My Joy Is Heavy

I am absolutely honored and thrilled to be performing in The Bengsons’ new show, My Joy Is Heavy, at New York Theatre Workshop this season! I first worked with Shaun and Abigail Bengson on their show Hundred Days at La Jolla Playhouse, the Straz, and the Adrienne Arsht Center in 2018/19, and I had no hesitation saying yes to joining them for My Joy Is Heavy when we first workshopped it in Washington, DC two summers ago at Arena Stage.

Here is the show blurb from the NYTW website:

A transcendent musical memoir

This captivating musical memoir by Obie-winning duo & NYTW Usual Suspects The Bengsons (Hundred Days, The Keep Going Songs) is a deeply personal portrait of the unexpected joys and humor that are forged in the wake of loss.

Tony Award winner and NYTW Usual Suspect Rachel Chavkin (Hadestown; Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812) directs with choreography by Princess Grace Award winner & NYTW Usual Suspect Steph Paul (How to Defend Yourself) and music supervision by Obie Award winner Or Matias (Grey House).

We had a one-week orchestration workshop in January followed by two weeks of rehearsals and a week of tech. It’s hard to believe our first preview is this Wednesday! For this show, I am playing acoustic drum set, SPD, singing, dancing, acting, and running Ableton! We are also the first theatre production in NYC to use KLANG Immersive In-Ear Mixing Processors, thanks to our absolutely brilliant sound designer, Nick Kourtides.

Here is the view of my station during rehearsals:

MD Matt Deitchman and Music Supervisor Or Matias looming in the background

It was so exciting to move into the theater last week for tech. The set is absolutely amazing! I can’t give away any info about it at this time so you’ll just have to come to the show to see it as well as our amazing costumes. I expect this run to sell well and quickly so if you are interested in coming, grab those tickets now!

The Pacific Northwest

on the willamette river in corvallis

I had the pleasure of spending two weeks in the PNW with Brass Queens at the end of October. Our first stop was Corvallis, OR, where we spent almost an entire week working with the Oregon State University Marching Band as Artists in Residence.

the view from the drums at prax

We spent a few days rehearsing at OSU’s new performing arts center, PRAx, with some of the marching band kids who joined us for a gala performance. The day after the performance we played an outreach event for K-12 students. They were HYPED and it was a fantastic way to start the day.

our logo, formed by a 270 piece marching band!

The crowning moment came on Saturday, when we got to join the marching band on game day. They arranged three of our songs for their halftime show and we got to play along with them, even learning some drill!

It was wild to be back on the field having not marched since high school, ::redacted:: years ago. The drumline was awesome and they welcomed me with open arms. I even joined them in the stands to play with them during the game. Special thanks to Justin Preece, the Percussion Coordinator and Drumline Instructor who arranged all of the drum parts.

You can watch the full video of our performance here.

I tried to immerse myself in nature as much as possible while we were in Corvallis. The highlight was a trip up Mary’s Peak with my Phish friend from Maryland, Chris Sharp.

at a rest stop in the west cascades

The nature continued on to Bend, where we played at Silver Moon Brewing. The show ended up being an unexpected highlight. My only regret is that we did not have enough time to see the town. Hopefully we will be back soon!

the drums in bend

Following Bend, we took a breathtaking drive through the Mount Hood area into Portland where we would stay for a few days.

You knoiw the owner of the venue is a drummer when there is a wall of cymbals and the backline kit is top notch. PhotoL: Andrew J. stone

We played a packed show at Alberta Street Pub. A few friends came out and it was awesome to catch up.

band’s first cymbal signing

We played another brewery while in the Portland area. Waltz brewing was the perfect *vibe* for us. The beers were fantastic and the proprietors were wonderful to work with.

pre-show view at waltz brewing

We then headed up to Seattle for a quick overnighter. We were there to play as part of the Earshot Jazz Festival, and our show was at a roller skating rink! This was my first time playing a skating rink since the first gig I ever played with my first band back when I was a freshman in high school. Long live Mr. Bungle’s Shotgun!

my own personal disco ball. Photo: Ally Chapel

We left Seattle early on the day after our show to make our way to Victoria, BC. It was my first time in BC and I was delighted that we got to ride a ferry from the mainland to Victoria. It was a little chilly out, but I stayed on the deck for most of the trip hoping to spot some whales (I did not).

Things were quite Canadian. Our show was in a cricket club and we got to watch some of game 2 of the World Series with a bunch of Blue Jays fans!

the drums in victoria

We left our hotel in Victoria around 3:30a to make our way back east. I left feeling grateful that I get to do so many trips like these for a career.

NOLA 2025

I returned last week from the annual Brass Queens trip to New Orleans. This is the third time I’ve gone to NOLA with this band, and it has become one of the trips I most look forward to every year. We did two recording sessions, played two concerts, ate well, and saw a ton of great live music.

