About
Hi there!
My name is Todd Donnelly and I have loved and played music all my life!
I started out on piano at age 6 and went into percussion at age 8. When I was a teenager I traveled to the Caribbean and heard steel drums for the first time and I fell in love! Since that time I received a Bachelor's Degree in Percussion from Northern Illinois University (1982) with emphasis on Steel drums. I have been performing for over 35 years and love working with all ages, from kids to seniors. I am also very skilled on drum set and have been a songwriter for as long as I've been playing professionally. I play all sorts of shows ranging from clubs to corporate events to festivals. I also do school concerts and many senior residences and hold demonstration clinics on the history of steel drums and how they are made. I have toured on cruise ships and played everywhere from Las Vegas to the Caribbean. I am also one of the few steel drum players that can sing and play so if you want to do that I can help you as well. The only requirement I would have is for you to have (or have access to) an instrument. you can see more of what I do at www.todddonnellymusic.com .Thanks for your interest!
I believe that playing music is the ultimate joy in life- therefore, learning it should be fun as well! I would listen to what you want to play and help you get there. I would also show you the traditional style (calypso) as well as other styles such as reggae, jazz, classical and even rock music. What would you like to learn to play? I'll listen to you and we'll get you playing it! I send students background tracks (which I create myself) to play along with- this is really fun! I can relate to all ages and all skill levels.
I will be using Liam Teague's book on steel drum method plus many exercises (scales, arppegios, sticking) to gain mastery of the instrument. We wll also look into classical music which translates very well to steel drums (and sounds beautiful!) I will be sending background tracks for students to play along with and will also be playing with them. We will decide on the songs and styles that the student wants to learn and make learning these songs a big part of the curriculum.
You can order Liam's book on Amazon at: http://www.amazon.com/Leonard-Steelpan-Method-Liam-Teague/dp/1495006727/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1454990978&sr=8-1&keywords=liam+teague