Working Drummer

Will Kennedy's musicality and finesse are legendary in the jazz world and beyond, performing with luminaries such as Yellowjackets, Herbie Hancock, Chaka Khan, Snarky Puppy, Bobby McFerrin, Esperanza Spalding, George Benson, and Lee Ritenour. His career is marked by pushing musical boundaries and a desire to be inspired yet be an inspiration. As a longstanding member of the Yellowjackets, the celebrated jazz quartet that includes fellow USC Thornton faculty members Bob Mintzer and Russell Ferrante. Kennedy played percussion and began private lessons with teacher Bill Nawrocki throughout his school years. He also studied under professor and mentor Bill Bell, performing with him in San Francisco. Kennedy quickly became a fixture in the Bay Area scene as a teenager, and was introduced to legendary steel pan virtuoso Andy Narell with whom he recorded and toured Europe. Joining the Thornton faculty in Fall 2018, Kennedy took over the duties of drumset instruction for Ndugu Chancler, longtime faculty member and one of the founders of the Popular Music program. In this episode, Will talks about: His early teachers and influences in the Bay Area, from groove with Willie "Wild" Sparks to jazz with Tony Williams Playing on daytime talkshow, movie soundtracks, and other studio word during his hiatus from Yellowjackets His approach to teaching pop drumming at USC His physical approach and how he uses and teaches rudiments What it means to play with your body vs. against your body

4 Aug 20221h 4min

Ryan Brown is a professional drummer and percussionist in Los Angeles, California. In addition to his gig as the drummer for Dweezil Zappa, he plays with Los Angeles-based bands The Young Royals, Black Belt Karate, SexTapes, AM/FM, The Fuxedos and Madras, and in the bands of artists Arrica Rose, Karem Malicki-Sanchez, Colin Armstrong, Josh Canova, Space Oddity and rapper J Naugh-T. He has toured with Taiwanese pop star Chyi-Chin and L.A. bands OWL and Ultraviolet, performed on “Last Call with Carson Daly” with Ingrid Michaelson and played the Bern Jazz Festival in Switzerland with R&B artist Niki Haris. He has recorded tracks and albums with producers Marti Frederiksen, Mark Hudson, Mikal Reid, Russ Irwin, Rob Seals, Glen Laughlin, Rob Shrock, Brian Dobbs, Klaus Derendorf, Brian Paturalski, Billy Morrison, Larry Crane and David Weisberg, including the hit single “The Real Thing” from Bo Bice. Ryan can also be heard on releases by Foreigner, Circus Diablo, Hannah Montana, Clay Aiken, Cassie Davis, Nick Lachey, Jesse McCartney, Heather Graham, Suzie McNeil (Rock Star INXS) and Stephanie McIntosh, as well as on the movie soundtracks for Ice Age: Continental Drift (Adam Schlesinger), Kung Fu Panda (Hans Zimmer and John Powell) and The Dark Knight (Hans Zimmer). He’s performed on recordings with Alex Lifeson, Earl Slick, Elliot Easton and Rudy Sarzo. Ryan has also appeared as a sideline musician in numerous TV shows and movies, including Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World’s End, Desperate Housewives, Jag and Samantha Who?. He plays all styles of music, including rock, R&B, jazz, ska, funk, blues, folk and country. He is on the drum faculty at Musicians Institute in Hollywood, Calif., and teaches private lessons as well. A native of Denver, Colorado, he has played drums and percussion since he was 11 years old. Ryan graduated from Indiana University with a degree in jazz studies and percussion. In this episode, Ryan talks about:    Why he chose Los Angeles    Teaching and mentoring    Growing his network in LA    The audition for Dweezil’s gig    Channeling Zappa’s drummers on the gig    Working with Alex Lifeson

