Badabum Atelier
Teachers
simon berz
Educational director and founder of the BADABUM studio.
Jan Kurmann
Drums & percussion teacher.
Kevin Murphy
Guitar teacher and manager of the BADABUM studio.
Abraham Centeno Correa
Percussion teacher.
César Fernandez
Bass teacher & Creative Groove guide.
Lucas Sevilla
Guitar teacher.
Luna Fé
Singing and producing teacher and social media manager.
Mauricio Martínez
Basslehrer.
Simon Büchler
Drums & percussion teacher.
Piero Stauffacher
Drums & percussion teacher.
Elias Knoblauch
Drums & percussion teacher.
Klara Germanier
Guitar teacher.
Simon berz
Pädagogische Leitung und Gründer des BADABUM Ateliers
Drummer, sound artist, and educational director of the BADABUM music school.
Simon Berz founded BADABUM Atelier in 2000, originally under the name "Schlagzeugatelier" (Drum Workshop). He leads workshops and organizes events such as the annual Monster Groove.
As a musician and sound artist, he toured solo and in various formations throughout Europe, the USA, and Asia, contributing to the transdisciplinary network of music that fosters connections and encounters.
Interview with Simon Berz:
"How does one make hope and inspire wonder through art?"
Nickelsdorf. The border town to Hungary, where a container with 70 bodies washed ashore. And a festival where free improvised music takes place. The festival director has taken in many refugees at the temporary camp before they moved on. 'Nickelsdorf' demonstrates what a Free Jazz festival can also achieve: inclusion in the community, humanity, the dismantling of fear and barriers. Is there a culture of hope? This question occupies me. Actually, it's easy to evoke fear in art. But how does one make hope and inspire wonder through art?
My work is energy, found in nature and in dialogue with people. The development of instruments, sound art installations, performances, languages, and methods permeates me. It is based on listening and observation, sound and material research, the implementation of experimental formats, and their aesthetic communication. This happens in offspaces as well as in public spaces, clubs, galleries, or concert halls. My transdisciplinary work in experimental and improvised music, sound art, and new performance forms aims at innovation, interaction, and participation.
I am a drummer, sound artist, and I run my own music school in Zug. I travel solo, with other musicians, formations, artists, and the drumming students of my music school, both in Switzerland and internationally.
jan kurmann
DRUMS & PERCUSSION TEACHER
Jan Kurmann is a versatile professional live and studio drummer. He plays in several bands in the rock and jazz genres, performing concerts both domestically and internationally. Jan completed his education at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts - Department of Music, where he successfully earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music and a Master of Arts in Music Education.
Jan got to know the BADABUM Atelier when he was still a child; he frequently attended the Kombinat workshops, which left a lasting impression on him. That's why he is deeply passionate about creative music education, and he is delighted to be a part of the BADABUM Atelier as a teacher.
Jan works as a freelance musician and teaches drumming at the BADABUM Atelier as well as offering private drum lessons in Luzern.
Kevin Murphy
Guitar teacher and manager of the BADABUM studio
Kevin Murphy (1988) grew up in Zug. Music and his guitar have been faithful companions throughout his life. He began playing the guitar at the age of 14 and always took it with him on his adventurous journeys, where he often earned his food and sleeping place through street performances.
Traveling was a way for him to let go of the "Swiss reserve" he had adopted and to freely play and sing about personal feelings, experiences, or whatever spontaneously came to mind. Along the way, he added the trombone and harmonica to his repertoire.
Now residing in Zug, he works as a soloist and is the father of two girls (5 & 8), with whom he enjoys improvising theater and music. He has already had numerous solo performances where he tells stories and plays his songs in English, Spanish, and the local dialect (Mundart). Additionally, in 2023, he founded a band called Pagasch, with which he performs on weekends.
Together with his brother Allan he also recorded own songs.
Additionally, he creates live-loops with his loop-station that he enjoys sharing with interested people.
You often see Kevin cruise Zug by bike, with his kids and his guitar in tow.
"For me, music is the language of emotions. We can express our joy, happiness but also frustrations and grief through it - and everyone, everywhere on this planet will understand…without any need for words.
Abraham centeno correa
PERCUSSION TEACHER
Abraham Centeno Correa was born and raised in Mexico and first encountered West African percussion at the age of 16. He traveled throughout Mexico, playing on the streets and at festivals, and learned various rhythms on the Djembe, Dundun, Sangban, and Kenkeni from prominent West African masters such as Haruna Dembelé (Burkina Faso), Mohamed Oulare (Guinea), Thomas Gûei (Ivory Coast), and Oumar N’Diaye (Guinea).
For 8 years, Abraham was a part of an African percussion and dance ensemble that performed numerous shows at local festivals. From this ensemble emerged the project "Marabunta," in which traditional Mexican music was blended with West African rhythms.
Most recently, for 6 years, Abraham worked on the show "Ritmos de la Noche," which was artistically directed by Debra Brown, the choreographer of Cirque du Soleil, and musically directed by René Dupéré, the creator of music for various Cirque du Soleil shows. In the show, he played the Djembé, danced with Maracas, or provided musical accompaniment during guests' dinners as part of a trio, performing romantic or traditional Mexican songs like waltzes, boleros, and sones on the bongos, cajon, or jarana, a Mexican string instrument.
césar fernandez
BASS TEACHER & CREATIVE GROOVE GUIDE
A percussionist as well as a bassist, born in Zug with Spanish roots. He has lived for an extended period in South America, France, the USA, and Spain. He holds a completed apprenticeship as a Technical Environmental Protection Assistant and has been dedicated to music and languages since childhood.
For the past 6 years, Cesar has been back in Switzerland and has been involved in various bands, including the Afrobeat Orchestra "The Anthronauts" (ZH) as a percussionist and the AlienFunk Band (ZG) as a bassist.
