Brandon Draper
Brandon Draper is a graduate of the 'Smoky Valley High School' and 'Bethany College'. He has enjoyed a celebrated career as drummer, percussionist, producer, multi-instrumentalist, and educator. In addition to freelancing and teaching, he currently performs as a solo artist and multi-instrumentalist. With the Turkish-Jazz group 'Alaturka', he recorded, co-mixed, and performed on the 2013 release 'Yalniz' (4.5 Stars – Best albums of 2013 – Downbeat Magazine). Brandon plays guitar with his father (a renowned Hammond B3 organist) in 'The Draper Family Band' and he runs the acclaimed children's interactive music program 'Drum Safari' with his wife of 14 years Teryn.
Currently, Brandon is on the music faculty at the 'University of Kansas' where he teaches Jazz Drums, World Percussion, Steel Band and is the director of Music Enterprise certificate combining music business and entrepreneurship.
Brandon is also the head of percussion and world music studies at the 'Johnson County Community College'. He holds a Bachelors's degree in percussion performance from 'Bethany College', and a Masters of Music with distinction from the 'University of New Mexico'.
Brandon has performed at many festivals, universities, concert halls, and conventions in the U.S. His extensive resume includes performances with both the 'New Mexico and Santa Fe Symphony Orchestras' and the 'Kansas City Symphony'. In contemporary and Jazz settings, Draper has performed and/or recorded with Ottmar Liebert, DJ Logic, Donna Summer, Mose Allison, Steve Coleman, Dick Oatts, Mike Moreno, Bobby Watson, and Kevin Hays. He toured the U.S. with the live-tronica pioneers Particle and contributed work on a new album yet to be finished (2011-2014). In past years he performed in the critically acclaimed world premiere of the new Hip-hop musical 'Venice' in Los Angeles Fall 2010 and premiered his original work 'Bass Darabukas' with 'Quixotic' and the 'Kansas City Symphony' in Spring of 2011. Brandon was a musical director and live drummer for Quixotic Fusion 2007-2012. He continues to write, consult, and occasionally perform with the KC-based cirque group.
As an educator, Brandon has taught at the 'University of New Mexico', 'University of Missouri-Kansas City', 'East Mountain High School', and multiple high schools throughout the Midwest and Southwest as a clinician and as a world and marching percussion consultant. He has led master-classes at the 'Percussive Arts Society Day of Percussion' in Kansas, Nebraska, and New Mexico, and performed at the 'Percussive Arts Society International Convention'. He has also led workshops at 'Music Educators Association' conferences in New Mexico, Kansas, and Missouri.
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