Triangle

Finger Cymbal

Triangle Plus

Horizontal

Order 2 or more Machines. Get 5% off each. Discount in cart.

Triangle Arm

Body

Finger Cym Arm

Plus Body

Horizontal Mount

All pieces interchangeable. Mix and match.

Beater Upgrade Kit

Extra Plastic Ties

Finger Cymbal Mount

Triangle Suspension Mount

Order 3 or more. Get 10% off all. Discount in cart.

Brown/Gold

Long Sleeve

Grey/Black

Short Sleeve

Grey/Red

Long Sleeve

Far From Heaven - Charlie Descarfino

Charlie Descarfino's setup for the Off Broadway production of Far From Heaven at Playwrights Horizons in New York City.

Charlie Descarfino's setup for the Off Broadway production of Far From Heaven at Playwrights Horizons in New York City.Charlie Descarfino's setup for the Off Broadway production of Far From Heaven at Playwrights Horizons in New York City.Charlie Descarfino's setup for the Off Broadway production of Far From Heaven at Playwrights Horizons in New York City.Charlie Descarfino's setup for the Off Broadway production of Far From Heaven at Playwrights Horizons in New York City.Charlie Descarfino's setup for the Off Broadway production of Far From Heaven at Playwrights Horizons in New York City.Charlie Descarfino's setup for the Off Broadway production of Far From Heaven at Playwrights Horizons in New York City.

“Something that seems to be a recurring theme in playing musical theater currently is the one player, drum/percussion book. I have encountered this playing on Broadway at the 2006 revival of Les Miserables, the recent Broadway production of The Gershwin's Porgy and Bess, and now once again at this Playwrights Horizons production of the new musical Far From Heaven.

Needless to say, performing this type of chair requires careful planning, taking into account logistics necessary to access all the surfaces and stick changes required to achieve the orchestrator's desired effect. My method of arriving at the setup I use takes into account the proximity in time and physical space from one instrument change to another, the space allotted to the percussion setup in the pit, as well as certain elements I think of as standard setup variations (ie glock over timpani or stacked over the xylophone, easy access to the pedals of the timps from the drum set, etc...) depending on the needs of the particular orchestration.

Often an array of stick changes and holding various combinations of beaters also comes into play. This is a good example of how The Miller Machine comes in handy, saving one what may be an extra mallet change that may be the thing that will allow you to reach your next instrument change with the right mallets in your hands.”

Far From Heaven - Off Broadway - Charlie Descarfino
May 2013

Charlie Descarfino's setup for the Off Broadway production of Far From Heaven at Playwrights Horizons in New York City.

"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."
"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."
"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."
"The timpani tunings are the real challenge of The Little Mermaid. Changing pitches must be done by feel, that was my biggest challenge. Memorizing the mallet parts was also very necessary."
"As you can see in the pictures, I prefer to have as much 'stuff' right in front of me, as close as possible. Because there are so many instruments close in, I have mounted a music stand off of the tom mount.
"Different from the tour, the original Broadway production had acoustic drums, an acoustic set of timbales, and an acoustic tambourine - the tambourine is now programmed in the SPD-SX."
  • 2 min read

Gene Krupa's drum solo from "Gene's Blues" from the album Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich released November 1955.

Steve Jordan's drum solo from the title track of the album Casa Loco.
Robbie Ameen's drum solo from the track "Spring Fling".

Search