This week's guest is Marc McDuff, and his career is proof that the call can come from anywhere.

Marc grew up in a town of about 1,200 people in central Vermont. His high school pulled students from five towns just to fill the building. His dad was a 1970s hippie and a lifelong drummer who kept a kit in the basement, so Marc started banging on it as a kid, took lessons, played the high school musicals, and never left that lane.

He auditioned for Berklee mostly for the experience, then used a tuition exchange to study at the University of Montana in Missoula, where a percussion director with North Texas roots was teaching. After college he moved to Seattle on a whim. No job lined up. Nobody he knew. He played regional theater, went to jazz jams, and met people.

That's how the work found him. A music director he had played shows with all through college got hired for The Wizard of Oz national tour and asked for him. That run lasted about three years, with two U.S. legs and stops in China, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

After Wizard, he drove his old Subaru Outback across the country to Brooklyn. He reached out to me, and we got him into the pit to sit in. Then COVID hit. He was working at a cafe in SoHo when he sent out a few cold emails introducing himself. Months went by. Nothing. Then the phone rang: we need a drummer next week, are you available? That became the Legally Blonde tour, and the same music director brought him onto The Cher Show tour for two more years.

In this episode

• Why a few cold emails, sent months earlier, put him back on the road

• Playing about 20 minutes of a show in pitch black after his light blew in Scranton, with no comms

• Walking an unrestored stretch of the Great Wall, where soldiers carved their names into the stone

• Reading the entire Game of Thrones series in the pit on Wizard

• Treating every injury as a technique lesson, from thumb tension to his current Achilles rehab

• Why the two hours onstage are the easiest part of touring

• His top five: David Garibaldi, Carter Beauford, John Bonham, Keith Moon and Keith Carlock

Marc's advice for college players is the part I want every young musician to hear. Say yes to everything. Community theater, regional shows, the brunch cabaret that pays $20 and a beer. Not for the money. For the music directors and theater people who do this for a living. Those relationships are where every one of his tours came from.

Episode chapters

• 00:01:33 Meet Marc McDuff, and his Seattle Mariners memories

• 00:04:21 Memphis in Seattle, and the Super Bowl finish I missed for places

• 00:09:27 Growing up in a Vermont town of 1,200

• 00:10:05 A hippie drummer dad and a kit in the basement

• 00:15:01 Skater days and a broken shoulder before college auditions

• 00:21:17 Auditioning for Berklee, and why he chose Montana

• 00:25:13 Seattle, regional theater, and the call for The Wizard of Oz tour

• 00:26:54 Touring China, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain

• 00:30:25 The stretch of the Great Wall tourists never see

• 00:34:45 Brooklyn, COVID, and the cold email that landed Legally Blonde

• 00:37:14 Two years on The Cher Show tour

• 00:38:40 The night the light blew in Scranton

• 00:40:54 How he stayed fresh playing the same show for years

• 00:42:38 Drumming injuries, technique, and Achilles rehab

• 00:46:04 What nobody tells you about touring

• 00:49:13 The one thing college drummers should start doing now

• 00:51:31 Marc's top five drummers

• 00:56:29 What's next for Marc

Connect with Marc

Follow Marc on Instagram at @marc_mcduff.

The Trust Economy: Live on October 29

Marc never landed a tour because of a résumé. Every call came from somebody who already trusted him.

Most musicians never learn how that works. They practice for hours, show up on time, play well, and still watch the call go to somebody else. Nobody tells them why. So they keep doing more of the same, and every month the phone stays quiet, somebody else is building the relationship that could have been theirs.

That's why I built The Trust Economy, a live Zoom masterclass on Thursday, October 29 at 5 PM ET / 2 PM PT. In 60 to 90 minutes, I'll break down what contractors and music directors notice that has nothing to do with your chops, what puts a name at the top of their list, and what quietly takes it off.

You'll walk out with a plan to become the musician people recommend without being asked. A replay will be available.

Save My Seat: $97

Claim a VIP Spot: $197

Get the Group License: $497

Want the full rundown first? Read the masterclass details here.

If you want the full picture of how a theater career gets built, pick up my book, Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician's Guide to Building a Theater Career. Just got the call to sub? The Broadway Sub Playbook walks you from the first call to opening night for $7.99.

Thanks for listening. If this episode helped you, share it with a musician who needs to hear it, and leave a five-star review wherever you listen.

Clayton

Clayton Craddock has spent 26 years in musical theater, most recently as the drummer for Cats: The Jellicle Ball at the Broadhurst Theatre. Now based in Las Vegas, he is the founder of Broadway Bound and Beyond and author of Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician's Guide to Building a Theater Career. He teaches musicians the career skills nobody teaches them.

When I landed my first Broadway chair on Memphis, one name kept coming up: Michael Keller. He has contracted more than 100 Broadway shows, including The Lion King, Wicked, The Book of Mormon, and Hamilton. Before that, he was a drummer from Queens wheeling his kit through Manhattan.

The Beatles got him started. He was subbing off-Broadway at 19, played his first Broadway show, Promises, Promises, in 1970, toured with Dionne Warwick, and spent 15 years as Marvin Hamlisch’s drummer and conductor. Hamlisch opened the door to contracting, and the 1994 Barbra Streisand tour changed everything. Nobody mentored him. He figured it out himself.

What I love most about this conversation is how simple his hiring philosophy is: “I want a great player who can get along with people.” That’s the whole list. He also explains why your job changes once a show opens. Most of the audience is seeing it for the first time, so your job becomes keeping it fresh and consistent every night.

His advice for breaking in: sub first, be persistent, ask to sit in the pit, never say no, and find every chance to be heard. A great resume won’t get you hired. Your playing will.

He also tells the story of hearing Steve Gadd for the first time and choosing inspiration over quitting. Every musician faces that choice eventually.

Michael’s message is the heart of what I teach: talent gets you noticed, trust gets you hired. Join me live for The Trust Economy masterclass on October 29 at 5 PM Eastern.

👉 Save your seat here

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About Clayton Craddock

Clayton Craddock has spent 26 years in musical theater, most recently as the drummer for Cats: The Jellicle Ball at the Broadhurst Theatre. Now based in Las Vegas, he is the founder of Broadway Bound and Beyond, host of the Broadway Drumming 101 podcast, and author of Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician’s Guide to Building a Theater Career. He teaches musicians the career skills nobody teaches them.

His Broadway credits include Memphis, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, Ain’t Too Proud, and Cats: The Jellicle Ball. He has also played tick, tick…BOOM! and The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical, and subbed on Rent, Motown, Evita, Avenue Q, and the Hadestown tour.