He discovered his great passion for the Loopstation about 10 years ago. With self-built instruments and his unique "Sense of Groove", he has already had several performances as a one-man band, receiving very positive feedback.
Lucas Sevilla
GUITAR TEACHER
Lucas Sevilla (grew up in Bern and Quito (Ecuador)) is a Swiss guitarist.
He attended the Swiss Jazz School for a year and has been studying jazz guitar at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts since September 2021.
Since then, he has taken lessons from musicians such as Roberto Bossard, Kalle Kalima, Dimitri Howald and Peter Bernstein.
He is currently part of the projects AANIM (indie/post-rock) and Drop The Spoon (improvised/experimental) with which he regularly performs at various venues in Switzerland. He is also part of the organization of the association Thursday Night Jam, which organizes jam sessions in Lucerne.
His musical role models include Miles Davis, Bill Frisell, Bud Powell, Clifford Brown, Radio Head, Dimitri Howald, Leoni Leoni, Kush K, Mareille Merck, Kurt Rosenwinkel and Gina Été.
Luna fé
Singing and producing teacher and social media manager.
Luna Fé has been studying singing and music production at university level at the Winterthur Institute for Contemporary Music since 2022. However, she has been singing since she was twelve years old and has acquired a wide range of techniques from various singing teachers. This variety of approaches to healthy voice training allows her to respond to each student as individually as possible.
«In order to be able to sing properly and healthily, it is very important to know your own voice well. It is therefore important that students learn to feel and control the areas of their body that are essential for sustainably healthy singing. There is no one right way to do this. The approach to different techniques is very individual and can be done in many different ways. This individuality is the cornerstone of my teaching, with the aim of not only strengthening my students' voices, but also bringing out their personalities. My greatest concern is the well-being of my students and having fun. My lessons should be a safe space where everyone can open up and develop according to their wishes».
In addition to singing, Luna writes and produces her own pop and electronic songs. She experiments with her own sounds and samples and has been working with Ableton and Logic Pro for several years. «The magic of music happens when you experiment and try things out. Being open and courageous and realizing your own ideas is the most important thing».
Mauricio Martínez
Bass teacher
A musician at heart and by vocation. Over the years, music has taken him to different parts of the world, where he has shared stages, stories, and emotions with people from different cultures. Each concert has been an opportunity to learn, grow, and continue to connect with what inspires him most: expression through sound.
Some time ago, he completed a master's degree in music education at the Lucerne School of Music (HSLU), an experience that not only deepened his knowledge but also reinforced his desire to teach music. He deeply believes in the transformative power of cultural education and is motivated to contribute to shaping new voices and talents with sensitivity and awareness.
His path is still under construction, always guided by curiosity, commitment, and love for music.
Simon Büchler
DRUMS & PERCUSSION TEACHER
Simon Büchler discovered his passion for drumming as a child, initially playing on pots and pans. At the age of eight, he took drum lessons, and at 13, he formed his first band with friends. He is still active in various band projects with some of these musicians. After school, he initially pursued a career in design, but always remained connected to music. When a more ambitious project (Plutopower2000) emerged in 2018, he refocused his attention on drumming. His desire to develop musically grew steadily. He used the time during lockdown intensively to practice. From 2021 to 2023, he attended WIAM (certificate of proficiency) in Winterthur, where he was able to deepen his musical foundations and gain his first teaching experience.
piero stauffacher
DRUMS & PERCUSSION TEACHER
Piero Stauffacher (grew up in Aargau) is a Swiss drummer and singer.
He is currently involved in band projects such as Grisli and the Nyatreez, Pablitonic, NA-π.
He completed his PreCollege at the Swiss Jazz School and studied for his Bachelor's degree at the Jazzcampus in Basel.
He is currently studying at the «Winterthur Institute for Contemporary Music».
He has lived and loved music since childhood. Improvisation is a way of life for him. By trying out and experimenting with different instruments, his musical approach is constantly evolving.
For Piero, «BADABUM» symbolizes the freedom to pursue his individual path in the world of music.
Friendship, music, and family; the shared musical and artistic growth are the keys to a fulfilling life.
elias knoblauch
DRUMS & PERCUSSION TEACHER
Elias Knoblauch has been playing drums since the age of eight and has been on the road with various formations, mainly in the rock sector, since high school. His heart beats for music, especially for percussive instruments.
He attends the “Winterthur Institute for Contemporary Music”, where he can benefit from various teachers with different backgrounds. In combination with his professional experience as a sound engineer, Elias would like to further refine his studio and live experience as a musician and share what he has learned.
He is also training as a shiatsu therapist and often works as a snowboard instructor in the winter months, which brought him into contact with creative teaching techniques at an early age. He is looking forward to his time at BADABUM and is looking forward to many new encounters.
Klara Germanier
GUITAR TEACHER
Klara Germanier (raised in Zurich/Switzerland and Connecticut /USA) is a Swiss electric guitarist and poet. She is currently involved in band projects such as Kwadrat, Bjornson, Cojaqua, and in solo improvised music projects, as well as collaborations with Meret Siebenhaar and the Gamut Kollektiv. Additionally, she engages in interdisciplinary projects in a duo with Sophie Germanier. Klara is also a member of the Kulturbrauerei Kollektiv, which organizes concerts and performs as a group.
In June 2022, she completed her jazz guitar studies with a focus on improvisation at HSLU (Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts). Prior to that, with the help of a scholarship, she studied a summer program at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. She completed her PreCollege education at ZHdK (Zurich University of the Arts) and has since received instruction from musicians such as Kalle Kalima, Magda Mayas, Manuel Troller, Wolfgang Zwiauer, and Urban Mäder.
