BIOGRAPHY

As a global percussionist, composer, and sonic explorer, Tom Teasley creates music that dissolves boundaries—cultural, musical, and spiritual. Grounded in the belief that rhythm is a universal language capable of fostering dialogue across traditions and identities, his work draws inspiration from Middle Eastern frame drumming, West African grooves, Indian tala cycles, jazz improvisation, and contemporary electronic textures. The result is a synthesis that is immersive, expressive, and deeply human.

Teasley’s artistic journey has been shaped by collaborations across continents and disciplines. As a U.S. Department of State Cultural Envoy, he has shared musical conversations in Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, South Korea, Samoa, Oman, and Jerusalem, working alongside local musicians to foster cultural exchange and mutual understanding. These experiences have transformed his understanding of music as a bridge between past and future, self and other, tradition and innovation.

Widely recognized for his pioneering contributions to world percussion, Teasley has received numerous awards throughout his career, including multiple honors for World Percussionist of the Year, Outstanding Sound Design, and World Music Instrumentalist. A lifelong learner, he studied at the Peabody Conservatory and was mentored by percussion masters from both Western and non-Western traditions.

His dynamic solo performances integrate live looping, extended techniques, and instruments both ancient and invented—including hand drums, drum set, frame drums, mallet percussion, melodica, and electronic textures. Whether scoring silent films, reimagining jazz standards, or composing original works inspired by his travels, he approaches percussion as a multidimensional art form and a vehicle for storytelling.

Teasley is equally engaged with the theater world, frequently composing and performing live scores for stage productions. His role as both musician and sound designer involves creating percussive environments that illuminate character and narrative, transforming rhythm into a storytelling device. Collaborations with actor and vocalist Charles Williams have produced a long-running series of interdisciplinary performances blending spoken word, poetry, and percussion—an innovative format that has reached audiences in schools, theaters, and cultural centers alike.

As an educator and author, Teasley is committed to broadening the percussive vocabulary of the next generation. His book and DVD, An American Approach to World Percussion, serve as comprehensive resources for integrating global techniques into a Western framework. As chair of the percussion department at the Levine School of Music in Washington, D.C., he guides students to explore connections between drum set, hand percussion, and classical technique. His workshops and clinics are known for their hands-on approach, emphasis on cultural context, and encouragement of creative exploration.

Whether performing in a concert hall, a classroom, or a sacred space, Tom Teasley seeks to ignite the imagination and invite listeners into a deeper engagement with sound. His mission is not only to entertain, but to educate, heal, and connect—through the shared pulse that lives within all of us.