SHANNON FORD grew up in Washington DC playing rock, jazz, blues, and country. He has performed and recorded with various artists in NY, Nashville, and LA, including Paul Simon, Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers, Phoebe Snow, Lou Christie, Kenny Rogers, Roger Miller, Danny Gatton, and many others.
Shannon has spent the last 25 years working on Broadway productions such as Next To Normal, Chaplin, Godspell, and Beetlejuice.
On this podcast, Shannon shares his many years of experience working with a variety of artists and discusses:
*The healthy competition with musicians who play Broadway musicals.
Why playing relaxed helps with hand technique.
*How he was fired three times subbing on shows and what he learned from it.
*His experiences working with directors, actors, and choreographers and how these relationships helped land certain gigs.
*Why preparation is key and why it’s important always to pay attention to the conductor.
For more, subscribe to Broadway Drumming 101. It’s your one-stop-shop for everything you’ll need to know about playing drums for broadway musicals.
When you subscribe to The Broadway 101 Newsletter, you’ll learn about what it takes to be a successful pit musician with content delivered directly to your email inbox two to three times a week.
For $5 a month, or $50 a year, you’ll have a backstage pass to the world of a broadway drummer playing on a hit show.
As a paying subscriber, you will receive behind-the-scenes access to the life of a musician who makes a living on Broadway.
You’ll also be able to read every post (not just the occasional free ones), you’ll get access to all newsletter issues in the archives, and have the ability to participate in subscriber-only comments and events.
The Broadway Drumming 101 Podcast is on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. The podcast features conversations with my colleagues who currently hold drums chairs, showcases talks with broadway drumming legends, and highlights up-and-coming drummers breaking into the scene.
There is a lot to learn. Subscribe now, so you don’t miss out on the latest posts and podcasts!
Clayton Craddock hosts the Broadway Drumming 101 Podcast and Newsletter. He has held the drum chair in several hit broadway and off-broadway musicals, including Tick, tick…BOOM!, Altar Boyz, Memphis The Musical, Lady Day At Emerson’s Bar and Grill and Ain’t Too Proud.
The Broadway Drumming 101 Instagram page: Instagram
The Broadway Drumming 101 YouTube page: YouTube