Show Notes
Emma Ford was born and raised in Australia, studied drums at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, became an active member of the Australian musical theatre community, but is now living, working and playing drums on Broadway. She has played numerous shows both in Australia and on Broadway, including In The Heights, Moulin Rouge, Pippin, Paradise Square and became the first woman in the world to play the drum chair on Hamilton. She currently holds a full-time chair on the new musical, Shucked. In this amazing conversation, Emma shares her journey of moving from Australia to New York, what is was like to become established in the theatre scene on Broadway, some of the similarities and differences between Broadway and the Australian theatre scene, and has some incredible advice for anyone who is considering making the move to chase their dream gig. Enjoy! Make sure to follow Emma at https://emmaforddrums.com and https://www.instagram.com/emmaford.drums
More from The Drummer’s Perspective Podcast
In this episode, I chat with the incredible Jason Heerah! We discuss his unique approach to blending drumming and singing, and how he adapts to a wide range of musical settings. Jason also opens up about life on the road, sharing how he stays grounded while touring. We also touch on balancing the demands of a music career with family life. Enjoy!
In this interview, I sit down with renowned Australian drummer Johnny Salerno to explore what it takes to be a truly versatile player. We dive into his approach to adapting across genres and handling the fast-paced nature of jumping from one gig to the next. Johnny also shares practical insights on time management, mindset, and maintaining professionalism in a busy schedule. Enjoy!
Gordon Rytmeister is without a doubt one of my biggest inspirations, not only as a player, but as a career musician as well. Gordos versatility and adaptability to almost any musical situation has been something that I have always been in awe of. Aside from his amazing skills as a drummer, he's been able to stay at the top of his game in a career sense for decades now, and is continuing to play some of the biggest gigs and shows in Australia. In this chat we cover a wide range of topics, from musical flexibility to career advice, to some of his favourite concepts when working on time and feel and everything in between. Enjoy!
Steve Lamante has been the drummer for the Australian and International tours of "Hamilton" for the past 3 years. In this chat, we speak about Steves path to getting the gig on such an incredible show, the joys and challenges of playing a musical theatre production and what he thinks are some of the most valuable skills to have as a drummer in order to succeed in todays industry. Enjoy! You can follow Steve at https://www.instagram.com/stevelamante and https://www.stevelamante.com
Ben Ellingworth is the current drummer for the incredible G-Flip. For the past 5 years, he has been touring and recording with G all over the world, and in this chat, I speak to Ben all about the ins and outs of the gig. Everything from how he got the gig, how the show is put together and rehearsed too what he thinks are the most important elements to work on in your playing to be able to play a gig like he's on now. Enjoy! You can follow Ben at https://www.instagram.com/benji_elling/ and https://www.benellingworth.com