He has appeared on The View, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the Tony Awards, and has performed with Chuck Berry, Ben E. King, Kristin Chenoweth, and Norm Lewis.

www.claytoncraddock.com

This week’s podcast guest is Tanner Schut, and he is currently out on tour with The Book of Mormon. When we recorded, Tanner was actually on a layoff. The tour was sitting in Toronto dealing with a musicians’ union situation, so the whole band got a few weeks off before picking back up.

Tanner joined Book of Mormon mid run, which is its own story. The drummer before him left to rejoin Blue Man Group, and Tanner got the call after a chain of connections that started with an audition for the Water for Elephants tour that didn’t even work out. He made an impression anyway, and when the Book of Mormon music director went looking for a drummer, his name got passed along.

He grew up in Corvallis, Oregon until he was eleven, then finished growing up in Boise, Idaho. He picked up drums in middle school, almost by accident, and by his teenage years he’d fallen hard for the studio legends: Steve Gadd, Peter Erskine, Vinnie Colaiuta, Roger Hawkins, Jim Keltner, Jim Gordon, Steve Jordan, Steve Smith, Steve Ferrone. You can hear all of that in his playing, honestly. I told him as much before we even started recording.

Tanner went to the University of Idaho, where he bounced between social work, music, and eventually landed on a journalism and broadcasting degree, which he crammed into two and a half years. From there he spent three years working on cruise ships, mostly in house orchestras backing production shows and guest entertainers, before making his way to New York and subletting a spot in Bed-Stuy. That’s also where our paths first crossed. He found this podcast during his last cruise ship contract and started listening to figure out how the New York music scene actually worked.

What we got into

This was a genuinely great conversation, and it went in directions I didn’t expect:

• The Water for Elephants audition that didn’t land him the gig, but landed him the one that mattered more

• How he talked his way onto his first cruise ship job with an audition tape most people would call excessive: fifty five different styles, chopped together into one continuous take

• What a real week on a cruise ship actually looks like, and how close he got to burning out after a nine month contract

• The honest version of what it takes to break into the cruise ship world, agencies and all

• What he’d do differently moving to New York, after watching his savings disappear faster than he ever expected

• The strange, small-world way a family connection led him to another drummer in New York before he’d even unpacked

Tanner stood up for the entire interview because he couldn’t sit still, which somehow felt like the most fitting way to talk to a touring drummer. Nobody in this business sits still for long, and this conversation is proof of that.

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Clayton Craddock was most recently the drummer for Cats: The Jellicle Ball on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre. He is also the founder of Broadway Drumming 101 and the author of Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician’s Guide to Building a Theater Career.

His Broadway credits include Memphis, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, Ain’t Too Proud, and Cats: The Jellicle Ball, with additional credits spanning tick, tick…BOOM!, The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical, and subbing on Rent, Motown, Evita, Avenue Q, and the Hadestown tour.

Clayton has appeared on The View, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the Tony Awards. He has performed with artists ranging from Chuck Berry and Ben E. King to Kristin Chenoweth and Norm Lewis.

www.claytoncraddock.com

Joel “Jay-Ray” Anderson is a drummer that was recently touring with The Wiz.

I caught up with him mid-tour. We talked about growing up in a musical family in Fort Lauderdale, learning drums from YouTube and his oldest brother, coming up through the Dillard High School drumline, studying music at Broward College and Florida Memorial University, landing his first tour (Pretty Woman) the week after graduation, and transitioning to The Wiz through a network built one relationship at a time. We got into gospel drumming history, drumline battles, a month spent touring Japan, and why networking, not just chops, is what actually opens doors.

Jay-Ray comes from a house full of musicians. His father plays guitar and sings; his oldest brother plays drums and keys; another brother sings, plays drums, and plays saxophone; and a third brother plays bass, guitar, and keys while producing. Jay-Ray’s own introduction to the drums came at six years old, when his oldest brother sat him down in front of a kit for the first time. By twelve, he had his own Sonor drum set, a gift from that same brother, and was already teaching himself by copying drumming videos on YouTube.

Jay-Ray attended Dillard Center for the Arts, where he played in two jazz bands, marched snare in the wind orchestra and drumline, and got pulled onto snare drum as a freshman after impressing section leader Javon with a string of paradiddles. He talks about the discipline instilled by band directors Christopher Dorsey and Dr. Sheldon McClain, learning traditional grip for the first time, and the intensity of real drumline battles.

Jay-Ray studied at Broward College (Associate’s in Music Performance) before transferring to Florida Memorial University for his bachelor’s degree, where he played under percussion director Taurus Lovely, a 25-year Broadway touring veteran (including Tina Turner: The Musical) who would later become the person who got Jay-Ray his first tour. Jay-Ray’s first trip to New York came in 2018, when Dillard’s jazz band won the Essentially Ellington competition at Jazz at Lincoln Center, the same trip where he first saw a Broadway show, Ain’t Too Proud.

The day after Jay-Ray graduated from Florida Memorial in May 2023, Taurus Lovely called with an audition opportunity for the Pretty Woman national tour. Jay-Ray recorded four songs from the show, landed the gig, and was in rehearsals in Syracuse, New York within months. He talks candidly about the learning curve of running click tracks and Ableton on the road, getting walked through the system by original drummer Kevin Maynard, and the parts of touring nobody warns you about, like setting up and breaking down your own kit on travel days. Over roughly two years with the show, he toured extensively across the U.S. and spent a month performing in Japan (Shinjuku, Tachikawa, Kyoto, and Osaka).

Jay-Ray’s move to The Wiz came through his network: Sammy Merandino and Quentin “Q” Robinson recommended him, and MD Michael Aarons brought him in. Jay-Ray left Pretty Woman in Wichita and, within a week, was in New York starting rehearsals, spending his off-hours studying original drummer Trevor Holder’s book and comparing the Broadway cast recording to the touring arrangement. He also shares how he first met Q Robinson years earlier, showing up at Hamilton’s closing show in Fort Lauderdale just to introduce himself.

Asked what he’d tell a high school or college drummer chasing a career like his, Jay-Ray’s answer is simple: networking. Every opportunity in his career, from Pretty Woman to The Wiz to this very podcast episode, traces back to a relationship someone else made on his behalf.

Where to Find Jay-Ray

• Instagram & TikTok: @jay.ray04

• Facebook: Joel Anderson

• Email: joel.r.anderson04@gmail.com

Subscribe now

Resources

• Free: How to Land a Broadway Gig Roadmap — subscribe to Broadway Drumming 101 (free or paid) and grab it at broadwayboundbook.com/roadmap

• The Broadway Sub Playbook ($7.99) — available at signaturebrandworks.com

• Broadway Drumming 101 merch (backpacks, tees, hats, mugs, and more) — signaturebrandworks.com

• Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician’s Guide to Building a Theater Career by Clayton Craddock — out now

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Clayton Craddock was most recently the drummer for Cats: The Jellicle Ball on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre. He is also the founder of Broadway Drumming 101 and the author of Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician’s Guide to Building a Theater Career.

