Damien Bassman
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Rhythmic Training, Music for Dance
BM from Cleveland Institute of Music
MM from Carnegie Melon University
Damien Bassman wrote & plays the drum/percussion book for The Addams Family musical, and wrote/played the drum/percussion books for the Tony and Pulitzer winning Next To Normal, The Color Purple, High Fidelity and Mario Cantone's Laugh Whore. As a featured member of Absolute Ensemble he's toured and recorded with fusion legend Joe Zawinul and world-renown artists like Paquito Di Rivera, Mike Keneally, Marcel Khalife, Gregor Bregovich. Damien has performed in Europe, Asia, New Zealand, & America and has been a featured soloist with the NDR Radiophilharmonie in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland, the MDR in Leipzig and Freyburg, and the Tonkustler Orchestra in Vienna. He is on faculty at the Bremen Musicfest, the Baltic Youth Philharmonic, and at Marymount Manhattan College and accompanies dance throughout NYC, performing with companies such as Alvin Ailey, Cunningham, and Battleworks. Damien has drummed for Sir Elton John, Barry Manilow, Ben Folds, John Cameron Mitchell, Rufus Wainwright, and is the drummer in many NYC-based bands including Jarrod Spector, The Mike Block Band and The Tom Kitt Band. He proudly endorses Toca Percussion.
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Rhythmic Training, Music for Dance
BM from Cleveland Institute of Music
MM from Carnegie Melon University
Damien Bassman wrote & plays the drum/percussion book for The Addams Family musical, and wrote/played the drum/percussion books for the Tony and Pulitzer winning Next To Normal, The Color Purple, High Fidelity and Mario Cantone's Laugh Whore. As a featured member of Absolute Ensemble he's toured and recorded with fusion legend Joe Zawinul and world-renown artists like Paquito Di Rivera, Mike Keneally, Marcel Khalife, Gregor Bregovich. Damien has performed in Europe, Asia, New Zealand, & America and has been a featured soloist with the NDR Radiophilharmonie in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland, the MDR in Leipzig and Freyburg, and the Tonkustler Orchestra in Vienna. He is on faculty at the Bremen Musicfest, the Baltic Youth Philharmonic, and at Marymount Manhattan College and accompanies dance throughout NYC, performing with companies such as Alvin Ailey, Cunningham, and Battleworks. Damien has drummed for Sir Elton John, Barry Manilow, Ben Folds, John Cameron Mitchell, Rufus Wainwright, and is the drummer in many NYC-based bands including Jarrod Spector, The Mike Block Band and The Tom Kitt Band. He proudly endorses Toca Percussion.