I knew the trip was off to an auspicious start when I was randomly assigned the Baby Dodds room in our hotel. Dodds was an early 20th century New Orleans drummer who pushed the boundaries of what a drummer could do in a band. He laid the foundation for big band swing and brought New Orleans drumming to the spotlight.

In his autobiography he writes, "It was my job to study each musician and give a different background for each instrument. When a man is playing it's up to the drummer to give him something to make him feel the music and make him work. That's the drummer's job."

at music box studios. thanks ricky from caesar brothers band for lending me a kit for the week.

The next day, we recorded at the Music Box Recording Studio with Keanon Battiste. It was a small studio, and for the first time ever we recorded in small groups instead of as a full ensemble. Nora (Sousaphone) and I went first and the rest of the band played over what we tracked.

typical night on frenchmen

That night, we popped over to Frenchmen Street to hear one of our favorite NOLA Brass Bands, New Breed, at Blue Nile. Here’s a picture of Nora playing with some of our New Orleans brethren on the corner of Frenchmen and Chartres.

The next day, we played a set at Howlin’ Wolf. Unfortunately I didn’t take any pictures whilst there, but it was a vibe. Shouts to NY homies Bryan and Collin for coming to the show with 15 or so guys who were in town for a bachelor party. And congrats to Dan on his upcoming wedding!

yamaha oak custom and one hundred mics at esplanade studios

On Friday, we recorded at Esplanade Studios, one of the best rooms I have ever recorded in. The engineers, staff, equipment, and vibe were all top notch. There was even a pool table in the basement! I really I hope I get to return to this space for more recording in the future.

the stage at preservation hall

The highlight of the entire week was on Saturday, when Nora and I got to sit on the stage for a set at Preservation Hall. The band was full of musical assassins, with my new friend Shawn King on drums. This is it. This is hot jazz. It does not get better than this. The pinnacle. It was so good I had to go back for another set the next day.

The stage at favela chic

Our last band obligation was Sunday night, where we played our yearly late night set at Favela Chic. This one is a mental challenge, as we play from 10pm-2am, but it is always a blast. There is no cover at the door, so patrons walk in and out throughout the night and hopefully leave a tip in the bucket or buy a drink at the bar. The band crushed it again this year, and we left that show exhausted but fulfilled.

my wife and i outside of tips with a free venue-provided banana

I saw so much great music that I can’t even mention it all here. The highlights were the Headhunters at the Civic Theatre, NY’s own Red Baraat at Blue Nile, Cha Wa at the Gallatain Street Festival, and of course Galactic at Tipitinia’s.

tiki drinks at Beachbum Berry's Latitude 29

I would be remiss to not mention some of the great food and drink we had.

Top 3 Food
Pork Belly at Mister Mao
Avocado Chaat at Mister Mao
Red Snapper Ceviche at Pêche

Top 3 Drinks
The above Pandan Painkiller from Lattitude 29
Mid-afternoon draft Abita Amber at Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop
Obviously a Hurricane from Pat O’Briens.

I’m already daydreaming about going back next year. Perhaps we will get to play an official slot at Jazzfest :-)

Hot Tub Sessions Vol. I

Last week, Brass Queens released our newest album, Hot Tub Sessions Vol. I, a collection of all-original music. We recorded it over two sessions at Atlantic Records with engineer Joseph Pomarico with mixing by Ian Kagey at Renaissance Recording.

Stream the record below or wherever you get your music. If you like what you hear, please consider buying the album, available on CD and vinyl here (it takes 230 streams for an artist to make $1 on Spotify).

Here are some pics and a video from the Atlantic Sessions:

arriving at atlantc

the dw house kit

me with the greatest to ever do it, mr. john bonham

Kaatsbaan

THe begginings of my setup

I just returned from a 4-day artist retreat at Kaatsbaan Cultural Park, a 153-acre artist sanctuary in Upstate New York. I had somehow never heard of this magical place until I was asked to collaborate on a new work there with Suzzanne Ponomarenko Dance.

Morning commute

The property is stunning and reminiscent of one of my favorite places, Storm King, with its rolling hills and sculptures scattered throughout the property. We spent our days in a gorgeous studio (with windows!) and our nights relaxing — one evening we watched Center Stage together. Everyone should have the opportunity to watch a dance movie with a group of actual dancers!

View from artist housing

Other than playing a few ballets and drumming for dance classes, I’ve never developed a dance piece before. It was a really interesting process: I was essentially watching the five dancers and trying to find music that complimented their movements. Alongside pianist/bassist Meghan Rose, we found moments for musical meditations and grooves both joyous and dark.

gotta stay caffeinated

The full piece will be presented at Triskelion Arts in Brooklyn on May 3 & 4. Maybe I’ll see you there!

Artist housing at night. for sure haunted.

