This is the video version of Episode 111. The audio version went out on Tuesday, October 20. If you'd rather listen, you can find the audio episode here.
Some stories land differently when you can see the person telling them. This is one of those conversations.
Marc McDuff grew up in a Vermont town of about 1,200 people, moved to Seattle with no job and nobody he knew, and ended up on three national tours: The Wizard of Oz, Legally Blonde and The Cher Show. Watch him tell it, and you'll see why music directors keep calling him back. He's relaxed, funny, and honest about what touring actually costs you.
What you'll see in this video
Marc telling the story of playing 20 minutes of a show in pitch black in Scranton, with no comms and nobody the wiser
The stretch of the Great Wall where soldiers carved their names into the stone, and how the band ended up there without a guide
How a few cold emails, and months of silence, turned into the Legally Blonde tour
His honest take on drumming injuries, from thumb tension to the Achilles he's rehabbing now
Why the two hours onstage are the easiest part of life on the road
His top five drummers, and the David Garibaldi book he worked through front to back
The part I want every young musician to watch is his advice for college players. Say yes to everything. Community theater. Regional shows. The brunch cabaret that pays $20 and a beer. In his words: "I'm showing up. I'm playing. I'm being a good musician. And then hopefully they trust me for bigger endeavors."
That's the whole game. Every tour Marc has played came from a music director who already trusted him.
Video chapters
00:00 Meet Marc McDuff, and his Seattle Mariners memories
02:48 Memphis in Seattle, and the Super Bowl finish I missed for places
07:03 Growing up in a Vermont town of 1,200
07:41 A hippie drummer dad and a kit in the basement
12:37 Skater days and a broken shoulder before college auditions
18:53 Auditioning for Berklee, and why he chose Montana
22:49 Seattle, regional theater, and the call for The Wizard of Oz tour
24:30 Touring China, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain
28:01 The stretch of the Great Wall tourists never see
32:21 Brooklyn, COVID, and the cold email that landed Legally Blonde
34:50 Two years on The Cher Show tour
36:16 The night the light blew in Scranton
38:30 How he stayed fresh playing the same show for years
40:14 Drumming injuries, technique, and Achilles rehab
43:40 What nobody tells you about touring
46:02 The one thing college drummers should start doing now
48:20 Marc's top five drummers
53:18 What's next for Marc
Connect with Marc
Follow Marc on Instagram at @marc_mcduff.
Two days left: The Trust Economy, live 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. And every month the phone stays quiet, somebody else is building the relationship that could have been theirs.
The Trust Economy is my live Zoom masterclass this 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 if you can't make it live.
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.
If this video helped you, share it with a musician who needs to see it.
Clayton
