About Paul Bata
Paul’s journey in music began at age eight with classical piano lessons. He became immersed with Haydn, Mozart, Bach, and Chopin and then later with the Great American Songbook and Jazz. At age twelve, Paul made the decision to take up the drums and with that began his dual commitment to the worlds of piano and percussion. Paul graduated from DePaul University in 1995 with a BM in Jazz Studies with an emphasis on performance. Through his connections there, he secured work with theatre ensembles and in jazz, rock, and corporate bands. This has carried on through today where he performs with several local, diverse groups including Chicago Tribute Anthology (CTA), EZFM, Cover Dogs, and the Revolutionary Swing Orchestra (RSO). In addition to performing, Paul has also had a varied career in music education, teaching at St. Edward School in Chicago for twenty-five years, giving private lessons on both piano and percussion as well as accompanying the chorus and working with the school orchestra. He was also the piano instructor at St. Ferdinand School in Chicago from 1998 to 2012, and today he has over fifty private students both in person and virtually. He is thrilled and honored to be on the faculty at Music Education Centers of America and hopes to have an integral part in helping students reach their potential for years to come!
