Ernie Durawa is known for the high quality of his performances on stage and in the studio.  He has played on two Grammy Award-winning records, performed at major venues throughout the United States, and toured often in Europe while maintaining a highly productive career in Austin's live and studio music scenes:

John Lee Hooker, Herb Ellis, Charlie Byrd, Larry Coryell, Clark Terry, Big Joe Turner, George Gobel, Willie Nelson, Jimmy Day, Jackie King, Delbert McClinton, Don Walser, The Texas Tornados, Los Jazz Vatos, Johnny Bush, Albert Collins, Gatemouth Brown, W.C. Clark, Jr. Brown and many others.

Ernie is also a musician committed to teaching students of all ages.  He was recently invited to give college-level drum seminars at Texas State University in San Marcos and at the California Institute for the Arts in Valencia.  He is currently a faculty member with the Connecticut-based National Guitar Workshop.  Since 1994, he has participated with Austin Jazz Workshop in presenting more than one hundred and twenty music seminars each year for elementary school students in the Austin Independent School District.  He also offers private drum lessons at Cascade Studios.

Ernie's teaching approach is based on his own formal training as well as his performance experience. Early in his career, he left Texas and studied for three years in Chicago with Roy C. Knapp, the foremost American drum instructor at that time and the mentor of Gene Krupa. In Ernie's own words: "I was a good natural player but Roy Knapp taught me to understand the music - the mental part of it - and the necessary techniques. Roy opened my eyes and ended all the guesswork. I believe the best players combine the right feel with a sure grasp of music fundamentals. That is what I try to get across to my own students."

After returning from Chicago, Ernie became the drummer for Texas rhythm and blues artist Delbert McClinton.  He toured with the group for several years and provided the steady beat behind McClinton's live shows and performances on Saturday Night Live, Solid Gold, and Austin City Limits.  Later as the drummer for the Texas Tornados, Ernie played on the Grammy Award winning "Soy de San Luis" and on their first hit album.  He was described as providing "the thunderstorm of rhythm that spawns the Texas Tornados" (El Paso Herald).  More recently he was featured on the cover of the Austin Chronicle Magazine as well as being inducted into the Texas Music Hall of Fame.

"Ernie, You are so, so good!  Maybe some of your talent will rub off on Redmond, Love Farrah Fawcett"

"Ernie was wonderful with our students.  He has a natural rapport with kids." (Kelly Laws, Music Teacher, Sims Elementary (AISD))

"You are the very best!  It is an honor and privilege working with you." (Susan Mazer, Austin Director, National Guitar Workshop)

"Ernie Durawa is one of the most respected musicians in the Austin live music scene, and he is also one of the really good people." (Larry Monroe, KUT Radio 90.5 FM, Austin)