Ed Birch's drum and percussion setup for "Come From Away" at the Meadow Brook Theatre in Auburn Hills, Michigan.

Come From Away - Ed Birch

Ed Birch's setup for Come From Away at the Meadow Brook Theatre in Auburn Hills, Michigan.

Write-up and gear list below photos.

Ed Birch's drum and percussion setup for Come From Away at the Meadow Brook Theatre in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Ed Birch's drum and percussion setup for Come From Away at the Meadow Brook Theatre in Auburn Hills, Michigan.Ed Birch's drum and percussion setup for Come From Away at the Meadow Brook Theatre in Auburn Hills, Michigan.Ed Birch's drum and percussion setup for Come From Away at the Meadow Brook Theatre in Auburn Hills, Michigan.Ed Birch's drum and percussion setup for Come From Away at the Meadow Brook Theatre in Auburn Hills, Michigan.Ed Birch's drum and percussion setup for Come From Away at the Meadow Brook Theatre in Auburn Hills, Michigan.Ed Birch's drum and percussion setup for Come From Away at the Meadow Brook Theatre in Auburn Hills, Michigan.Ed Birch's drum and percussion setup for Come From Away at the Meadow Brook Theatre in Auburn Hills, Michigan.Ed Birch's drum and percussion setup for Come From Away at the Meadow Brook Theatre in Auburn Hills, Michigan.Ed Birch's drum and percussion setup for Come From Away at the Meadow Brook Theatre in Auburn Hills, Michigan.Ed Birch's drum and percussion setup for Come From Away at the Meadow Brook Theatre in Auburn Hills, Michigan.Ed Birch's drum and percussion setup for Come From Away at the Meadow Brook Theatre in Auburn Hills, Michigan.Ed Birch's drum and percussion setup for Come From Away at the Meadow Brook Theatre in Auburn Hills, Michigan.Ed Birch's drum and percussion setup for Come From Away at the Meadow Brook Theatre in Auburn Hills, Michigan.Ed Birch's drum and percussion setup for Come From Away at the Meadow Brook Theatre in Auburn Hills, Michigan.Ed Birch's drum and percussion setup for Come From Away at the Meadow Brook Theatre in Auburn Hills, Michigan.Ed Birch's drum and percussion setup for Come From Away at the Meadow Brook Theatre in Auburn Hills, Michigan.Ed Birch's drum and percussion setup for Come From Away at the Meadow Brook Theatre in Auburn Hills, Michigan.Ed Birch's drum and percussion setup for Come From Away at the Meadow Brook Theatre in Auburn Hills, Michigan.Ed Birch's drum and percussion setup for Come From Away at the Meadow Brook Theatre in Auburn Hills, Michigan.Ed Birch's drum and percussion setup for Come From Away at the Meadow Brook Theatre in Auburn Hills, Michigan.

Ed:

"Working on this production of Come From Away has been an incredible experience. Since this show is based on a real event, the production was able to bring in Claude, Mayor of Gander; Derm, Mayor of Appleton; Oz Fudge, the Constable; and Brian Mosher, one of the two reporters on the island during 9/11. Not only did the four gentlemen attend previews and opening night, but they also participated in a panel discussion of their experiences during one of our nights off.

There is nothing more nerve-wracking than performing a show on a sensitive topic in front of some of the people the show is based on. Being able to sit down and talk with Claude, Derm, Oz, and Brian added a lot of weight to the performance. Hearing their stories and seeing some of the actual footage Brian got while on the island on 9/11 as well as pictures from that day added a lot of context and weight to the performance. After spending time with them, it wasn’t just a show anymore and I wasn’t just a drummer. The conversations instilled a sense of stewardship. We are stewards of this incredibly powerful and moving story that needs to be told in a certain way.

That has shaped my approach to the show since opening night, where I am being extra sensitive to the textures and dynamics, and how the drums aren’t merely a timekeeping tool but also an incredibly important part of the texture and the mood happening on stage.