His Broadway credits include Memphis, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, Ain’t Too Proud, and Cats: The Jellicle Ball, with additional credits spanning tick, tick…BOOM!, The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical, and subbing on Rent, Motown, Evita, Avenue Q, and the Hadestown tour.

Clayton has appeared on The View, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the Tony Awards. He has performed with artists ranging from Chuck Berry and Ben E. King to Kristin Chenoweth and Norm Lewis.

www.claytoncraddock.com

The Adam Wolfe Interview — Now on Video

This is the video version of a Broadway Drumming 101 classic, first published back in 2022.

Adam Wolfe made his Broadway debut on Frank Wildhorn’s Wonderland after playing its out-of-town tryout at Houston’s Alley Theatre. From there he built one of the most versatile résumés in the city, subbing on Rent, Evita, Matilda, Cats, Hello Dolly, Anastasia, The Prom, West Side Story, and more, plus chairs on Bandstand, Jerry Springer the Opera, and Clueless the Musical. A classically trained percussionist with serious drum set chops, Adam is the kind of hybrid player who can walk into almost any pit and hold it down.

In this conversation, Adam talks about what it actually took to build that career: the prep, the trust-building, and the versatility that keeps the calls coming.

If you want the roadmap for building a career like this, grab a copy of Broadway Bound and Beyond. It’s the book I wish I had when I started, and it lays out the actual sequence: how to build the reputation, the relationships, and the readiness that get you in the pit and keep you there. Get it at broadwayboundbook.com.

And if you’re already working toward sub gigs, check out The Broadway Sub Playbook. It’s a short, direct four-week guide covering pit prep, etiquette, and the habits that get you called back. Get it at signaturebrandworks.com.

Watch the full interview, then go get both. Nobody hands you a career in this business. You build it.

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Clayton Craddock was most recently the drummer for Cats: The Jellicle Ball on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre. He is also the founder of Broadway Drumming 101 and the author of Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician’s Guide to Building a Theater Career.

His Broadway credits include Memphis, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, Ain’t Too Proud, and Cats: The Jellicle Ball, with additional credits spanning tick, tick…BOOM!, The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical, and subbing on Rent, Motown, Evita, Avenue Q, and the Hadestown tour.

Clayton has appeared on The View, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the Tony Awards. He has performed with artists ranging from Chuck Berry and Ben E. King to Kristin Chenoweth and Norm Lewis.

www.claytoncraddock.com

Based in NYC since 2011, Adam came to New York by way of Houston, TX, where he completed his Master’s Degree at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music (2008). Adam grew up in Northeast Ohio, where he attended Cleveland State University (2006). Formally studying classical percussion throughout his education, Adam also actively performed as a freelancer on drum set — his classical background combined with his drum set skills gave him a unique blend that turned out to be very well-suited for musical theater.

After playing its out-of-town tryout at Houston’s Alley Theatre, Adam had his Broadway debut as the drummer on Frank Wildhorn’s WONDERLAND when it transferred to Broadway (Spring 2011). OBCR on Sony Masterworks.

With his foot in the door from his first Broadway show, Adam set about the work of subbing and building a reputation in and around the city. Subbing on NYC productions as diverse as RENT, EVITA, MATILDA the Musical, AVENUE Q, CATS, HELLO DOLLY, ANASTASIA, THE PROM, WEST SIDE STORY, COME FROM AWAY, and LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS — and many more — Adam routinely demonstrates a wide-ranging versatility. A unique hybrid player, Adam is equally at home on drum set and percussion, excelling in situations that demand both contemporary drum set styles and legit classical/orchestral sensibilities.

Adam’s most recent NYC chairs include 2017’s BANDSTAND on Broadway (TONY Nomination for Best Orchestrations, TONY WINNER for Best Choreography), Jerry Springer the Opera, and Between the Lines with acclaimed writers Samsel & Anderson — where Adam not only played drums and percussion but helped create the percussive mix elements. Adam is often found developing new works in NYC’s rehearsal studios, working with established and new writing teams whenever possible. Most recently, Adam subbed on CATS: The Jellicle Ball.

Adam has supported many of NYC’s finest singers, including Caroline Bowman, Austin Colby, Jordan Dobson, Natalie Weiss, Justin Guarini, Sierra Boggess, Laura Osnes, Josh Young, Orfeh, Andy Karl, Patti LuPone, Jeremy Jordan, Ben Fankhauser, Brian Justin Crumm, Jenna Ushkowitz, Jay Armstrong Johnson, Kacey Velazquez, Loren Allred, Andy Mientus, and Crystal Monee Hall, among many others.

When not in the theater, Adam is often found in NYC recording studios playing for singer/songwriters and composers like Desi Oakley, The Jack Mosbacher Band, Michael Mott, and David Mallamud — playing cabaret spots like Feinstein’s 54 Below, performing at Lincoln Center, and downtown venues such as Rockwood Music Hall, Piano’s, and The Bitter End. Adam also records drum tracks and produces at his studio in Midtown Manhattan.

Recordings Adam Has Played On:

• Between the Lines Original Cast Recording

• BANDSTAND Original Broadway Cast Recording

• Desi Oakley, “Repeat”

• Michael Mott, “Abandoned Heart” (Released on Broadway Records, September 15, 2017)

• A Rockin’ Midsummer Night’s Dream – World Premiere Recording

• You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown (2016 Off-Broadway Cast Recording) — available on iTunes, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble

Collaborators featured on these recordings include David Mallamud, Nat Zegree, The Jack Mosbacher Band, and Desi Oakley.

Connect with Adam:
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Contact form for bookings and inquiries.
Site: home | about | media | recording/programming

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Clayton Craddock was most recently the drummer for Cats: The Jellicle Ball on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre. He is also the founder of Broadway Drumming 101 and the author of Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician’s Guide to Building a Theater Career.

His Broadway credits include Memphis, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, Ain’t Too Proud, and Cats: The Jellicle Ball, with additional credits spanning tick, tick…BOOM!, The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical, and subbing on Rent, Motown, Evita, Avenue Q, and the Hadestown tour.

Clayton has appeared on The View, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the Tony Awards. He has performed with artists ranging from Chuck Berry and Ben E. King to Kristin Chenoweth and Norm Lewis.

www.claytoncraddock.com

Spencer Inch is one of the busiest drummers in the tri-state area and has been doing it the right way for a long time. He’s currently on the Water for Elephants national tour, and how he got there is a masterclass in how this business actually works.

