Brandon Draper

Brandon Draper was thumping his leg in the crib and began lessons at age 5, sitting in with his dad's bands at 9, touring at 14, and while in high school he was a KMEA timpanist 3 years in a row.  His extensive professional resume includes performances with both the New Mexico and Santa Fe Symphony Orchestras and the Kansas City Symphony.  Draper has performed and/or recorded with Ottmar Liebert, DJ Logic, Donna Summer, Mary Wilson, Mose Allison, Steve Coleman, Dick Oatts, Mike Moreno, Bobby Watson, and Kevin Hays.  He toured the U.S. with the live-tronica pioneers Particle and contributed work on their recent album “Accelerator.”  In 2010 he performed and contributed to the score of critically acclaimed hip-hop musical "Venice" in Los Angeles.  

Draper has taught at the University of New Mexico, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Johnson County Community College, East Mountain High School, Shawnee Mission West, and Kansas City Academy, led master-classes at the PAS Day of Percussion in many states, and performed at P.A.S.I.C. multiple times.  He has led workshops at Music Educators Association conferences in many states as well.  With the Turkish-Jazz group Alaturka, Draper recorded, co-mixed and performed on the 2013 release Yalniz (4.5 Stars - Best albums of 2013 - Downbeat Magazine). He is the founder of the acclaimed children's interactive music program Drum Safari that has served children and families throughout the US since 2005.  

Draper is on music faculty at the University of Kansas where teaches jazz drums, world percussion, steel band, sound design, and is the director of Music Enterprise certificate combining music business and entrepreneurship.  He holds a Bachelor degree in percussion performance from Bethany College, and a Masters of Music (cum laude) from the University of New Mexico.  He is on the board of directors of the Kansas Music Hall of Fame.



Brandon endorses Zildjian, Vic Firth, Meinl, and Audix Microphones.