Going into the production I had been working with the sound team three months out discussing the space I needed, and what this setup is going to be like. Originally, I was supposed to be on the stage with the rest of the band. But even the best laid plans can change, and as we were moving into tech week, we decided that the drums just took up too much space, so we moved the whole setup backstage right next to one of the doorways the actors used to get on stage. The goal quickly went from 'Take up as little floor space as you can because you are on a platform' to 'Ensure you take up as little floor space as possible, because you cannot trip the actors and we need clearance between the door and you'.Using the Gibraltar Stealth Rack System was an absolute lifesaver. I was able to get almost all of the setup onto the Stealth Rack which saved a ton of floor space, and allowed me to get everything nice and close. The cajon was another setup challenge, though. As they tend to be larger, even when mounting them on a snare stand, they still take up a lot of room. That’s when I found the Schlagwerk DC300S Cajonito. It’s a tiny cajon; however, it sounds great and has a super convenient mic port.

Planning microphones is another thing I consider when thinking about how I'm going to set up. It comes down to how I can get the best sound for our sound team without compromising how I want to be set up. I have been really enjoying how the SE microphones have been sounding, so they have been my go-to for close-miking everything. This production wanted to get a mic on the hi-hat, so we mounted it underneath to keep it out of the way of my music and the video monitors for the stage and Musical Director. We utilized a lot of the Pearl MH70A Microphone Holders for mounting some of these mics to the rack, removing additional mic stands from the floor space. Minimizing overhang was a priority on this one because any overhang very quickly becomes a tripping hazard for the actors moving around me."

Bio:

"Are you ready to rock?” is how Ed Birch greets his fellow performers. With over ten years professional experience, he brings high energy, precision, and rock-steady tempos to every performance. This marks his fifth production with Meadow Brook Theatre, and 61st theater production.

@birch_drums on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube.

Drums: DW Collector's Series Maple

  • 8”x10” Rack Tom with Evans UV2 Batter over G1 Clear
  • 8”x12” Rack Tom with Evans G2 Coated Batter over G1 Clear
  • 14”x14” Floor Tom with Evans UV2 Batter over G1 Clear
  • 14”x20” Kick with Aquarian SuperKick I Batter and Regulator Ported Resonant Head

Snares:

  • Main: Inde Drumlab 6.5”x14” Quarantine Special Bronze Snare Drum with Evans UV1 Batter and Evans 300 Snare Side
  • Backup: Pearl 6.5”x14” Free Floater Copper Snare Drum with Remo Vintage Ambassador over Hazy Ambassador. This lives in its case next to my stick bag for use in case of emergency.

Hardware:

Cymbals: Left to Right

  • Zildjian 14” K Constantinople Hi-Hats
  • Sabian 10” HH Splash
  • Zildjian 18” K Cluster Crash Cymbal
  • Zildjian 16” K Sweet Crash Cymbal
  • Zildjian 21” K Sweet Ride Cymbal
  • Zildjian 20” K Paper Thin Crash

Microphones:

  • Shure Beta57A for Djembe
  • SE Electronics V7X on Snare Drum
  • SE Electronics VBeat on Rack and Floor Toms
  • SE Electronics VKick for Kick Out
  • Shure Beta91A for Kick In
  • Shure SM57 on Cajon
  • SE Electronics SE8 on Hihat
  • SE Electronics SE8 for Finger Cymbals/Triangle
  • Shure PGA81 for Overhead Mics (provided by theater)

Percussion:

  • Remo Mondo Key Tuned 12” Djembe
  • Zildjian Thin Finger Cymbal
  • Zildjian Thick Finger Cymbal
  • Black Swamp 6” Artisan Steel Triangle
  • Schlagwerk DC300S Cajonito
  • LP Twist Shaker (Medium)

Sticks/Mallets:

Come From Away - Regional - Ed Birch
March 21st thru April 12th, 2026

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