Merlin Showalter's experience spans the musical gamut from rock to jazz, country to hip-hop, funk to salsa, breakbeat and beyond. Graduated from the University of Oregon School of Music with a Bachelor’s Degree in Percussion Performance, he is classically trained in addition to having performed with a variety of bands throughout the Pacific-Northwest. Merlin has performed in cruise ships around the Caribbean and Mediterranean Seas, and has performed in over 20 musical theatre and ballet productions. He has been a featured soloist with the Oregon Jazz Ensemble, Oregon Percussion Ensemble, the Emerald City Jazz Kings, and more. Merlin has also won awards for drumming in events such as Guitar Center’s Drum-Off and the Sabian Cymbal Award in the Reno Jazz Festival. In addition to performing around the West Coast, Merlin is also an active studio musician and percussion instructor.