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John Behrens, is the man behind A TOUCH of BRASS [this is where drum kits are usually set]. He is also the one who fills in those empty places in the music, and helps to make the combo a real ‘dance band’. His expertise with ‘Latin Rhythms’ truly makes many of the songs come to life, especially the songs with a bossa nova, samba, or rumba, beat. When the band performs a song like the Sinatra song ‘Summer Wind’ the percussion helps build a mental image of "being on an island, somewhere in the Carribean", and John’s technique on the unique arrangement of the Johnny Mathis song ‘Misty’, with a bossa nova beat, really makes you want to get up and dance.
John, is the only member of A TOUCH of BRASS that is also a native Texan, being raised and educated in West Texas in the El Paso area, where as a youth he studied violin. He has completed college course work in; music theory, drum set technique, latin percussion, jazz band, keyboard, and choir. His experience includes; church choir member and director, more than 25 years as percussionist and drummer with various top 40, country, and latin bands, and he has organized and participated in several vocal ensembles. John has also spent many years studying and practicing audio and video recording techniques, and audio engineering. He has worked as sound technician for several bands and choirs in the San Antonio area, and has his own successful DJ business.
You may not hear John engage in a lot of solo work, he prefers to remain in the background, but those moments of silence by the other members are covered by him with ‘a touch of class’. On the early Rock-n-Roll classics like ‘Rockin’ Robin’, ‘Kansas City’, and ‘Sha- Boom’, his steady uncompromising rhythm, creates a foundation, for the vocals and instrumentals to ride on.