BIOGRAPHY

Tom Teasley is an internationally acclaimed percussionist, composer, educator, and cultural envoy whose work transcends boundaries—geographic, artistic, and spiritual. Fusing ancient rhythms with contemporary soundscapes, Teasley creates immersive performances that draw from jazz, classical, and an expansive palette of global traditions. His dynamic solo concerts integrate instruments such as hand drums, drum set, mallet percussion, melodica, and live looping, offering audiences an experience that is as intellectually rich as it is emotionally resonant.

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. As a cultural envoy for the U.S. Department of State, he has performed and collaborated in countries including Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Samoa, Oman, and Jerusalem, where he worked alongside local musicians to foster cultural exchange and mutual understanding. These experiences deeply inform his musical language, blending indigenous traditions with American jazz and funk in compelling and unexpected ways.

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, serves as a comprehensive resource for integrating global techniques into a Western framework. He serves as chair of the percussion department at the Levine School of Music in Washington, D.C., where his curriculum encourages students to explore connections between drum set, hand percussion, and classical technique. His workshops and clinics are known for their hands-on approach and emphasis on cultural context.

In addition to his solo work, Teasley is deeply engaged with the theater world, frequently composing and performing live scores for stage productions. His role as both musician and sound designer often 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.

Teasley’s discography includes a range of solo albums that reflect his genre-blending approach, from jazz standards reimagined through global percussion to original compositions inspired by his travels. His music has appeared in multimedia contexts, including original scores for silent films, educational programming, and international broadcasts. Each project serves as a canvas for his evolving synthesis of traditional forms and modern techniques.

A lifelong learner, Teasley studied at the Peabody Conservatory and was mentored by percussion masters from both Western and non-Western traditions. He draws inspiration from a wide range of sources—Indian tala cycles, Afro-Cuban rhythms, Middle Eastern ornamentation, and American improvisation—all woven together with a deep respect for each culture's unique identity. Whether through frame drum techniques adapted to drum set, or shakers used in syncopated jazz patterns, his work exemplifies a highly personal and exploratory approach to rhythm.

For Teasley, percussion is more than music—it is a spiritual and social force. His belief in the drum as a tool for communication, healing, and connection fuels every performance, every workshop, and every note. From intimate classrooms to international stages, Tom Teasley continues to shape the global landscape of percussion, one rhythm at a time.