Dr. Louie Simon Artistic Director Meditative Drumming Private Drumming Instruction, all styles, all levels
Louie began studying drumming in earnest at age eight, taking weekly private lessons for the next ten years. At eighteen, he began teaching drumming and playing professionally, taking time off from music to earn a Ph.D. in English from Loyola University, Chicago, in 1998. Louie has the distinction of being a full-time award-winning university English professor as well as a professional drummer, recording artist, and drum instructor.
He has performed in numerous bands and ensembles playing all styles of music, from polka and square dance to experimental rock, traditional and improv jazz, big band, reggae, and marching band. Louie has played and recorded with Grammy-winning and Grammy-nominated musicians and producers, including Art Hodge and Tim Story, and his work has appeared in film soundtracks and commercial podcasts. He's also had the honor, over the years, to play live and record with some amazing musicians, including: Doug Martsch (lead singer/songwriter for the band Built to Spill: http://www.builttospill.com/); Ray White (guitarist for Frank and Dweezil Zappa); DJ Logic (Medeski, Martin, and Wood, and Jack DeJohnette: http://www.djlogic.com/); Leon Mobley (Michael Jackson, Dave Matthews); Juan Nelson (Ben Harper's Innocent Criminals); Marc Ford (The Black Crowes); Brian Jordan (guitar for James Brown); Scott Shriner (bassist for Weezer: http://www.weezer.com/), and Henry Frayne's project Lanterna: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lanterna.
Jennifer Lee Managing Director Pilates, Yoga, Fusion Classes
Jennifer has been instructing clients in various types of movement for over 20 years. Her background includes ballroom dance instruction, theatrical arts directing and teaching, Zumba, Zumba Gold, TRX, and personal training. Jennifer became a trained Pilates Instructor after many years as a devoted Pilates student, taking up Pilates following a serious automobile accident. A yoga practitioner for many years, Jennifer took her teaching training with world-renowned yoga pioneers Ganga White and Tracey Rich of White Lotus Foundation, Santa Barbara, CA (www.whitelotus.org).
Jennifer's degree in Business Management and her many years of Corporate experience enhance and enrich her position as Purple Horse Pilates' Managing Director. Her background allows her to combine her love of teaching, movement and the science of organizational structure seamlessly.