Brandon Draper has enjoyed a celebrated career as drummer, percussionist, producer, multi-instrumentalist and educator. He has been based in Kansas City for the last 15 years where he has led and played in an eclectic mix of projects from jazz to Turkish to electronic music, and runs the acclaimed children’s interactive music program Drum Safari with his wife of 14 years Teryn. His extensive resume also includes performances with both the New Mexico and Santa Fe Symphony Orchestras and the Kansas City Symphony, Ottmar Liebert, DJ Logic, Donna Summer, Mose Allison, Steve Coleman, Dick Oatts, Bobby Watson, and Kevin Hays, and Particle. Draper was musical director and live drummer for Quixotic Fusion 2007-2012. He continues to write, consult and occasionally perform with the KC-based cirque group.
Draper is on music faculty at the University of Kansas where he teaches jazz drums, world percussion, steel band and is the director of Music Enterprise certificate combining music business and entrepreneurship.
In this episode, Brandon talks about:
- His entrance onto the Kansas City scene after grad school
- Drum Safari, a touring music education program for kids, which is becoming the family business
- His philosophy as an educator, and the drumset and music business/entrepreneurship programs he heads up at The University of Kansas
- Playing with his father, a B3 organist, from an early age
- How some tough love from Kevin Hays helped him find a more authentic voice
- How his place on the Kansas City scene has changed along with his identity and interests over the years
