
Articles from Broadway Drummers, Percussionists, and More.
Articles from Broadway Drummers, Percussionists, and More.
"Conducting a National Tour is incredibly challenging, but so rewarding. Stepping on to the podium with a new orchestra every few weeks really keeps you on your toes. Every player responds differently so you are constantly adjusting to get the desired result. I would compare it to playing a multi-percussion piece where the instruments are constantly moving."
- 5 min read
"After a grueling four years at SUNY I still had one theory class left to finish. I was really depressed. A classmate of mine recommended me for a tour of a Broadway show. This completely changed the course of my life."
- 7 min read
"When I first got the call to start working on Ain’t Too Proud - The Life And Times Of The Temptations, I was curious about which era the show was going to focus on. Their career began in the early 1960’s and they’re still releasing albums today."
- 7 min read
"The unique part of Groundhog Day was that the drummer had to play on stage, in a groundhog costume, wearing a giant groundhog head. Since I could barely see out of the head, it was impossible to read a chart (and there wasn’t a music stand), so it had to be memorized."
- 4 min read
"I’ve experimented with the bottom heads being a tritone a higher on certain gigs if the drums are bigger. At my current Broadway show, I’ve even had the tom heads an octave apart! This may sound extreme, but the toms are big and I needed to reduce sustain. There are so many possibilities."
- 6 min read
"When preparing a percussion book for a new Broadway show, we occasionally get the music in advance. That allows us to start our “treasure hunt” early, to have the right sounds ready, and to get a jump on the setup. But often, Broadway is the first appearance of the fully orchestrated show, and we have seen very little before the first rehearsal."
- 5 min read