28 Jul 20221h 45min

Brandon Draper has enjoyed a celebrated career as drummer, percussionist, producer, multi-instrumentalist and educator. He has been based in Kansas City for the last 15 years where he has led and played in an eclectic mix of projects from jazz to Turkish to electronic music, and runs the acclaimed children's interactive music program Drum Safari with his wife of 14 years Teryn. His extensive resume also includes performances with both the New Mexico and Santa Fe Symphony Orchestras and the Kansas City Symphony, Ottmar Liebert, DJ Logic, Donna Summer, Mose Allison, Steve Coleman, Dick Oatts, Bobby Watson, and Kevin Hays, and Particle. Draper was musical director and live drummer for Quixotic Fusion 2007-2012. He continues to write, consult and occasionally perform with the KC-based cirque group. Draper is on music faculty at the University of Kansas where he teaches jazz drums, world percussion, steel band and is the director of Music Enterprise certificate combining music business and entrepreneurship. In this episode, Brandon talks about: His entrance onto the Kansas City scene after grad school Drum Safari, a touring music education program for kids, which is becoming the family business His philosophy as an educator, and the drumset and music business/entrepreneurship programs he heads up at The University of Kansas Playing with his father, a B3 organist, from an early age How some tough love from Kevin Hays helped him find a more authentic voice How his place on the Kansas City scene has changed along with his identity and interests over the years

21 Jul 20221h 41min

Mason Ingram is a composer, session drummer, and Ableton programmer, living in Nashville. He is one-half of ambient music group slowave, acting as writer and producer.    He has been the drummer on Broadway's Kinky Boots, The Prom, and RENT (Off-Broadway). He has had the privilege of working with Bibi Bourelly, Angus & Julia Stone, Paul Baloche, The Discovery Channel, 070 Shake, Lewis Capaldi, NOTD, All These Small Moments, The Lone Bellow, Walking Shapes, Annaleigh Ashford, Shacks and Palaces, and Matt Doyle. He is a member of bands The Last Royals, Hundred Hounds, and Young Oceans, and has played on Broadway's The Lion King, The Waitress, Finding Neverland and Little Shop Of Horrors.     Mason also loves working in Abelton Live, from programming, to writing, and recording. He has programmed backing tracks for Broadway shows and pop tours including the current production of Little Shop of Horrors, La Jolla Playhouse’s FLY, Pretty Woman London, Young Oceans, The Last Royals and many others.      Growing up in Austin, TX, he spent 13 years in Brooklyn, before moving to Nashville, where he currently lives with his wife and son. He loves writing, producing, mixing, collaborating, learning of any kind, and finding out new ways of creative inspiration.    He has appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Late Night with Seth Meyers, The Late Late Show with James Cordon, The Wendy Williams Show, LIVE with Kelly and Ryan, and Live at Lincoln Center, along with countless US and European tours. In this episode, Mason talks about:    Drumming on Broadway shows in New York City    The importance of playing with confidence    The why and how of the DAW Ableton    His duo Slowave and the compositional process    Prioritizing family    Managing technology to be inspiring, not distracting

14 Jul 20221h 43min

Kris Myers began playing drums for progressive-rock band Umphrey’s McGee in 2003. Since then, the band has released eleven albums and maintains a rigorous touring schedule of over 100 live shows per year. Umphrey’s has performed at legendary festivals and venues such as Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits, Fuji Rock Festival, South by Southwest, Red Rocks Amphitheater, The Ryman Theatre, The Beacon Theatre and more. Myers attended Elmhurst College from 1995 – 1999 where he was a music major and the drummer in the Elmhurst College Jazz Band. Under director Doug Beach, the Elmhurst College Jazz Band played gigs in the U.S. and Internationally at events such as the Umbria Jazz Festival, Jakarta Jazz Festival and the Montreaux Jazz Festival. Myers has played with a variety of jazz artists such as Nicholas Payton, Diane Schuur, Randy Brecker, Dennis DiBlasio as well as local Chicago musician Mark Colby. In 2001 Myers enrolled in DePaul University where he earned his Master’s Degree in Jazz Drumming. Myers works as a studio musician in the Nashville for various projects. He continues to play with musicians such as Mike Keneally, Bill Evans, Jeff Coffin, and Billy Strings on a variety of projects in both the Nashville and Los Angeles area. In this episode, Kris talks about: Getting started around Chicago's network of educators, drum shops, and universities Umphrey's McGee's early jam/funk influences (Galactic, MMW, Lettuce, Bela Fleck etc.) His drumming influences - bringing an adventurous and active drumming presence to Umphrey's Finding a "give and take" band dynamic - giving a band what they need but being allowed to explore and be you Projects outside of Umprhey's he's been involved with along the way Moving from Chicago to LA in 2014, and ultimately settling in Nashville How where you live and whether it suits your personality/priorities is as important as any musical aspect of your life What he sees in the present and future of Nashville