Workshop Season

It’s officially summertime, which means workshop season is upon us! Earlier this month, I worked on a new musical adaptation of the play/film Prelude to a Kiss, which will receive its premiere at South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa in spring 2024. I was brought on to the project by Wiley DeWeese who was the music director of The Lightning Thief. Along with guitarist Mike Rosengarten, we worked closely with composer Dan Messé to bring his vision to life. Here are some setup shots of the drums in the beautiful Baryshnikov Arts Center, as well as a view from the rehearsal room during the surreal smoke situation from the Canadian wildfires.:

Next up was a workshop in Washington, DC of My Joy Is Heavy, a new show by Shaun and Abigail Bengson, commissioned by Arena Stage. The Bengsons are some of the most talented people I’ve ever met, so I will gladly do anything they ask of me! It was also a dream come to work with Tony Award-winning director Rachel Chavkin, who I found out is a fellow Marylander! Speaking of Maryland, I was able to meet up with a few percussion friends as well as my two eldest nephews while I was in town. It was a treat! Apparently I did not take any pictures of my setup (drum set + SPD), but here is a photo of the program that was handed out during our two presentations:

Now I’m off for a week of work at Berklee Powerstation with my friend Julianne Merrill, followed by a much needed trip to the Hamptons for July 4. Until next time!

Hound Dog

For the last few weeks I’ve been working on a brand new play presented by Ars Nova: Hound Dog. We are currently in previews and open this coming Saturday. Here’s the official blurb:

In Melis Aker’s world premiere play HOUND DOG, a young musician returns from abroad to her hometown of Ankara, Turkey to look after her widowed father. Forced to reckon with the family and community she left behind, an investigation into her grieving parent’s strange pilgrimage to Graceland unravels into a sonic mirage of memory packed with humor, nostalgia and the love we cultivate across generations.

I’ve made a lot of new friends on this show and get to play with a really excellent band, including lead singer Sahar Milani, guitarist Maya Sharpe, and Mel Hsu on bass.

Here are some setup shots:

I’m playing a delightfully acoustic setup: 5-piece Gretsch kit with darbuka, triangle, tambourine, and wood block.

The view of our lead singer, Sahar Milani, from my seat. We are on the second story of the set that has windows that open up to reveal the band.

Of course I need the Miller Machine to make this show happen!

The array of sticks I’m using

Me with Maya Sharpe and Mel Hsu. We are the Flaming Sultans!

Out Today: Her Sound, Vol. 3

The final installment of Ethan Carlson’s Her Sound project is out today! These 3 albums (more about the first two here) were a great professional achievement for me, as I tracked every single percussion instrument—and there were many—by myself.

When I was asked to record Vol. 1, I had one single USB microphone and could only use my weekly allotted slots at a studio space that I shared with others. I made it work. It wasn’t easy. In fact, it was downright frustrating. So frustrating that it was the impetus I needed to invest many, many dollars into recording equipment and my own studio space that I can use around the clock. These two improvements were game-changers. It was still incredibly difficult to perform and engineer at the same time, but I could now record at my own pace with much higher quality gear.

I’m really proud of this project, and of Ethan, and of producer Ryan Scott Oliver who I’ve known for quite some time. Give a listen below!

That's a Wrap: Between the Lines

I had the great pleasure of subbing for the wonderful Adam Wolfe on an off-Broadway show called Between the Lines for the last month+. I first met Adam in 2018 while he was playing percussion for another off-Broadway show. We both come from an orchestral background and really value applying our knowledge in that realm to the theater world.

Between the Lines features a massive percussion setup, including drum set, several mallet instruments, hand drums, and electronics. While there were certainly some technical passages in the show, the hardest part was getting down the “choreography” of the book: knowing when and where to pick up which mallets, when to flip pages, which conductor camera to look off of for queues, etc… Learning this show really taught me that my MM stands for Mallet Management in addition to Master of Music :-)

Here I am with my wife and the set of BTL. I was so excited for her to see the shows because there are few things she likes more than musical theater and books, and this show is a combination of the two!

I had a blast learning and playing this book and will certainly miss the show. I am hopeful that it lives on in one way or the other after it closes this coming weekend.

Up next: Hound Dog at Ars Nova.

The Ballad of Cyclic Change

On Saturday, I played a Juneteenth concert at the Ballad of Cyclic Change, a multimedia collaborative art project with interactive sculptures by Kathy Creutzburg, Mirabai Kwan Yin, Jake Elkin and Aya Harota.

Mirabai is an old friend of mine: her husband Ric Becker was my very first NYC/Mannes friend. Shortly after meeting, we formed my first NYC band, Just Puppets! Ric played trombone and percussion alongside me, Jess Tsang (another Mannes alum), and Jake Elkin, in a contemporary program of Braxton, Rzewski, and more. We got out there, especially on one of Jake’s compositions for electronics and spoken word. It was a wonderful and weird way to spend a beautiful Saturday morning in one of Manhattan’s many community gardens.

More on the installation from the artists:
Inspired by the biogeochemical cycles and how they mirror cycles in human lives, we built acoustic kinetic sculptures from upcycled everyday materials and created musical compositions using the sculptures as instruments. By connecting human stories of transition to nature’s cycles we encourage people to feel connected to their planet.