What we covered:

• How his drum teacher in Norwalk, Connecticut — a musical theater pit musician himself — shaped everything about the way Spencer approaches charts, styles, and preparation

• Going from a classical undergrad at Penn State to a jazz grad program at UM Frost and feeling completely out of his league — and why that was the best thing that ever happened to him

• What cruise ships actually teach you that school never will: making people dance, reading a room, and playing polka music with no internet and no prep time

• How his first connection into the New York theater world came from a drummer he barely knew who shared a rehearsal space in Williamsburg — that drummer went on to play with Billie Eilish

• The real reality of life on a rock tour — the routine of it, the grind of load-in and load-out, and why it felt more like going to work than living a dream

The advice he got on a cruise ship about playing polkas at the Blue Note — and why Wynton Marsalis walking in the door shouldn’t change anything about how you play.

The throughline in Spencer’s story isn’t talent. It’s relationships, saying yes, and taking every single gig seriously — no matter what it is. The polka gig. The Les Mis at a children’s theater. All of it.

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Clayton Craddock is the drummer for Cats: The Jellicle Ball on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre. He is also the founder of Broadway Drumming 101 and the author of Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician’s Guide to Building a Theater Career.

His Broadway credits include Memphis, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, Ain’t Too Proud, and Cats: The Jellicle Ball, with additional credits spanning tick, tick…BOOM!, The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical, and subbing on Rent, Motown, Evita, Avenue Q, and the Hadestown tour.

Clayton has appeared on The View, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the Tony Awards. He has performed with artists ranging from Chuck Berry and Ben E. King to Kristin Chenoweth and Norm Lewis.

www.claytoncraddock.com

In 2018, Mariana Ramirez walked into the pit at Once On This Island as a sub and made history. She became the first female Mexican percussionist to ever perform on a Broadway show.

Nobody handed her that moment. She built it.

I first published this conversation in March of 2022, and it remains one of my favorites. Most of you weren’t subscribed back then, so I’m bringing it back — the story is too good to leave in the archive.

Who is Mariana Ramirez?

Mariana is an NYC-based freelance percussionist who began her music studies at the National Conservatory of Mexico in Mexico City before earning her Bachelor of Music in Percussion at Rutgers University.

That first Broadway sub gig at Once On This Island opened doors. She went on to sub Head Over Heels and Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations, then hit the road holding the drums/percussion chair on the Once On This Island national tour. Off-Broadway, her credits include Merrily We Roll Along and Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish, among many others. Today, she is one of just two female Mexican drummer/percussionists performing on Broadway.

But her career stretches far beyond the pit.

She has performed across Europe, Asia, and Mexico with Mexican traditional music bands, symphonic ensembles, chamber orchestras, and pop bands. You may have caught her on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, in the series Mozart in the Jungle, or at the NBC Universal Upfronts at Radio City Music Hall.

She also founded Percussion Quartet Excelsis, which Jonathan Haas, head of the NYU Percussion Department, praised as one of the most innovative and exciting percussion ensembles of this era of chamber music. Excelsis has performed twice on NPR’s From the Top, at the Percussive Arts Society New York Weekend of Percussion, Brooklyn Bound with Sō Percussion, Zeltsman Marimba Festival, and Tippet Rise Music Festival in Montana. The group is endorsed by Sabian Cymbals.

As a symphonic percussionist, she has performed with the National Symphony of Mexico, Orquesta de Minería, the first all-women orchestra of Mexico, Dartmouth Symphony, South Florida Symphony, New England Ensemble, Fairfield Orchestra, and most recently with The Dessoff Choir, premiering works for choir and orchestra at Alice Tully Hall.

Traditional Mexican music. Broadway pits. Symphony halls. Chamber ensembles. Television. That range is not an accident — it’s the career.

In this conversation, we talk about:

• The Santana concert in Mexico City that made an 11-year-old girl decide, on the spot, what she wanted to do with her life

• Her path from the National Conservatory of Mexico to Rutgers to New York

• What it took to break into Broadway subbing — and what it meant to be the first

• How versatility across genres and settings keeps a freelance career alive

And when you’re done with this one, keep an eye on your inbox. Up next on the podcast: Spencer Inch. You won’t want to miss that conversation.

For the complete roadmap to building a career in theater, grab Broadway Bound and Beyond at broadwayboundbook.com.

Broadway Bound and Beyond isn’t theory. It’s twenty-six years on Broadway broken down into what actually works: how auditions really get decided, how reputation gets built or destroyed, how money works in this business, why versatility keeps you employed, and what it takes to last decades instead of one season. If you want the full career picture, the hardcover is at broadwayboundbook.com.

If subbing is specifically your way in, the book gets you the mindset and the etiquette, but the Broadway Sub Playbook goes further. It’s the actual system: the four-week prep formula, the show-day routine, how to take notes that stick, how to handle a pit you’ve never sat in before. It’s built for one job — getting you ready for that call when it comes — and it’s the resource a lot of working subs wish they’d had before their first one.

Grab both at signaturebrandworks.com.

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Clayton Craddock is the drummer for Cats: The Jellicle Ball on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre. He is also the founder of Broadway Drumming 101 and the author of Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician’s Guide to Building a Theater Career.

His Broadway credits include Memphis, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, Ain’t Too Proud, and Cats: The Jellicle Ball, with additional credits spanning tick, tick…BOOM!, The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical, and subbing on Rent, Motown, Evita, Avenue Q, and the Hadestown tour.

Clayton has appeared on The View, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the Tony Awards. He has performed with artists ranging from Chuck Berry and Ben E. King to Kristin Chenoweth and Norm Lewis.

www.claytoncraddock.com

Mackenna Tolfa is the first featured female drummer in Blue Man Group history. She plays ‘The Rockstar’ on the current North American Tour — the character she originated on the World Tour in 2021 after performing in more than 20 countries. Before returning to Blue Man, she held the drum chair on the national tours of Mean Girls and The Book of Mormon. She’s also the orchestrator and arranger for The Dust Bowl Radio Hour, a new musical with a concept album.

In this conversation we get into how all of it happened. How she chose the University of Minnesota specifically to study with Fernando Meza, the original percussionist for The Lion King. How she wrote a letter to the drummer from The Band’s Visit as a high school student, had it delivered to the stage door, and how that relationship eventually led to her finding out about the Blue Man audition years later.

And the audition itself. She was in a remote desert town in Spain — 400 people, no drum set anywhere nearby — when she got the call. She drove two and a half hours, rented the one kit in a back room, and filmed her audition in 115-degree heat with no air conditioning. She booked the role.

We also get into what it means to originate a role versus step into a chair, how the Book of Mormon book is one of the most technically demanding on tour right now, and why following curiosity sideways — marimba physicality, Ableton, a fun cover video — has shaped her career in ways she never planned.

Catch this episode wherever you listen to podcasts. And if you’re finding value in these conversations, please leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts — it helps other musicians find the show.

