I began playing the drums at age 9 and since then I have been honing and applying those skills to musical groups of all types, from rock and pop to big band to world music to orchestral to small combos and everything in between. In 2007, I embarked on a two and a half year gig with Princess Cruises as a show band drummer, and travelled the world on some of the world's most modern ships while performing on stage over 1000 times. In 2011, I joined renowned Celtic/Gypsy/Americana band SCYTHIAN, a band which tours extensively and is known for their energetic live show. I 2013, I joined The Royal Noise, an exciting band that "forges an ebullient fusion of sinewy funk, gritty jazz, psychedelic rock and live hip-hop elements". I am grateful that I have had the opportunity to share the stage with many great musicians, such as: Chris Amott of Arch Enemy, Grammy Award winner Jim Lauderdale, Johnny Thunder of The Drifters, Jim Yester of The Association, Jeff Coffin of Bela Fleck & the Flecktones, Liberace protege Linda Gentille, Billy Richards of The Coasters, Jamila Ajibade of The Fifth Dimension, Australian rocker Roland Storm, Bob Denver protege Trevor Knight, Bob Allen of Sister Sledge, and many others. Other musicians have consistently commented on my solid feel, adaptability, and professionalism. I am a current endorser of Evans Drumheads, Pro-Mark Drumsticks, and Pure Sound snare wires and I typically use Yamaha drums and Zildjian cymbals. Musically and personally, I strongly feel that diversity and openness are key in a person's development. As a performer, I feel that performing with musicians of different backgrounds is a constant source of inspiration and engaging music. As an educator, I emphasize the role of music as a form of expression and its parallel to verbal language. I encourage students to enjoy the music-making (and learning) process and to view mechanics as a means to their own creativity and expressions. Besides drumming, I am an avid traveller and have visited over 70 countries (on all 7 continents!). I also enjoy photography (http://photo.andrewtoy.net), hiking, fishing, computer programming, and reading. I currently reside in Philadelphia and am available for performing, recording, and teaching (private and group). Please send all inquiries to andrewjtoy@gmail.com. I have had the honor to perform at the following venues:
For up to date information on where I will be performing next, be sure to "like" me on Facebook. For upcoming dates with Scythian, click here.
In addition to performing in the area, I am also an active teacher and have taught students of all skill levels, from 6 to 60. I am currently available for lessons, either in-home or from my rehearsal space in East Falls (Philadelphia). I also offer lessons over the Internet via Skype or Google, so you don't even have to leave your home (wherever that may be)!
Besides teaching privately, I have also taught at the following locations:
One thing that I encourage students to do is to transcribe the drum parts to some of their favorite songs. Here are a couple of my transcriptions I have done for some of my favorite songs (please do not distribute these charts without permission):
Here are some bands and musician friends of mine that I have had the privilege of sharing the stage with:
|
No flash player!It looks like you don't have flash player installed. Click here to go to Macromedia download page. |
||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
Scythian in Philadelphia, PA, November 2011 |
|
|
The Royal Noise in Philadelphia, PA, March 2013 |
|
|
Scythian in Buffalo, NY, November 2011 |
|
|
Scythian in Dayton, OH, July 2011 |
Chris Amott Band in Philadelphia, PA, October 2012 |
|
Backing track courtesy of Tommy Igoe Copyright 2004 Hudson Music |
Backing track courtesy of John Riley
Copyright 2002 by Manahattan Music |
|
With the musicians of the Dawn Princess in Asia, March 2009. |
With the University of Delaware Jazz Big Band, May 2007
|
All content for promotional use only.
