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The Bridges of Madison County - Benny Koonyevsky

Benny Koonyevsky's setup for the Broadway production of The Bridges of Madison County at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre.

Benny Koonyevsky's setup for the Broadway production of The Bridges of Madison County at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre.Benny Koonyevsky's setup for the Broadway production of The Bridges of Madison County at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre.Benny Koonyevsky's setup for the Broadway production of The Bridges of Madison County at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre.Benny Koonyevsky's setup for the Broadway production of The Bridges of Madison County at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre.Benny Koonyevsky's setup for the Broadway production of The Bridges of Madison County at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre.Benny Koonyevsky's setup for the Broadway production of The Bridges of Madison County at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre.Benny Koonyevsky's setup for the Broadway production of The Bridges of Madison County at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre.Benny Koonyevsky's setup for the Broadway production of The Bridges of Madison County at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre.

“The setup for the show is very simple and small. There are two big numbers where you move a lot between the vibes and the timpani and it needs to be practiced slowly. The rest of the show is very easy, technically, but since it's very exposed, you’d better hit the right notes and get the sound that the composer wanted, or everyone in the pit will look at you :-)

It was fun working with Jason Robert Brown (composer) and Tom Murray (conductor) on the parts. Mainly, we talked about dynamics, sounds, sticks, and phrasings. I never heard or worked with JRB before so when I got the music for the first rehearsal I was thinking, ‘Wow, low C on the timpani -- that's really strange!’ You don't see lots of low Cs in the timpani literature, and if you do it's one or two notes. In any case, after the first rehearsal I was totally blown away by JRB's knowledge of my instruments, his ears, musicality and singing! Also, it was great to have Tom Murray as a conductor. Both guys don't play around: they tell you what they think, and that's what I like, simple and in your face :-)

Before our first day of rehearsal at the theatre I spoke to Michael Keller (music contractor) and Eric Poland (percussion rentals and amazing drummer/percussionist) about the layout of the pit and sizes of instruments. That was a real lesson on the business and organization of a show, which I’ve never done. Michael Keller knew every aspect of the instruments, sizes and setup, and he also connected me with the stage hands, stage managers, and whoever I needed to talk to about my setup. That made the whole process really easy and smooth.

After the first day of rehearsals we got a bigger size vibes and moved them closer to the piano, since most of the lines that I play on the vibes are with the piano. I could see his hands and head which helped us to play together.

The pit was all acoustic except for a few notes on electric guitar and some electric bass, but overall it was like chamber music. I had to use brushes and play really softly. In a couple of spots I had to use extra snares on top of the snare drum since the soft playing was not getting the bottom snares in the mic. I also had to use big heavy timpani mallets to get the lower range of the timpani. I had Yamaha 32” and 29” drums. Mallets for the timpani were made by Nic Cannizzaro and myself. I used one Cloyd Duff stick for a soft high note on the 29” drum, and also used ABC Medium Soft, and Gary Burton Soft mallets on the vibes.”

Benny's Broadway Credits.

The Bridges of Madison County - Broadway - Benny Koonyevsky
February 2014 thru May 2014

Benny Koonyevsky's setup for the Broadway production of The Bridges of Madison County at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre.

"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."

Ron Grassi's drum set setup for Mean Girls at Archbishop Performing Arts, in Warminster, Pennsylvania.

"The main challenge that I found with this show was the very quick instrument and stick changes. Having a good pair of swizzle sticks is necessary to go from tambourine to timpani and sometimes rolls on the concert bass drum."
"The real impetus of this book is the timpani. It is definitely the driving force for the percussion inBack to the Future and it requires a big articulate sound and once again Yamaha with the Evans Orchestral White Opaque Heads just deliver."

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".

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