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Resources

If you’re serious about landing a gig in this business, start with the free How to Land a Broadway Gig Roadmap. It breaks down how the industry actually works — who the key players are, how relationships drive hiring, and how to position yourself to get the call. Free with any subscription to Broadway Drumming 101.
broadwayboundbook.com/roadmap

For the full picture, pick up Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician’s Guide to Building a Theater Career. Everything the roadmap introduces, the book goes deeper on — the mindset, the preparation, the relationships, and the financial side of sustaining a career long-term.
broadwayboundbook.com

And coming soon — Broadway Bound and Beyond: The Course. The Career Foundation Every Working Musician Needs (But Nobody Teaches). More details dropping soon. Stay subscribed.

Subscribe now

Clayton Craddock is the drummer for Cats: The Jellicle Ball on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre. He is also the founder of Broadway Drumming 101 and the author of Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician’s Guide to Building a Theater Career.

His Broadway credits include Memphis, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, Ain’t Too Proud, and Cats: The Jellicle Ball, with additional credits spanning tick, tick…BOOM!, The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical, and subbing on Rent, Motown, Evita, Avenue Q, and the Hadestown tour.

Clayton has appeared on The View, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the Tony Awards. He has performed with artists ranging from Chuck Berry and Ben E. King to Kristin Chenoweth and Norm Lewis.

www.claytoncraddock.com

Karl Latham played in The Fantasy Band alongside Dave Valentin, Dave Samuels, Chuck Loeb, Noel Pointer, and Roy Ayers. Five names that don’t usually end up on the same bandstand. Karl made the cut for all of them.

We recorded this conversation back in February 2022. A lot has changed for Karl since we sat down, including new credits that weren’t on his resume yet when we hit record.

Karl’s reach goes deep into the jazz world. He’s played with Freddie Hendrix, Roberta Gamberini, Mark Gross, and Eric Alexander. He’s worked with Michael Urbaniak and Andy Snitzer. He was part of The New Voices of Freedom and joined Howard Paul for sessions with Tom Scott and Anat Cohen. He’s played with Ali Ryerson alongside Mark Egan and Pete Levin, and worked the Wolfgang Lackerschmid group with Attila Zoller, Ed Cherry, Cameron Brown, and Mark Egan. He’s also recorded with pianist Johannes Mossinger’s band, a lineup stacked with Joel Frahm, Calvin Jones, Don Braden, Boris Kozlov, and Kermit Driscoll.

He’s subbed on Broadway too: Hamilton, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Ain’t Too Proud, Bring It On, and Two Strangers. And when he’s not touring or subbing, he’s teaching. Karl is Co-Chair of the Percussive Arts Society Education Committee and adjunct faculty at four schools: Drew University, County College of Morris, Raritan Valley Community College, and Blair Academy.

Karl is an endorsing artist for Yamaha Drums, Paiste Cymbals, ProMark Drumsticks, Evans Drumheads, Big Fat Snare, AEA Microphones, Radial Engineering, Heil Sound, ProLogix Percussion, and RME.

Press play. And if this episode gives you something, leave us a five-star review wherever you listen. It takes thirty seconds and it means a lot to the show.

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Broadway Bound and Beyond isn’t theory. It’s twenty-six years on Broadway broken down into what actually works: how auditions really get decided, how reputation gets built or destroyed, how money works in this business, why versatility keeps you employed, and what it takes to last decades instead of one season. If you want the full career picture, the hardcover is at broadwayboundbook.com.

If subbing is specifically your way in, the book gets you the mindset and the etiquette, but the Broadway Sub Playbook goes further. It’s the actual system: the four-week prep formula, the show-day routine, how to take notes that stick, how to handle a pit you’ve never sat in before. It’s built for one job — getting you ready for that call when it comes — and it’s the resource a lot of working subs wish they’d had before their first one.

Grab both at signaturebrandworks.com.

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Clayton Craddock is the drummer for Cats: The Jellicle Ball on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre. He is also the founder of Broadway Drumming 101 and the author of Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician’s Guide to Building a Theater Career.

His Broadway credits include Memphis, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, Ain’t Too Proud, and Cats: The Jellicle Ball, with additional credits spanning tick, tick…BOOM!, The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical, and subbing on Rent, Motown, Evita, Avenue Q, and the Hadestown tour.

Clayton has appeared on The View, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the Tony Awards. He has performed with artists ranging from Chuck Berry and Ben E. King to Kristin Chenoweth and Norm Lewis.

www.claytoncraddock.com

Jared Shaw didn’t build his career on one big break.

He built it on being ready.

National tours of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical and The Book of Mormon. Broadway sub credits on Tommy, Boop! The Musical, Beaches, and more. Four years as the drummer for Billy Mira & The Hitmen on the Howard Stern Show. Percussion guest with the National Symphony of Ghana. First drum chair of the NYU Broadway Orchestra under Ted Sperling. Over 40 theatrical productions in New York City.

That’s not a resume. That’s a body of work built one gig at a time.

He also came up the right way — NYU Steinhardt, Percussion Performance, University Honors, with minors in Business of Entertainment and Producing.

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In this episode, we get into what it actually took. How he approached learning difficult books. How he thinks about subbing. What touring taught him about professionalism. How electronic drumming and programming became part of his toolkit — not as a novelty, but as a necessity.

We also talk about his studies with James Saporito, Shawn Pelton, and Valerie Naranjo. Three teachers who shaped how he hears music and approaches the instrument.

This is a conversation about longevity. About what it actually takes to last in this business. About being the kind of drummer people call — and call back.

If you’re serious about how to get into subbing on Broadway, or getting a tour, this one’s worth your time.

For more: https://www.jared-shaw.com

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Clayton Craddock is the drummer for Cats: The Jellicle Ball on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre. He is also the founder of Broadway Drumming 101 and the author of Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician’s Guide to Building a Theater Career.

His Broadway credits include Memphis, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, Ain’t Too Proud, and Cats: The Jellicle Ball, with additional credits spanning tick, tick…BOOM!, The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical, and subbing on Rent, Motown, Evita, Avenue Q, and the Hadestown tour.

Clayton has appeared on The View, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the Tony Awards. He has performed with artists ranging from Chuck Berry and Ben E. King to Kristin Chenoweth and Norm Lewis.

www.claytoncraddock.com

Gary Seligson: The Grammy-Winning Broadway Drummer Phil Collins Refused to Work Without

Phil Collins snuck into a performance of Wicked one night without telling Gary Seligson he was coming.

The next morning, he walked into Tarzan rehearsal and told the producers he didn’t care who else they put in the band. There was one guy he wanted on drums. Not Chuck Burgi — who had literally replaced Phil Collins in Brand X and was calling in every favor he had to get the gig. Gary Seligson. The one he heard play in the theater when nobody knew he was watching.

That’s the kind of reputation you build over a career that most Broadway musicians would trade anything for.

