Music:
Member Since: 11/04/2006
Band Members: CONTACT INFO: [email protected]
Influences: CURRENTLY: I am a musician/performer/teacher that plays drums/marimba/percussion in a variety of situations, ranging from drum set work for various musicals, original rock groups, jazz projects and cover bands to percussion work that ranges from accompaniment for modern dance to orchestral/chamber performance and solo marimba work.
ON DRUMSET: groups/artists I perform with include Last Fast Action , Leslie Hunt , Lynda Carter ,Michael Orland ,the Lt Dan Band , the TVK Orchestra , the Rhapsody Orchestra , the Chicago Children's Choir and the Greg Duncan Quintet . In addition, I am the bandleader for weekly services at the Chicago Center for Spiritual Living , have been active doing studio work with Chris Steinmetz for his Acoustic Chicago project and with The Dangers Of a new project featuring the music of Dan Myers . You can hear one of these tracks, "Needle in a Haystack," on my audio player. There's also video footage of me playing Purple Haze and Rock and Roll with the Lt Dan Band and compilation footage of a recent gig with Lynda Carter at the Kennedy Centeron my video player.
I have recently set up a studio at my place to record drums for various independent projects. If you would like to hear an example of the sounds and playing I produce, check out the song Govt' Drost - a collaboration between myself and Mike Drost - on my audio player. If you like what you hear, feel free to drop me a line about the possibility of recording your song inexpensively at my studio
AS A PERCUSSIONIST: I have performed with a number of classical and contemporary ensembles in the area, including the Chicago Chamber Musicians, CUBE and the Evanston Symphony Orchestra. I've also played the percussion book on a number of musicals, including West Side Story, Crazy for You, Ethel Merman's Broadway, The Buddy Holly Story and The Little Mermaid.
AS A MARIMBIST: I have performed as a guest soloist with the Depaul and Western Michigan University percussion ensembles and given three solo concerts, the most recent in March of 2007 as a guest artist at Northern Michigan University. You can view videos ofMarimba Spiritual ,Shadowchasersand Without Hands on my video player.
OTHER MUSICAL ENDEAVORS: I maintain a studio of percussion students at the Near North Montessori School and compose music for modern dance. In addition, I have completed seven sound scores for original works by various local choreographers - you can hear one of these works, a love song inspired by my meeting with Donald Rumsfeld entitled "Manufacturing Consent" on my audio player. I've also just posted a newly finished score entitled "How it differs..." (with sincere apologies to Dennis DeSantis for ripping off one of his titles) based on the five stages of loss and grief.
EDUCATION:
B.M. - Western Michigan University
Percussion Performance
Summa Cum Laude
Completed April 1998
M.M. - DePaul University
Jazz Studies Performance
Completed June 2001
INFLUENCES
DRUMS: Billy Hart, Darren King, Herman Matthews, Zigaboo, Steve Ferrone, David Garbaldi, Tony Williams, John Bonham, Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, Matt Chamberlain, Jim Black, Gene Lake, Jeff "Tain" Watts, Steve Jordan, Tom Rainey, Matt Walker, Steve Gillis, Tre Cool, David King, Adam Cruz, Kenny Aronoff, Art Blakey, Roy Haynes, Elvin Jones, ?uestlove, Bill Stewart, Jeff Ballard, Brian Blade, Brady Blade, Manu Katche, Steve Gadd
MUSICAL ACTS: Radiohead, Ani DiFranco, Ben Folds, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Danilo Perez, Lyle Lovett, Counting Crows, The Meters, Public Enemy, Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, Dave Holland Quintet, Brian Blade Fellowship, Green Day, James Brown, Led Zeppelin, Martin Sexton, Me'Shell Ndegocello, Emmylou Harris, Sting, Kiss, The Roots
PHILOSOPHY: Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., Charles Bukowski, Karen Armstrong, Arundhati Roy, John Shelby Spong, Lewis Black, Howard Zinn, Noam Chomsky, Eric Cartman, John Cage, Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Bill Maher, David Cross, Cornel West, Matt Taibbi
Type of Label: Major