7 Jul 20221h 14min

Aaron Apter is a corrective exercise specialist and professional drummer based out of Nashville, TN. Having a uniquely specific education and professional credentials in both music performance and pain management, Aaron combines both practices in a way that directly addresses the needs of musicians who want to correct nagging injuries without impacting their career. He has worked with a wide variety of acts ranging from Cirque Du Soleil to the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra to War. In 2022, Aaron founded PR3 Performance, a company designed to help musicians resolve chronic pain without having to see a surgeon or miss a performance. In this episode, Aaron talks about:    Both adapting to a scene and learning from an environment    Prioritizing his health    Surviving a serious bike accident that changed his life    Aaron’s unique coaching practice - PR3 Performance    Aaron’s work to build back Matt’s health with a focus on drumming    Load vs Capacity    Building a tolerance through recovery    Being the best version of yourself

30 Jun 20221h 32min

Joy Lapps is a bandleader, composer, and educator based in Toronto. She was introduced to the steel pan through her church music program as a teenager, and soon started playing community and church events. This soon led to composing her own music and leading her own bands. Her latest release is Girl in the Yard, featuring her own compositions and arrangements, and her husband, Larnell Lewis on drums. The album reflects her exploration of the steel pan as a traditional folk instrument of resistance, but also as the vehicle for her original compositional ideas. In this episode, Joy talks about: The musical and geographic origins of the steel pan How Larnell encouraged her to compose, improvise, and take the steel pan beyond its traditional stylistic role How having a son with special needs has affected her relationship with music Leaning into her instrument's traditional identity vs. carving a new musical path for it How her relationship with Larnell has affected her relationship with the drums Working with her band to translate traditional Afro-Caribbean styles to a modern jazz format

23 Jun 20221h 9min

Hubert Payne is one of the most sought after musicians in the Nashville music scene with a Performance Coaching skill set that’s a cross between ministry, life coaching, therapy and motivation. With over 20 years of performance experience in athletics and music, Hubert is widely recognized for his ability to ‘Unblock’ his clients so they are fully equipped to live from the best of themselves in every area of their lives. Hubert is a certified life coach, practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic-Programming and a Level 2 ISEP Experiential Coach. He is skilled in emotional wellness and performance after trauma and has worked with The NFLPA, The Green Bay Packers, Chick-Fil-A. Hubert maintains a roster of clients from NFL Coaches and players to real estate agents and musicians.    Hubert is also the touring and recording drummer for National Country Music Artists, Little Big Town. When not on location at The Space (The mental gym he founded in Nashville, TN), you can find Hubert and his wife, Nicole, with their 5 children in Spring Hill, TN. In this episode, Hubert talks about:    Using the concept of performance when navigating life    Touring with Little Big Town and Miranda Lambert    Double drumming with Miranda’s drummer Max Zemanovic    Life and performance coaching in “The Space”    Normalizing mental health and the help that’s available    Becoming a compassionate witness to our own history    Being able to manage your failings    Choosing curiosity over judgement

16 Jun 20221h 21min