I chatted with Gary on August 24, 2021. The video is on the Broadway Drumming 101 YouTube channel. Now the audio is available everywhere you get your podcasts — Apple Podcasts, Spotify, wherever you listen.

Gary is a Grammy Award winner who originated the drum books and recorded the cast albums for Aida, Wicked, Tarzan, A Little Princess, School of Rock, and Soft Power. He held the drum chair on Billy Elliot for over three years. He’s on the Motown: The Musical cast recording playing percussion. His Broadway credits span more than two decades — from The Gershwins’ Fascinating Rhythm in 1999 through Bob Fosse’s Dancin’ and Harmony in 2023. In 2025, he headed back out on the road with the Beauty and the Beast revival. He’s also subbed on more than 20 Broadway productions, including Chicago, The Lion King, Les Misérables, Miss Saigon, Cats, and Rent.

Gary grew up in West Orange, New Jersey, banging on his mother’s pots and pans before his father bought him a tiny metal snare drum at age three. He studied with the same teacher from second grade through twelfth grade. He went to the Hartt School of Music in Hartford. He found his way to Gary Chester in New York, who completely rewired how he thought about the instrument, and then told him flat out: never leave town for more than four weeks.

Gary took a touring gig anyway.

Nine years on the road followed. And the moment he pulled into his mother’s driveway after finally deciding to come home, the phone rang. It was Bob Billig calling about Chicago. That’s how this business works when you’ve done the groundwork.

We get into his first Broadway subbing experience at The King and I — walking into the pit two hours before curtain, sitting down at a drum set that felt completely foreign, getting thrown out by the stage manager before the show even started, then spending an hour and forty-five minutes walking around Midtown getting more nervous with every step. Trial by fire. He made the cut, and word traveled fast.

We talk about what it felt like to play alongside Elton John in an Aida rehearsal room. We talk about Phil Collins tapping a pencil on a desk during Tarzan rehearsals — not even playing, just tapping — and how the groove was so wide the entire room felt it. And we talk about the moment Gary flew himself to San Francisco on JetBlue just to watch Wicked out of town, because he needed to know for himself whether to leave Aida for it.

He knew by the first number.

Gary is a Pearl Drums, Sabian Cymbals, Pro-Mark Sticks, Grover Percussion, and Remo Heads endorser, and has been featured in Modern Drummer and DRUM magazine multiple times.

Press play. And if this episode gives you something, please leave us a glowing five-star review wherever you’re listening. It takes 30 seconds and it means everything to the show.

If you’re serious about your own path in this industry, pick up Broadway Bound and Beyond at broadwayboundbook.com. Signed copies at signaturebrandworks.com.

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Clayton Craddock is the drummer for Cats: The Jellicle Ball on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre. He is also the founder of Broadway Drumming 101 and the author of Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician’s Guide to Building a Theater Career.

His Broadway credits include Memphis, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, Ain’t Too Proud, and Cats: The Jellicle Ball, with additional credits spanning tick, tick…BOOM!, The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical, and subbing on Rent, Motown, Evita, Avenue Q, and the Hadestown tour.

Clayton has appeared on The View, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the Tony Awards. He has performed with artists ranging from Chuck Berry and Ben E. King to Kristin Chenoweth and Norm Lewis.

www.claytoncraddock.com

I chatted with Rodney Howard in February of 2022. He was in his drum room — blue kit behind him, Meshell Ndegeocello shirt on — and what started as a podcast felt more like a conversation between two guys who just happened to both live in this world.

I had a great time revisiting this one.

The Lost Boys is now running at the Palace Theatre with 12 Tony nominations, including Best Musical. It’s the most Tony-nominated musical of 2026. Rodney is the percussionist on that show. Before that, he held the drum chair at Mrs. Doubtfire, subbed some of the hardest chairs on Broadway, and spent years on the road with Avril Lavigne, Gavin DeGraw, and Regina Spektor.

This episode is about how you build that kind of career. He started on saxophone. Switched to drums at 17. Moved to New York not thinking about Broadway at all. Then Jeff Campbell put his name in front of Chris Parker, and the rest is a masterclass in being ready when the call comes.

Two things from this conversation I almost forgot about that were really important. First, he said, take notes literally and broadly, but not too literally. He learned that the hard way at Lion King, following a sub-conductor’s shaky conducting because Tommy told him to follow the conductor. The notes you get points you somewhere, but it doesn’t replace your judgment.

Second, when you sub, use what the drummer uses for monitoring. Not your nice headphones. Not your in-ears. Whatever they use. The mix was built around that. He said he’s personally tanked a sub gig because he didn’t. Said it like a man who doesn’t enjoy repeating the experience.

The video drops this Friday. Go listen.

Originally released February 2022 on the Broadway Drumming 101 Podcast.

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Clayton Craddock is the drummer for Cats: The Jellicle Ball on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre. He is also the founder of Broadway Drumming 101 and the author of Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician’s Guide to Building a Theater Career.

His Broadway credits include Memphis, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, Ain’t Too Proud, and Cats: The Jellicle Ball, with additional credits spanning tick, tick…BOOM!, The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical, and subbing on Rent, Motown, Evita, Avenue Q, and the Hadestown tour.

Clayton has appeared on The View, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the Tony Awards. He has performed with artists ranging from Chuck Berry and Ben E. King to Kristin Chenoweth and Norm Lewis.

www.claytoncraddock.com

Morgan is the drummer on the national tour of A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical. Six hundred shows in. Almost quit drumming in high school. Grew up in a small town in Kansas with no real map for any of this. Found her way to NYU, subbed MJ and Yiddish Fiddler simultaneously, and landed a tour that’s run nearly two years.

Her path is not the one anybody draws up. And the way she talks about trust, subbing, ego, and what actually gets you hired — it’s the kind of honesty you don’t hear enough of.

We also get into:

• What she does at the kit during the show that nobody expects — and why it actually works

• How studying West African music under Valerie Naranjo at NYU rewired the way she hears everything

• The blacklist situation she handled with more integrity than most veterans twice her age

• The subbing etiquette mistakes that quietly kill a reputation before it even starts

• What she learned about ego, patience, and being comfortable with uncertainty from the people ahead of her

Episode #105 is out now. The video version drops this Friday on YouTube.

If this is your first time here — Broadway Drumming 101 is the podcast and resource built for drummers and musicians who want to work in musical theater. New episodes drop regularly. Subscribe so you don’t miss the next one.

Subscribe to Broadway Drumming 101 on Substack →

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And if the podcast has helped you — even just one episode — leave a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen. It takes two minutes and it’s the best way to help other drummers find this. It means more than you know.

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Clayton Craddock is the drummer for Cats: The Jellicle Ball on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre. He is also the founder of Broadway Drumming 101 and the author of Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician’s Guide to Building a Theater Career.

