Book A TOURING ARTIST
Tom Teasley | Global Percussion


About the Artist/Ensemble

Tom Teasley, described by The Washington Post as “a musical wizard,” is an award-winning percussionist, composer, and U.S. State Department cultural envoy. He blends ancient traditions with modern technology, weaving together instruments from Africa, the Middle East, India, and Asia with cutting-edge looping and sound design. His performances take audiences on unforgettable journeys through cultures and time.

Concert & Performance Programs Available for Booking:

Drumming Through Cultures and Time — $1,100
Travel the Silk Road (Italy to China) and the Sugar Trade Route (Africa to the Americas). Ancient instruments such as balafon, doumbek, djembe, kalimba, and frame drums combine with digital looping to create a virtual ensemble from a single performer.

Live Compositions to Classic Movies — $1,100
New this season: Tom’s live scores to Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton silent comedies — blending physical comedy with dynamic, improvisational percussion.
👉 Fully recorded versions with Tom’s performance embedded are also available for Chaplin and Keaton. These can be presented as a standalone program, a gallery installation, or as a preface to a live performance and talkback.

Additional offerings include:

  • The Adventures of Prince Achmed (Lotte Reiniger’s earliest animation)

  • Metropolis (Fritz Lang’s sci-fi classic with modern Techno soundtrack)

  • Nosferatu (F.W. Murnau’s horror masterpiece with live sound design)

  • The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (Robert Wiene’s German Expressionist landmark)

Sounds You Can SEE — $1,100 (performance and loan fee)
A multimedia project featuring Tom’s original video creations with live music. Flexible as a concert, installation, or gallery pairing. Includes options for recorded or live sound installations tailored to visual art exhibitions.

 

School & Educational Programs

Tom Teasley School Assembly — $800
Interactive world percussion and digital looping program for K–12 audiences.

Drumming in a Digital World
Students discover how one percussionist can create layered compositions in real time with global instruments and looping technology.

Percussion Workshop/Masterclass — $800
(or add $400 when combined with another program)
An American Approach to World Percussion Clinic — Techniques from Middle Eastern, Indian, and Far Eastern traditions applied to djembe, cajon, doumbek, frame drums, tambourines, and shakers. Exercises from Tom’s teacher Joe Morello and rudimental traditions connect these instruments to the American drum set. PDF worksheets available. Based on Teasley’s book/DVD (Alfred Music).

 

Residencies

3-Day Residency: $3,000 | 5-Day Residency: $4,500
Daily workshops develop hand drumming, call-and-response, and solkattu (South Indian rhythmic solfege). Students learn interlocking rhythms from African, Middle Eastern, Indian, and Latin traditions, explore electronic percussion, and perform with Tom in a culminating concert. With advance notice, drums can be purchased at a discount through endorsement partners.

 

Technical Requirements

  • Basic stage lighting and electrical outlet(s).

  • Artist can provide sound system if needed.

  • Film programs require projection/screening equipment.