The last few years have been anything but boring for DCI World Champion John Donovan as a Party Percussionist. John gets booked for million dollar weddings, mitzvahs, sweet 16’s, engagement parties, pool parties, and famous nightclubs. John occasionally works with DJ Nick Hogan, son of celebrity Professional Wrestling Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan, DJ Anthony Scali from the Oxygen reality television show; Jersey Coutre and DJ Astada, whose imminent fame is the result of opening up for world c...
The last few years have been anything but boring for DCI World Champion John Donovan as a Party Percussionist. John gets booked for million dollar weddings, mitzvahs, sweet 16’s, engagement parties, pool parties, and famous nightclubs. John occasionally works with DJ Nick Hogan, son of celebrity Professional Wrestling Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan, DJ Anthony Scali from the Oxygen reality television show; Jersey Coutre and DJ Astada, whose imminent fame is the result of opening up for world class acts such as Jonathan Peters, and being a first choice for many NYC area nightclubs such as the world famous Pacha, which is the old Sound Factory. In 2010 John Donovan was on the same bill as international dance music super-star Lucas Prata at a Multi-Million Dollar Fundraiser for a new children's hospital. While performing along DJ’S in the private and public club scene is almost exclusively reserved for Latin Percussionists, John’s Rudimental “Corps-Style” percussion application is both pioneering in the percussion industry, and historical. John Donovan is possibly the only full time commercial, freelance individual Multi-Tenor player on the planet. Employment as a Multi-Tenor player, whether it be with military, pro sport teams, amusement park or other independent organizations is almost exclusively reserved for professional groups of more than one. John considers it an honor to possibly be the one responsible for commercializing the Multi-Tenor instrument.
Before John’s big break in New York’s private event market, he worked with professional dance bands, rock bands, metal bands, jazz bands, musical theater pit orchestras, amusement park marching bands and cruise ship orchestras. In 2002, John performed with One Man Religion, which opened for internationally recognized Metal band, Breaking Benjamin. He is also a multi-world, national and state rudimental drumming champion, marching with Pioneer, Jersey Surf and The Reading Buccaneers Drum and Bugle Corps. A music business graduate of McNally Smith College of Music, formerly known as MusicTech, John has also served as composer, arranger, instructor, and manager for drumlines across the Northeast and Midwest. John was featured in Modern Drummer Magazine, Mentioned in Percussion News several times and is a performing artist and clinician for Mapex Marching Percussion, Paiste, Vater and Slug.
Like most drummers, John began by playing rock and roll, but everything changed when at age 16 he saw his first Drum Corps International (DCI) drumline. From the moment he dedicated himself to this extreme form of mental and physical conditioning, his value as a professional increased exponentially. John sees himself as a cyborg – a dynamic embodiment of drumline and drumset. Through intense DCA and DCI drumline training supplemented with regimented personal practice, he mastered rudimental snare, tenor and bass drumming. The resulting wizardry of flashy machine-like execution and musical depth has proven addictive – and lucrative.
John’s brisk success in New York has earned invitations as a clinician for the Sam Ash Music Chain and The New York Chapter of the Percussive Arts Society, sharing the stage with snare drummer Nick Angelis of Tony and Emmy award winning BLAST! Fame. With all the amazing possibilities that lie ahead for John Donovan, one thing for sure is that his demand is not slowing down. John resides with his wife Lauren, also a DCI Alum and Music Educator, and their son Evan. http://www.johndonovan.biz
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