His Broadway credits include Memphis, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, Ain’t Too Proud, and Cats: The Jellicle Ball, with additional credits spanning tick, tick…BOOM!, The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical, and subbing on Rent, Motown, Evita, Avenue Q, and the Hadestown tour.

Clayton has appeared on The View, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the Tony Awards. He has performed with artists ranging from Chuck Berry and Ben E. King to Kristin Chenoweth and Norm Lewis.

www.claytoncraddock.com

This is another one in the Broadway Drumming 101 Classic Episode Series.

This episode takes us back to January 2022 with one of the most respected drummers in both Broadway and jazz, Jared Schonig.

Since we recorded this conversation, Jared has moved into the drum chair for Just in Time at Circle in the Square Theatre, but this episode still holds up because Jared drops a lot of real information about what it actually takes to survive in this business.

We talked about:
• How he went from jazz gigs and working at Apple to Broadway
• Subbing on shows like Grease, American Idiot, and Next to Normal
• Building Moulin Rouge from the ground up
• Getting orchestration credit as a drummer
• Broadway pit life, injuries, setups, pressure, and preparation
• Why relationships and reputation matter more than people think

Jared has played with artists including Nicholas Payton, Chris Potter, John Patitucci, Cynthia Erivo, Kristin Chenowethand many others. He’s originated seven Broadway drum books and built one of the most versatile careers out there.

One thing I always appreciated about Jared is that he’s honest about the work. The preparation. The pressure. The physical demands. The stuff people don’t always talk about publicly.

It’s still one of my favorite conversations I’ve had on Broadway Drumming 101.

Upcoming performances for Jared include shows at Sultan Room, Birdland, Zinc Bar, The Gin Mill, and dates with Brass Against.

Check out his site for more info! Click HERE

https://www.jaredschonig.com

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Clayton Craddock is the drummer for Cats: The Jellicle Ball on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre. He is also the founder of Broadway Drumming 101 and the author of Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician’s Guide to Building a Theater Career.

His Broadway credits include Memphis, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, Ain’t Too Proud, and Cats: The Jellicle Ball, with additional credits spanning tick, tick…BOOM!, The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical, and subbing on Rent, Motown, Evita, Avenue Q, and the Hadestown tour.

Clayton has appeared on The View, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the Tony Awards. He has performed with artists ranging from Chuck Berry and Ben E. King to Kristin Chenoweth and Norm Lewis.

www.claytoncraddock.com

Noah Hadland Is Subbing Seven Broadway Shows at Once.

He didn’t get there by sending cold emails and waiting.

He got there by running after a stranger with a stick bag outside the Book of Mormon stage door. By sight-reading act one of MJ on Broadway with 45 minutes of prep. By buying the right person a beer in 2019 and not asking for anything until 2023 — when that same person handed him a Broadway chair.

Noah is 30 years old. He’s subbing Ragtime, The Great Gatsby, Just in Time, Wicked, 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Chess, and Death Becomes Her. And in this episode, he breaks down exactly how he built that — the networking, the touch problem of juggling multiple shows, how to take a conductor’s note without pushing back, and what he’d tell his 22-year-old self who came out of NYU convinced he should already be playing Hamilton.

Watch the full episode above.

Building a theater career and want the roadmap? I wrote the book. Broadway Bound and Beyond is at broadwayboundbook.com

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Clayton Craddock is the drummer for Cats: The Jellicle Ball on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre. He is also the founder of Broadway Drumming 101 and the author of Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician’s Guide to Building a Theater Career.

His Broadway credits include Memphis, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, Ain’t Too Proud, and Cats: The Jellicle Ball, with additional credits spanning tick, tick…BOOM!, The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical, and subbing on Rent, Motown, Evita, Avenue Q, and the Hadestown tour.

Clayton has appeared on The View, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the Tony Awards. He has performed with artists ranging from Chuck Berry and Ben E. King to Kristin Chenoweth and Norm Lewis.

www.claytoncraddock.com

He came out of NYU convinced he should already be playing Hamilton.

He isn’t playing Hamilton.

He is subbing seven Broadway shows at once.

That didn't happen because he sent the right email. It happened because he ran after a stranger with a stick bag outside the Broadway stage door of Book of Mormon. That stranger was Dan Berkery.

They talked, stayed in touch, and built a real relationship. So years later, when MJ on Broadway had an emergency — the sub tested positive for COVID 90 minutes before curtain and nobody else was available — the call went to Dan. Dan was already booked. But he knew exactly who to pass the name to. Noah ran to H&M in Times Square to grab black clothes, got to the theater with 45 minutes to spare, flipped through the charts, and sight-read act one of MJ on Broadway in front of a live audience. One conversation outside a stage door changed everything.

Over time, his name got around. Now he's one of the busiest subs on Broadway — currently covering seven shows, and by the time you read this, maybe eight or nine. The seven: Ragtime, The Great Gatsby, Just in Time, Wicked, 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Chess, and Death Becomes Her. That's not luck. That's years of showing up, staying ready, and never burning a bridge.

He’s still learning. Still building. And I have no doubt that his own Broadway chair is coming — it’s just a matter of time.

In this episode, Noah breaks down exactly how he built his career.

We get into the networking — not the theory of it, the actual mechanics of how relationships in this industry form and pay off years later. We talk about the touch problem: what it actually takes to juggle seven shows without dropping any of them. How to take a conductor’s note without pushing back. And what he’d tell the 22-year-old version of himself who came out of school thinking he was already behind.

He wasn’t behind. He just hadn’t started yet.

Noah Hadland: https://www.instagram.com/noahhadland/

If You’re Not Subscribed Yet, I’m Asking You Now

If you’re already a subscriber — thank you. You’re the reason this show keeps going.

If you’re not, I’m asking you to subscribe today. Free or paid. Every subscription helps cover the production of this podcast and keeps it alive. This is an independent show built for working musicians and people who want to become one. That only works if people show up for it.

Subscribe. It matters more than you know.

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Two Resources If You’re Serious About This

The first is free.

The How to Land a Broadway Gig Roadmap breaks down how the industry actually works — the key players, how sub lists function, how to build relationships that lead somewhere. Grab it instantly at broadwayboundbook.com/roadmap when you subscribe.

Subscribe now

The second is The Broadway Sub Playbook — $7.99 at signaturebrandworks.com.

From the moment you get the call to show day. How to study the score, build your sub book, take the conductor’s notes, and walk into that pit like you belong there.

Want the full picture? Broadway Bound and Beyond is available everywhere books are sold online. Signed copy at signaturebrandworks.com.

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Clayton Craddock is the drummer for Cats: The Jellicle Ball on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre. He is also the founder of Broadway Drumming 101 and the author of Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician’s Guide to Building a Theater Career.

