What is a multi percussionist? We will answer that question in this article, as well as tell you where you can find these talented individuals in your city.
Kip Allen has been a reliable, professional session drummer, songwriter, percussionist, and music producer in the Nashville area since 2008. When what you are doing calls for the very best, call Kip Allen, Drum Workshop Artist and ultimate professional.
What is a percussionist?
Any instrument which vibrates when it is struck, scraped, or shaken is considered a percussion instrument, and although drums are the most widely-known percussion instrument in the world of music, there are actually quite a few more, including the maracas, tambourines, vibraphones, snares, cymbals, claves, timpani, guiro, and shakers/bells.
The whole purpose of a percussionist is to provide rhythm for the band or orchestra.
What is a multi percussionist?
A multi percussionist, then, is a trained musician who has the ability to play multiple percussion instruments. As music has grown over the years, the search for unique sounds in a recording has increased, and with that increase the demand for multi percussionists has also increased. Simply being a professional and talented drummer is good, and it will almost always keep you in gigs, but being a multi percussionist will increase your demand tenfold in the music industry.
Are they in high demand? Yes! Are they easy to find? Not by a longshot, not if you aim to find a talented, professional multi percussionist. Finding a talented session drummer in a city like Nashville can be done in a matter of minutes; finding a talented drummer percussionist will take you considerably longer, no matter which city you live and work in.
What to do to become a multi percussionist?
Practice, practice, and then practice some more. If you are lucky, and there is a music school or academy in your city, with trained percussionists to teach you, that is a bonus, but you cannot count on that being the case in most cities. Thus, you must learn the trade the only way possible, and that means practice, practice, and practice some more. Luckily, in today’s internet age, there are training videos available for any instrument under the sun, so plan on watching tons of videos and practicing until you can play at a high level.
After that you go in search of gigs. You play with groups looking for someone to sit-in on the rhythm section. You hone your skills until they are sharp. Eventually, if you have game, you will start being called for gigs.
Where to find professional multi percussionists
If you are looking for a percussion player, word-of-mouth in the local music scene is your best bet. The good ones rise to the top, like cream rises in milk. It won’t take you long at all, asking around the local music scene, to find the best percussionists in your city. They are in high demand, the good ones, and they are well-known.
A final word about Kip Allen
And, speaking about well-known in the local music scene, if that scene is Nashville, one of the most prominent music cities in the United States, the name Kip Allen is on a short list of multi percussionists, and that is saying quite bit. In a city where talented drummer percussionist are a dime a dozen, Kip Allen will always be included on a short-list of the best in Nashville. Call Kip today to arrange for a sit-down discussion of what you need.
