Faculty

Jay Burak, M.Mus

Drum Teacher & General Manager

A Humber Jazz graduate mentored by Paul Robson, Jay has been part of the school since 1994. Steady, patient, and endlessly practical.

JazzRockFunkStudio session

Book a lesson with Jay 416 483 9117

Since

1994

Teaches

Drum

Signature

Jazz, Rock

About Jay

A working pro who has spent a career behind the kit.

Following his graduation from the Humber Jazz program and advanced education with Paul Robson at the Ontario College of Music (The Leaside Music School), Jay found endless work as a drummer.

Jay Burak has spent years studying and performing on the drums. By the time he joined Leaside Music School in 1994, he was already an accomplished musician. Continuing to perform pop, rock and jazz in Toronto, and throughout Canada and the United States, Jay has maintained a dedication to the art of drumming and he shares that with his students.

In addition to ABBA Mania, Jay has performed with tributes to Tom Jones, the Bee Gees, Ozzy Osbourne, the Dixie Chicks, Rod Stewart and the Stray Cats. He has blended pop drumming with orchestral performances in appearances with the San Diego, Los Angeles, Winnipeg and Toronto Symphony Orchestras — including fusion performances at Roy Thomson Hall and the Centennial Concert Hall in Winnipeg. Truly, an act many a drummer would like to follow.

Teaching

Structured, encouraging lessons rooted in real playing.

As General Manager and a senior drum instructor, Jay brings the same professionalism to the studio that he brings to the stage. Lessons are structured, encouraging and rooted in real-world playing — technique, timekeeping, reading and the songs students actually want to learn — so every week feels like meaningful progress.

Credentials

M.Mus
Humber Jazz Program
Teaching since 1994

Watch & listen

Jay on stage.

A short reel of live performances with the tribute acts and touring shows Jay has anchored across Canada and beyond.

Nite Fever: Bee Gees tribute

Jay behind the kit with Nite Fever, a Bee Gees tribute act — tight disco pocket, dynamic fills and the kind of dance-floor feel he brings to every gig.

Cher tribute

A live pop drumming set from Jay's touring work with a Cher tribute — solid backbeats, arena-scale dynamics and clean transitions between ballad and up-tempo material.

AbbaMania

Jay on drums with AbbaMania, one of the tributes he has anchored across Canada, the US and international stages, including symphony collaborations at Roy Thomson Hall.

British Legend: Canada

A taste of Jay's rock chops with British Legend — driving pocket, controlled power and the pro-level consistency that comes from decades of stage and studio work.

Meet the rest of the faculty