471 - Adam Marcello: The MD Role, His LA/Katy Perry Chapter, Splitting time between the US and Ireland, His New Teaching Role at Berklee

Working Drummer

Rhode Island native Adam Marcello is a professional drummer, music director, educator, clinician, and programmer most notably recognized for his work with singer Katy Perry. A graduate of Berklee College of Music, his performances range from multiple world tours, the Super Bowl XLIX Halftime Show, Saturday Night Live, and American Idol to recordings for numerous movies and TV shows including theme songs for Modern Family, Arrested Development, and Deadwood. As a clinician and artist for Roland Drums, he has helped to develop techniques and instruments for hybrid electronic/acoustic drumming as well as programming for drummers and percussionists. These versatile techniques can be applied to live performance and studio recording to help maintain musicality and creativity on the drums.

In this episode, Adam talks about:

• Treating the different aspects of your playing like actors treat different characters
• Becoming Katy Perry's MD in the early stages of her career "out of necessity"
• Owning being a control freak and also sharing responsibility and trusting collaborators
• How to be manageable and coachable from the MD's perspective,
• How to have greater awareness of the song and the show as a whole
• His experience of living in Dublin, and living back in his hometown outside Providence