When did you start playing timpani?
I started on snare drum, and by sixth grade I was playing drum kit. I taught myself timpani early on. I originally thought I’d go to Berklee, but I ended up doing my undergraduate work in Maine, then completed my graduate studies in Boston. Along the way I studied with incredible teachers — Dr. Mars, John Grimes, Tim Adams Jr., and Salvatore Rabbio. They taught me that timpani is a deeply visual instrument. You don’t just listen — you watch, feel, and respond.
Where do you teach, and what do you hope your students take away from your lessons?
I’ve been teaching at Berklee College of Music for 14 years. My students have a wide range of interests: performance, composition, film scoring, production. Because I had such great teachers myself, I always encourage them to study with many different people — that variety helps them develop their own musical voice.
Is practicing at home difficult with such large, loud instruments?
Fortunately, I have a very musical household! My wife is a piccolo player and flute teacher, so she understands. Our home studio has three drum kits, a full set of timpani, a marimba, and more. Our kids are five and eight — hopefully one day they’ll find an instrument they love too.
Where else do you perform besides the Phil?
In addition to freelancing regularly as a percussionist and timpanist — including substitute work with ensembles such as the Lexington Symphony, the Vista Philharmonic, and the Cape Cod Symphony — I’m also an active performer in contemporary music. One of my main artistic homes is Juventas New Music Ensemble, a group dedicated to performing the music of today’s emerging composers. Each setting challenges me in different ways and keeps my playing fresh.
How do you prepare for a performance?
I try to bring the music to life beyond what’s on the page. I listen to how other players interpret the work, and I trust my own instincts. There’s a current trend toward using slimmer bamboo mallets for a more “European historical” sound, and I think about choices like that when preparing.
A big part of my preparation is understanding how the orchestra breathes. Brass players physically breathe into their sound, so percussionists have to “breathe with the brass” to stay perfectly together. Muffling, timing, touch — much of that isn’t written in the score. You have to listen, adjust, and help the whole ensemble sound unified.
Working under Music Director Steven Karidoyanes really shapes my approach. His gestures and phrasing give each performance its character, and I pay close attention to that.
What are you working on now that’s especially challenging?
Right now, I’m preparing for our Hooray for Hollywood concert, which includes a lot of musi by John Williams. His timpani parts are virtuosic — fast pedaling, quick pitch changes, expressive writing. I spend time mapping out all my tunings before rehearsals. There’s also a personal connection: Williams’ father was a percussionist, and his brother Don played timpani on film scores. That makes his music feel meaningful to me.
What do you wish audiences knew about the timpani?
That it’s a pitched instrument! We play in bass clef, and our lines can shape the harmony and emotion of a piece. From Beethoven to Bartók to today’s film music, the writing can be incredibly expressive or virtuosic — sometimes both.
Is it hard to stay focused during long stretches of rest?
It can be! In works like Bruckner’s Seventh Symphony, there’s a single cymbal crash after 170 bars of rest — and the percussion section is tacet for much of the piece. You have to know the score inside and out. I mark my part with cues so I stay fully engaged even when I’m not playing.
Do you have a favorite performance memory with the Phil?
One of my favorites was playing music from the Brill Building. I had just come off a run of Beautiful, the Carole King musical, so that whole era of singer-songwriter music really resonated with me.
What’s your favorite thing about playing under Music Director Steven Karidoyanes?
My favorite thing is how much he genuinely cares about the community of musicians in the orchestra. The freelance world can be competitive, and his authenticity helps us play our best without fear. It creates an atmosphere of trust.
How do you prepare mentally on concert days? Any rituals?
If I can, I like to exercise. Yoga especially helps me — breath, balance, and movement all relate directly to being a percussionist.
Do you have a musical bucket list?
At 44, with more than twenty years of freelance performing, I’ve checked off most of the major timpani and percussion repertoire. Now I’m interested in pieces that bridge classical and popular music. I recently premiered Black Athena Power by Ray Angry, the pianist from The Roots, and really connected with it.
My dream project would be a percussion-heavy orchestral celebration of Tom Waits’ music. It doesn’t exist yet — but maybe some arranger will see this and make my dream come true!
What makes live orchestral performance special today?
Life can be stressful and grey. We live in a polarized world and get stuck in routines. Live orchestral music is a breath of fresh air. I hope audiences see how the musicians of the Phil listen to and respect each other. That spirit — of collaboration, curiosity, and community — is something they can carry with them long after the concert ends.
