Stephen Bott is a versatile drummer, percussionist, and music educator with a special interest in collaborating with composers and promoting new percussion music. After a B.M.E. from Central Michigan University, where he received the Grant Skomski Percussion Scholarship, Stephen moved to Boulder and earned a M.M. at the University of Colorado, where he received the Nancy and Ted Anderson Music Award.
He plays principal percussion with the Boulder Symphony and leads a wedding band, The Funky-Bots. He teaches privately at Parlando School of Musical Arts, instructs the drumline at Legacy High School, and runs the percussion program in St. Vrain schools. Currently, he devotes his practice time to jazz drumset and the bodhran.
Stephen endorses Majestic concert percussion, Mapex marching percussion and drum sets, Aquarian drum heads, and Innovative Percussion sticks and mallets.
"We are so thankful to you for all of the hard work you put in to give us a special, once-in-a-lifetime performance. Plus, not only did you give a stellar performance, but you spoke to us about your instrument and answered our questions as well!
As if listening to you play and speak were not enough, you even let us have a turn! By bringing us up on stage and letting us explore what it takes to be a percussionist, you allowed us a rare opportunity to pick any instrument we wanted and play it with your guidance. We thought this was SO cool!"
- Ashleigh N. Miller
"Stephen is an excellent musician. As a percussionist he has very solid technique on solo keyboard, set-up percussion works, orchestral instruments and drumset... In addition, I have often seen Stephen taking first and second year students under his wing and help them through the often confusing first years of university study." - Dr. Andrew Spencer
He plays principal percussion with the Boulder Symphony and leads a wedding band, The Funky-Bots. He teaches privately at Parlando School of Musical Arts, instructs the drumline at Legacy High School, and runs the percussion program in St. Vrain schools. Currently, he devotes his practice time to jazz drumset and the bodhran.
Stephen endorses Majestic concert percussion, Mapex marching percussion and drum sets, Aquarian drum heads, and Innovative Percussion sticks and mallets.
"We are so thankful to you for all of the hard work you put in to give us a special, once-in-a-lifetime performance. Plus, not only did you give a stellar performance, but you spoke to us about your instrument and answered our questions as well!
As if listening to you play and speak were not enough, you even let us have a turn! By bringing us up on stage and letting us explore what it takes to be a percussionist, you allowed us a rare opportunity to pick any instrument we wanted and play it with your guidance. We thought this was SO cool!"
- Ashleigh N. Miller
"Stephen is an excellent musician. As a percussionist he has very solid technique on solo keyboard, set-up percussion works, orchestral instruments and drumset... In addition, I have often seen Stephen taking first and second year students under his wing and help them through the often confusing first years of university study." - Dr. Andrew Spencer