Coming from Nashville, I joined Local 802 to get more connected with NYC’s musicians, and I’m just astounded with the amount of talent this city possesses. Joining the union is great start to see who’s who and to see what opportunities are available. I hope to continue to build relationships with other musicians, especially those who share my sense of humor and interests. Just the other day I met a composer, and we talked for over an hour about early film scores and cartoon music from the 40s and 50s. It would be nice to play regularly for a Broadway show, but in the meantime a recent gig I thoroughly enjoyed was playing drums for the Off Off Broadway production of “Anything Goes” at Musicals Tonight. For a company that has done 93 revivals in the past nine years, this was its first time using drums and bass in addition to piano. It was a challenge to balance the sound, since the actors don’t use microphones, and we only had two rehearsals, but it was a very successful run. My principal instrument is drums and percussion, and I have experience in both classical and commercial settings.