Drummer
Drumming philosophy:
I like to think of myself as a musician that plays drums, that is, a drummer that plays with all the musical sensibilities of melody, harmony, form, and rhythm. With these musical intuitions, the drums can become an integral part of the music. As for the instrument itself, I try to utilize it’s many possibilities. The drums are an acoustic instrument with the potential to be very soft and very loud. They have an infinite number of sounds available depending on how they are played. And, they have the capability of expressing a huge tonal range, from ear piercing highs to chest thumping lows. Mix all these elements with a strong intention towards groove and positive energy and you get the drummer that I strive to represent.
Drumming background:
I began with drums at the age of three under the influence of my Dad and Grandfather who were also drummers. Through out my childhood and teen years I was mostly self-taught. At sixteen I had my first formal drumset lesson, which revealed to me the possibilities of the instrument and inspired me to work towards becoming the best I could be. I went on to get my BA in music performance from Plymouth State University in New Hampshire, and in 2002 began playing and teaching professionally on a full time basis.
In 2003 I moved to Portland Oregon and continued to freelance. At that time I put myself in as many diverse musical situations as I could. For a while I was playing eight to ten gigs per week, teaching multiple students everyday, and practicing in my free time. It was an amazing period of my development, but eventually I felt I had outgrown Portland and decided to move to New York City.
In 2006 I arrived in NYC and attended The Drummers Collective for a semester. At The Collective I studied mostly jazz/funk and pop playing with some of the best drummers in the world. At the top of 2007 I began the NYC hussle of finding gigs, and eventually worked up a full schedule of playing. For the next four years I assumed the role of NYC session drummer. This period was of course diverse and interesting. One night you’re playing a tiny dive bar in the Lower East Side, the next day your on a plane to the Bahamas, or in a van on the way to Bonnaroo. It’s the kind of experience you can only get in New York City, and it certainly helped refine my musicianship to higher levels, but eventually the big city lifestyle was more than I could handle and it was time to move again.
Come Portland Maine, 2011.
Drumming credentials:
Performance:
Emory Joseph, Kara Suzanne, Saturday Night Live cast, American Idol Ace Young, Shinobi Ninja, Jimmy Fallon, Darrin James Band, Hilliard Greene, Steve Marks, Putnam Murdock, Bryan Litchfield, Dave Cieri, Nacirema, Nick Peraino, Ouroborous, Paul DeLay, Metropolis, George Brown, Robbie Laws, Rockstar Karaoke NYC, Ronnie Robins, Rick Welter, Sam Winn, Kent Thompson, Peter Knoll, Lloyd Jones, DK Stewart, Ellen Whyte, Emme and the Swedes, Rob Holub, Gio, Reah Valente, Melody Guy, Conroy-Debrie.
Corporate:
Microsoft, Saturday Night Live, Lucky Magazine, ABC Network, Lexus, Ford, Biz Bash, Cablevision.
Recording:
Ken Burns, Rock Of Ages, Kara Suzanne, Darrin James Band, Ouroborous, Peter Knoll, Kenny Cambre, John DeLore, Kent Thompson, Nick Peraino, Rockstar Karaoke NYC, Dave Cieri, Conroy-Debrie.
Agencies:
Command Talent, Superfly Presents (Bonnaroo), Hank Lane Music and Productions, Faze 4 Entertainment, Total Entertainment.
Schools I’ve taught for:
Ethos Music Center, Bolton Music Studio, Groove Inc.
People I have studied with:
Graham Lear, Leroy Clouden, Peter Retzlaff, Pat Petrillo, Reinhardt Melz, Kelly Dunn, Tim Gilmore, Eric Hughes, Brad Flickinger, Frank Katz, Adriano Santos, Frank Gravis, Carlton Jackson.
Drumming influences:
Every drummer I have ever seen or heard has influenced me in some way, good or bad, I learn something from all drummers. And of course, my teachers were huge influences on me. But, that being said, here is a top ten (12 actually) of “name” players that I really dig:
Richie Hayward
Pick Withers
Jim Keltner
Billy Martin
Chad Smith
Jeff Porcaro
Aaron Comess
Zig Modeliste
Russ Kunkel
Jay Bellerose
Jeff Sipe
Keith Carlock