KEELAN TOBIA

Hailing from Modesto, California, Keelan Tobia has made a name for himself as a multi-faceted drummer and performer.

While studying under Dave Hawkes, Keelan began gigging at the age of thirteen. On the drum set, Keelan has backed renowned musicians such as Ernie Bucio, Mic Gillette (Tower of Power founding member, Elton John, Santana, Rolling Stones), Bill Waltrous (Steely Dan), Jon Faddis (Lionel Hampton’s Big Band, Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra, Dizzy's United Nation Orchestra), Tony-winning actress, Carol Channing (GRAMMY Hall of Fame recipient, Hello, Dolly!) and more.

From 2009-2012, Keelan honed his virtuosity on the marching snare drum as a member of the 20-time world champion Blue Devils Drum & Bugle Corps, where he earned a total of three gold medals in Drum Corps International's World Class I&E snare solo (2011, 2012) and percussion ensemble (2012) competitions. Additionally, he garnered three Undefeated DCI World Championships and contributed to the corps' 11th (2009, BD’s only undefeated drum title) and 12th (2012) drum titles.

He then took the marching snare drum to new avenues – performing with artists such as Kanye West, BTS, KYGO, Migos, Pharrell, 2Chainz, My Chemical Romance, and The San Francisco Symphony, among others.

Keelan has also been a member of the Golden State Warriors and the San Francisco 49er’s drumline since he was sixteen. Following his move to Southern California, he has more recently performed with the Los Angeles Chargers and LA Kings drumline.

Keelan currently drums at The Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, and is the battery arranger of The Yokohama Robins (Yokohama, Japan). He aims to inspire younger drummers as a snare drum clinician, and by cultivating sounds from his marching percussion and drum set background. He is available for clinics, remote recording sessions, drumline performances, live drums, and more.

Keelan proudly endorses Audimute Acoustic Solutions, Vic Firth drumsticks, Zildjian cymbals, Prologix Percussion practice pads, Snareweight drum dampers, Pearl/Adams percussion, StickTape.com, MoisesAI, Clocks+Colours.

EXPERIENCE

The Disneyland Resort (The Disneyland Band, Mickey’s Soundsational Parade, Green Army Patrol/ Trash Can Trio, Food and Wine Festival Jammin Chefs, Mickey’s Happy Holidays/ Disney’s California Adventure’s Festival of Holidays Toy Drummers, Disney Junior Fun Fest). Pharrell Williams, N.E.R.D, Migos at NBA All-Star Game, BTS on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, BTS “ON” Music Video, San Francisco Symphony: Pixar in Concert, Kanye West’s Sunday Service, KYGO at the Hollywood Bowl, NFC West Halftime with E-40, Disney’s High School Musical The Series at D23, Kurt Schneider & Sam Tsui, Steve Angello (Swedish House Mafia) at Coachella, Aloe Blacc, Shahkar Bineshpajooh & LA Symphony at Microsoft Theater, NBA Awards with SHAQ & Jabbawockeez on TNT, 2 Chainz on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Lil Pump on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Xzibit, Jimmy Kimmel Live at Sofi Stadium, Taraji P Henson’s White Hot Holidays on FOX, MLS All-Star Game with BD Entertainment and Hans Zimmer Orchestra, The NBA Finals, Disney’s Zom-Beatz Bash (Zombies 3 promo), Palaye Royale Music Video, My Chemical Romance at Wembley Stadium in London, UK. Golden State Warriors, San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Chargers, LA Kings, Street Drum Corps, Super Bowl 56 Pregame, Nissan (commercial), Hennessy (commercial), Descovy for PrEP (commercial), General Electric (commercial), Pixar Animation Studios, Twitter, Nike, AutoTrader, Babylon (feature film, 2022), Eddie Murphy’s Candy Cane Lane on Amazon, The Santa Clauses (Season 2) on Disney+, Welcome to Chippendales on Hulu (TV), BET America (commercial), Gucci (commercial), California Symphony, Hewlett-Packard (HP), World Gas Conference, Invision (Germany), World Mobile Congress in Spain (Opener for Andrea Bocelli), Huawei, and many more.

CLINICIAN

  • Northern California Percussion Alliance Presents Keelan On His Craft, Snare Solo advice from an I&E Champion

  • Cyclone Marching Academy 2023 at Iowa State University

  • Marching in Okayama (MIO) 2022 Virtual Clinic

  • System Blue Guest Clinician (United States, Lithuania, Malaysia, Guatemala).

