I joined Local 802 because I’m a firm believer in unions and the role they play in sustaining community. More than ever, it’s important to stand up for what we believe in, fight for what’s right, and preserve our livelihood as both musicians and workers. My musical goal in NYC is to teach and further my career as a player. I grew up in a musical theatre environment, had my first pro gig in a musical theatre pit, and am really looking to bring things full circle here in the New York area. One of my favorite gigs was playing in a production of “Little Shop of Horrors” with the Bullet Theatre Collaborative in Union, New Jersey. It’s a fun, quick show that requires a bit of flexibility in switching from genre to genre and tune to tune. My earliest musical memory involves my dad placing what were then seemingly gigantic cans on my head and playing me “Abbey Road” and “Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs.” It was pretty clear for me at a young age that music was my passion, which led me to getting pit work while still in high school in a local musical theatre circuit. I attended the L.A. Music Academy, spent some time in Austin with a lot of Top 40 work, and eventually moved with my wife to the New York area, where my current focus is teaching and breaking into the theatre scene. Music is important to me because it is timeless. It’s a massive part of our culture and it’s one of those things that stays with you your entire life. There’s something incredible about listening to a record you first heard years ago and years later putting that same record on only to find that it not only invokes the same emotions that connected you to it but also provides an opportunity to get something new out of it. I strongly feel that music needs to be passed onto the next generation. If we don’t continue to teach what has been taught to us, we’re going to lose something incredibly valuable in our culture. I currently teach with In Tune Music in Maplewood, New Jersey, as well as at Music & Arts in Millburn, and I also teach at Home Sweet Home Music. My principal instrument is drumset. During the cornavirus crisis, I started updating my teaching platform to accommodate online lessons. I tried to see the silver lining by spending time with my instrument and art.

— Will Eversden
weversden@gmail.com