketa
David Lee Roth

Travis Johnson
Dickies, TSOL

Jimmy Herring
Allman Brothers, The Other Ones,
ARU, Widespread Panic

Josh Sklair
Etta James, Jeffrey Osborne

Dan Caron
Clifton Chenier, Charles Brown

Jimmy Scott
Little Milton, Solomon Burke

Steve Kerscznic
Tom Jones

Brian Allen
Virgil Donati, Greg Adams

Meja
recording artist

Jesse Gress
music editor, Guitar Player Magazine

Sarah Hudson
recording artist

Chris Maloney
Dweezil Zappa, Lisa Loeb