Getting to Know Our Teachers

Meet our drum teacher... Richard Shonty

I, Richard Shonty, am a music educator and percussionist with 40 years of performing and teaching experience. I received my BM from Keene State College, a MS from Central Connecticut State University, and a sixth-year certificate from Central Connecticut State University in Educational Administration. I started my teaching career working in the Catholic schools as an instrumental music teacher and for 35 years I was the Director of Instrumental Music/Coordinator of Fine Arts for the East Windsor School District. I also served as the Assistant Principal of the East Windsor Middle School from 2002-2006.

My ensembles have performed at Disneyworld in Orlando, Florida three times and have won awards at music festivals in Toronto, Canada, Virgina Beach, Hershey, PA, and Myrtle Beach. I was also the guest Conductor for the Future Musicians Symphonic Band at the 2016 All State Fair.

I studied percussion as a youth at the Hartt School of Music and later studied with Everett Beale, who was a member of the Boston Pops Orchestra and Boston Ballet. I have performed throughout Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York as a freelance percussionist. I have performed at the Shubert Theater in New Haven CT, the Hartford Civic Center, Foxwoods, and Mohegan Sun, and the Westchester Theater in New York. I also played in the band for the traveling Broadway show "Smokey Joe's Cafe". I continue to maintain an active performance schedule and provide private drum lessons in greater Hartford area.

I taught for Future Musician of Connecticut, where I served as an instrumental music teacher at various Catholic schools from the Archdiocese of Hartford.

My Musical Gallery