  • Foothill High School (Pleasanton, CA) Featured Clinician

BATTERY ARRANGER

  • Yokohama Robins 2023

  • Yokohama Robins 2024

ENDORSEMENTS

Pearl Drums, Audimute Acoustic Solutions, Zildjian Cymbals, Vic Firth drumsticks, Prologix Percussion practice pads, Snareweight drum dampers, Sticktape.com

PARTNERSHIPS

Clocks + Colours, Moises AI - The Musician’s app

EQUIPMENT

 

Drums

Studio Kit - Pearl Reference Series Music City Custom in Nicotine White Marine Pearl 20x16 kick (6-ply: Maple 2, African Mahogany 4, Fully Rounded Bearing Edge), 8x7 tom (6-ply: Maple 4, Birch 2, Rounded 45°), 10x7 tom (6-ply: Maple 4, Birch 2, Rounded 45°), 12x8 tom (6-ply: Maple, Rounded 45°),14x14 floor tom (8-ply blended Maple 4, Mahogany, 4), 16x16 floor tom (8-ply, Maple 2, African Mahogany 6, Fully Rounded),

18”X14” Pearl Masters Maple Gum Bass Drum

Custom 14x12 Pearl marching snare floor tom “snom” in Nicotine White Marine Pearl (6 ply maple, Fully Rounded)

Gigging Kit - Pearl Session Studio Select in Nicotine White Marine Pearl 8x7, 10x7, 12x8, 14x14, 16x16, 20x14. 5.4mm EvenPly-Six combination of Birch and Mahogany with 60° outer bearing edges.

Pearl Carbonply Marching Tenors (6-8-10-12-13-14) in Black Silver Burst (Maple/ Carbon Fiber; fully rounded bearing edges)

Snares

Dialtune 14x6.5 snare drum (10-ply Keller maple)

Pearl Masterworks 14x6.5 20th Anniversary Limited Edition Snare (#18 of 20 sold, Maple Poplar Blend with Imbuia outer veneer).

Pearl Reference Series 14x6.5 snare drum in Root Beer Fade (20 ply Birch/Maple)

Pearl SensiTone 14x6.5 snare drum in Natural Wood (8 ply Maple)

Aluminum Pearl SensiTone 14x5 snare drum

Pearl Brian Frasier Moore Signature snare drum 14x 5.5 (12-ply 15mm (2-ply Gum Outer / 8-ply Maple Middle / 2-ply Gum Inner)

Pearl marching snare / customized 14x12 snare floor tom “snom” in Nicotine White Marine Pearl (6 ply maple, baseball bat top, 45° round over bottom)

Pearl Firecracker 10x5 (steel)

Championship Series CarbonCore Pearl Marching Snare in #408 Pewter Glass, Piano Black, and Black Silver Burst (6 ply maple hybrid, inner ply Carbon Fiber)

Sticks & Heads

Vic Firth Drumsticks

Remo Drumheads

Sound & Electronics

Acoustic Treatment

Audimute Acoustic Solutions Strata Wall

Microphones

sE Electronics 4400a Matched Pair

Zoom H5 (SGH6, XY)

Shure SM81 Matched Pair

Shure KSM137

Audix ADX5 (2)

Audix i5 (3)

Audix D2 (3)

Audix D4 (2)

Audix D6

Shure Beta52A

Warm Audio WA-47F

Shure SM57

Solomon LoFReQ

Tascam DR-10L

Studio Gear and Software

Roland SPDSX & Roland KT-10

Roland RT-30HR Dual Zone Trigger (2)

Logic Pro X

iLoud Monitors

Ultimate Ears IEMs

Sibelius

Zoom FN8Pro

Focusrite

Apple Macbook Pro

 

KIT CONFIGURATIONS

 

Kit Configuration 1.

Drums L-R: 10” x 5” Pearl Firecracker snare, 14” x 6.5” Pearl SensiTone snare, 14” x 6.5” Dialtune snare or Pearl Reference snare, 10” x 7” tom, 12” x 8” tom, 16" x 16” floor tom, 14”x12” snom (snom and floor tom interchangeable.)

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Kit Configuration 2.

Replace 10” rack tom with auxiliary hi hats (top: 19” special dry trash crash, bottom: 19” special dry crash)

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Kit Configuration 3.

Roland SPDSX with auxiliary hi hats or tom on the right.

 

MARCHING CONFIGURATIONS

 

Marching Configuration 1.

Marching Snare Drum

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Marching Configuration 2.

L-R: drumset snare, marching snare, crash cymbal, vertical kick drum

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Marching Configuration 3.

Added Roland SPDSX