Jon Berger told me about a Dreamgirls audition he thought had ended his chances of working in New York. Years later, he worked with the same percussionist at Cats. The man he thought would remember every mistake didn’t remember the audition at all.
I first released this conversation on April 9, 2022, on Broadway Drumming 101. I’m bringing it back next in the Broadway Bound and Beyond Classic Series.
We talked about the preparation Jon needed, the different styles he learned to play, and the musicians who kept recommending him for work. Those connections included conductors, bass players and woodwind players. They came from doing gigs together over many years.
One point Jon raised was the advice Chris Parker gave him when he was new in town: get your people chops together. Jon talks about what that meant to him as someone who was shy and insecure, and how touring helped him learn to work with people he might not otherwise have spent time with.
The full audio conversation arrives Thursday, November 5, at 6 AM Pacific. The full video follows November 12 at 6 AM Pacific. Here’s a preview.
In this conversation
Learning musical styles as languages, rather than collecting isolated beats and fills.
His early training, SUNY Purchase and the transition to touring work.
A difficult Dreamgirls audition, preparation and the pressure to be perfect.
How work with other instrumentalists and conductors led to further calls.
Learning a show’s equipment, sound and musical direction.
Chris Parker’s advice about people chops and being someone others want to work with.
Recorded in 2022. References to upcoming tours, shows, dates and endorsements belong to the original conversation.
Original audio episode, released April 9, 2022
Watch Jon play
Here’s Jon playing with Gloria Gaynor at The Bitter End in New York, from his own YouTube channel.
There are T-shirts and other music-related items in my shop, Signature Brandworks, including The Trust Economy design.
Share this preview with someone who would enjoy hearing Jon’s story.
Clayton