His Broadway credits include Memphis, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, Ain’t Too Proud, and Cats: The Jellicle Ball, with additional credits spanning tick, tick…BOOM!, The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical, and subbing on Rent, Motown, Evita, Avenue Q, and the Hadestown tour.

Clayton has appeared on The View, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the Tony Awards. He has performed with artists ranging from Chuck Berry and Ben E. King to Kristin Chenoweth and Norm Lewis.

www.claytoncraddock.com

Share Broadway Drumming 101

Thank you for being a longtime listener of Broadway Drumming 101.

I’ve been thinking about doing more solo episodes for a while, and I’m finally starting today.

Over the past week, I’ve been deep in rehearsals for Cats: The Jellicle Ball, and this version is even stronger than what we did at PAC. Everything feels sharper and more focused. We officially open on April 7th, and I’m excited for people to see it.

READ: Two Icons of New York, Ready for Broadway’s ‘Jellicle Ball’

At NAMM, I brought up a topic that doesn’t get talked about enough:

How careers really begin.

For me, it wasn’t Broadway. It wasn’t some audition. It was a hotel gig in New Rochelle, playing the same 20 songs every other Friday night.

A connection from that gig led me to a tour.
That tour opened the door to subbing.
And subbing eventually brought me to Broadway.

In this new solo episode, I break down:

• Why saying yes early in your career matters
• Why showing up beats just posting
• How small gigs compound over time
• And how to know when it’s time to start saying no

If you caught my talk at NAMM, this episode goes even deeper into that topic.

READ:

And if you’re serious about building a real career in theater, get my book:

Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician’s Guide to Building a Theater Career.

You can order it right now on Amazon or Barnes and Noble.
If you want a signed copy, go to SignatureBrandWorks.com.

Listen to the new solo episode.
Pick up the book if you’re interested.
And I hope to see you at the Broadhurst!

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Clayton Craddock is the drummer for the upcoming Broadway musical Cats: The Jellicle Ball, opening at the Broadhurst Theatre on April 7th. He is also the founder of Broadway Drumming 101 and the author of the forthcoming book Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician’s Guide to Building a Theater Career.

His Broadway and Off-Broadway credits include tick, tick…BOOM!, Memphis, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, Ain’t Too Proud, and The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical, along with extensive subbing on shows such as Rent, Motown, Evita, Avenue Q, and the Hadestown tour.

Clayton has appeared on The View, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the TONY Awards, and has performed with artists ranging from Chuck Berry and Ben E. King to Kristin Chenoweth and Norm Lewis.

www.claytoncraddock.com

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Guest: Elena Bonomo, drummer for SIX. Originally released January 14, 2022.

This is one of those conversations that still holds up years later.

In this episode, Elena Bonomo talks through what it actually looks like to build a career in theater music from the ground up. Elena shares how early musical experiences with her family shaped her connection to music, why drums always felt like fun instead of work, and how getting her first drum set set everything in motion.

We also talk about her early pit experiences, reading music at a young age, and how playing school musicals laid the foundation for what she does now.

She breaks down her time at Berklee, why versatility mattered to her more than locking into one lane, and how musical theater work at school mirrored the real expectations of Broadway life.

Elena also gets honest about touring right after school, making very little money, and learning the realities of life on the road. From there, she talks about cruise ship work, adaptability, and how every gig, even the unglamorous ones, added tools to her toolbox.

If you’re trying to understand how Broadway careers are actually built over time, this episode is full of perspective that’s still relevant today.

https://www.elenabonomo.com

If you want to go deeper into this world, Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician’s Guide to Building a Theater Career, is available now on Amazon.com.

If you’d like a signed copy by Clayton, along with Broadway Drumming 101 merchandise, head to signaturebrandworks.com.

The book lays out the mindset, preparation, relationships, money realities, and long-term thinking behind real theater careers.

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Clayton Craddock is the drummer for the upcoming Broadway musical Cats: The Jellicle Ball, opening at the Broadhurst Theatre on April 7th. He is also the founder of Broadway Drumming 101 and the author of the forthcoming book Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician’s Guide to Building a Theater Career.

His Broadway and Off-Broadway credits include tick, tick…BOOM!, Memphis, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, Ain’t Too Proud, and The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical, along with extensive subbing on shows such as Rent, Motown, Evita, Avenue Q, and the Hadestown tour.

Clayton has appeared on The View, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the TONY Awards, and has performed with artists ranging from Chuck Berry and Ben E. King to Kristin Chenoweth and Norm Lewis.

www.claytoncraddock.com

Joe Bergamini on Subbing, Broadway Reality, and Building a Real Music Career

In this episode of the Broadway Drumming 101 Podcast, I sit down with Joe Bergamini—drummer, educator, author, and one of the most thoughtful voices in the drum world.

Joe has subbed on more than 15 Broadway shows, toured nationally, taught for decades, and written some of the most respected drum books out there. But what really stands out is how clearly he talks about what it actually takes to build a sustainable life as a working musician.

We dig into what subbing on Broadway is really like, how learning music note-for-note early on prepared him for theater work, and how teaching, touring, rock bands, and saying yes to the right gigs quietly shaped his career. Joe also shares stories from his early club days and why preparation, curiosity, and relationships matter more than hype or shortcuts.

This is an honest, practical conversation for drummers who care about longevity.

Here are just a few books he has written:

Speaking at NAMM – January 24

I’ll be expanding on many of these ideas in person at NAMM:

Building a Career in Theater Music
Saturday, January 24
11:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Hilton California A

If you’re attending NAMM and curious about Broadway, touring, subbing, networking, contracts, and the real financial side of being a working musician, I hope you’ll stop by.

Broadway Bound and Beyond

My upcoming book, Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician’s Guide to Building a Theater Career, goes deeper into many of the topics we talk about here—how musicians actually get hired, how careers are sustained, and what no one explains when you’re starting out.

Get on the list at:
www.broadwayboundbook.com

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If you know a musician trying to figure out their next move, share this episode with them. Subscriptions and reviews help more working players find the show.

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Thanks for listening and for supporting the Broadway Drumming 101 community.

Clayton Craddock is the drummer for the upcoming Broadway musical Cats: The Jellicle Ball, opening at the Broadhurst Theatre on April 7th. He is also the founder of Broadway Drumming 101 and the author of the forthcoming book Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician’s Guide to Building a Theater Career.

His Broadway and Off-Broadway credits include tick, tick…BOOM!, Memphis, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, Ain’t Too Proud, and The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical, along with extensive subbing on shows such as Rent, Motown, Evita, Avenue Q, and the Hadestown tour.

Clayton has appeared on The View, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the TONY Awards, and has performed with artists ranging from Chuck Berry and Ben E. King to Kristin Chenoweth and Norm Lewis.

www.claytoncraddock.com