Tom Teasley - Percussionist

Modern Music from Ancient Traditions

Educational Services

Contact Information Audience:
University Level, Music Educators, Percussion Students, Percussion/ World Music Festivals
For tour information and fees contact:
Tom@TomTeasley.com www.tomteasley.com

Tom Teasley, described in the Washington Post as “a percussionist in the widest and most exuberant sense of the word,” maintains a unique career as a solo percussionist, composer and collaborator. A 2010 and 2011 Helen Hayes Theater Award recipient for outstanding sound design, Tom tours frequently throughout the world performing and presenting clinics for the instrument companies he endorses including Yamaha, Vic Firth, Sabian, Remo, Latin Percussion and others. A three-time recipient of a Fulbright-Hayes grant for performances in the Middle East, Tom collaborated with indigenous musicians and gave historic performances in Bahrain, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the West Bank and Jerusalem. He has been an artist-in-residence at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and has collaborated with the National Symphony. As an international collaborator he has performed in Europe and South America. Tom earned the 2006 Artist-of-the-Year award from Young Audiences of Virginia for his educational creative and interactive presentations. His seven CDs have been greeted with international airplay and acclaim. He has been the subject of feature articles in both “Drum!” and “Modern Drummer” magazines.

Performance

Drumming Through Cultures and Time

Drumming Through Cultures and Time is a unique journey through the history of percussion. With Tom Teasley, world percussionist, the audience will travel the Silk Road from Italy to China and the Sugar Trade Route from Africa to the Americas. Ancient instruments such as the balafon, doumbek, djembe, kilimba and frame drums are combined with the most recent advances in music technology including digital looping. Experience Tom's ability to record performances in real time, layering elements to create virtual percussion ensembles of up to five performers.

Clinics/Master Classes/Residencies

Percussionist Tom Teasley successfully fuses various rhythmic ideas from around the world. This workshop will feature drumming techniques from different cultures including the Middle East, Far East and India. Divided into four sections: palm drums, finger drums, jingle drums, and shakers. Specific techniques are covered for Djembe, Cajon, Doumbek, shakers, Frame Drums and a variety of tambourines. Tom will also explore how they are all related to the American drum set. The techniques presented use resource materials percussion students and teachers are familiar with such as Ted Reed’s “Progressive Steps to Syncopation”, George Stone’s “Stick Control” and Gary Chester’s “The New Breed”. Hi-hat and foot controlled cow-bells and blocks are utilized to take advantage of four part coordination familiar to drum-set players. Many exercises popularized by Tom’s former teacher, Joe Morello are applied to these “world percussion” instruments as well as rudimental applications, thus demystifying the instruments to western audiences. (Examples of PDF worksheets available on request).

Reviews/Testimonials

"Fusions between American and Eastern schools are old news, yet seldom has any percussionist drawn so deeply from both wells and come up with a blend as bewitching and original as this." - Drum! Magazine

"Tom Teasley has a refreshing approach to percussion performance and teaching. I've also had the pleasure of watching him present clinics to different age groups and experience levels and his method of combining World Percussion and Western styles appeals to all. He's a consummate musician and great clinician!” - Nick Petrella Director of Education Sabian Cymbals, Percussionist, Educator, and Author

“Tom presented a TERRIFIC clinic at the University of Maryland.... Tom certainly has that rare gift; making that quick connection with students and spreading his enthusiasm for his area of expertise. The clinic was wonderfully organized and our students also received plenty of ‘hands on’ time - which was great. Our students are still talking about it!!” - John Tafoya, Chair of Percussion Studies, Indiana University

“Think you’re a hopelessly Westernized drummer? Can't think outside of "2 and 4" on the snare? Fear not, Teasley is here. This video not only introduces us to different world percussion styles (Southern Italian, Brazilian, South Indian, Egyptian, and more), but how we might apply rudiments and other rhythmic patterns to such instruments as tambourine, shaker, doumbek, frame drum, and ultimately the drumkit…. Open-minded drummers of all genres and veteran world percussionists looking for a fresh approach should find this a great educational resource.”- Will Romano, Modern Drummer

Presentations

Cultural Exchange

Tom recounts his experiences as a cultural envoy for the US State Department and his tours to the Middle East which included Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Jerusalem.

Alternative Careers in Music

Tom shares his experience creating an alternative career in music that includes his work as a solo percussionist, sound designer, setting poetry to original music and as a cultural embassador.

Workshops for All Musicians

Percussion workshop (Suzuki, Carl Orff…)

The use of the South Indian rhythmic solfege, Solkattu is used to connect correct sounds and rhythms with the voice. This is a useful technique for students of all instruments. Learn to incorporate traditional world rhythms with American Jazz, Funk and proper playing techniques.

Combining digital technology with world percussion Demonstrations on digital looping and DJ technology are combined with world percussion to create a performance concept that spans time and geographic location.