Paul Gehlhar

I am a passionate artist who at a young age was introduced to music theory in elementary school. That one hour assembly on a Wednesday afternoon completely changed my life. From that point on my parents noticed the change in my after school activities, from banging on pots and pans to asking for real instruments. 

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Not too long after I began private piano lessons where I learned all of the foundations of the art. Bass guitar and drum set where the next stepping stone in my musical adventure. I started to play bass and drums for my church, mainly the youth worship group and eventually on Sunday mornings for the traditional services. 

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Once transitioning into high school, guitar would be the next notch on my belt. A giant turning point for me was when I was recruited into the high school marching band. Focusing on both guitar and my new Front Ensemble team, music was my sole focus. I learned to play marimba, vibraphone, bells, timpani, glockenspiel and xylophone. After two years of Front Ensemble experience it was time to expand my musical knowledge. I joined the band’s drumline where I marched the tenor drums in both marching band competition and indoor drumline competition. This was a game changer from drum set, it took a lot of practice, discipline, and physical exertion. At this point in my high school career I was attending regular marching band practices three days a week, local band practices two days of the week and gigging with a local act on the weekends in the Orange County area. 

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During my senior year of high school and after an extensive search for the right people to join our band, my childhood friend David and I formed Ninja Gandhi. Ninja Gandhi released a debut album, Wax Empire, and has played many California venues from House of Blues Anaheim to Tiki Bar Costa Mesa. Ninja Gandhi’s main sound is metal and has a unique but rich mix of other genres including funk, surf, ska, country, and more. 

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In addition to Ninja Gandhi I am also a member of local Long Beach band, Railgun. Railgun is a powerhouse thrash metal band. Since I started drumming for the band we have set off locally and toured all over the United States. With the right connections Railgun has had the honor of playing OzzFest and Knott Fest where they were able to play on the same bill as the bands that fathered the genre: Black Sabbath, Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax, Slipknot, and more. An East Coast Tour is being booked and planned for summer of 2017. Another band in the making is a surf rock band, Pier Pressure. I am the main songwriter and guitarist. Pier Pressure is currently recording a demo and gigging locally. In addition to my busy bands schedule I also attended Golden West College where I studied Applied Music and was part of the Golden West Concert Band. 

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My true passion is music education, to be able to share the gift of music with others has an unrivaled reward. Belmont Music Studio is a great environment to teach and learn from, everyone is friendly, passionate, and knowledgeable. My approach to teaching is simple but effective, each student is unique and learns in their own way. So I find the most effective fun way to help them achieve their goals. I have tons of experience with many instruments including: drums, guitar, bass guitar, piano, ukulele, and mallet Instruments (marimba, vibraphone, bells, timpani, glockenspiel and xylophone). I look forward to working with new students and experiencing the many benefits this art form creates for people.

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