I am having some formatting issues with the site and slacking on updating... super busy, which is good. I wanna put up a new site when I can, until then keep rockin'!!! - D
I am currently rockin' shows with The Hillbilly Casino which features singer Nic Roulette (ex - Blue Moon Boys), bassist Geoff Firebaough (ex - BR5-49) and guitarist Ronnie Crutcher (ex - Tobasko Kat and current touring bassist for Brian Setzer's "Rockabilly Riot" gigs). Its a killer band with slammin' originals and a FULL-ON live show!!! I dig it!!! Check out The Casino's site here and listen to clips from our new EP!
I've been doing tons of live work/studio work with Nashville singer/songwriters Wade Peters, Matthew Ebel, David Max, Blake Chaffin, Darren Brothers, Blake Chaffin, Dak Alley, Kelly Smith and a bunch others.
I'm also studying under drummer Ed Greene. Ed's resume is a phone book, seriously! He's recorded with Hall & Oats, Steely Dan, Diana Ross, Berry White, Tori Amos, Smokey Robinson, The Temptations, etc. It is truly a blessing to study with such an accomplished player!
And last but not least, I'm in the process of building my own studio!!! It's a Mac based studio with Logic Pro as the recording software. If you're in a band that needs a demo cut, feel free to call or e-mail me. We'll work out rates that fit your budget. I know how it is out there in the world of independent music so don't sweat it.
So that's the deal for now. Keep checkin' back and take care!!!
-D
BIO-
Andrew Dickson, known amongst friends simply as "D," arrived in Nashville in late 1999 as a member of the band Second Generation of Blue. Through commitment to his own creative outlets, Andrew has appeared on multiple independent releases as well as on many of Nashville’s finest stages. As rewarding as those experiences have been, times have also changed. Short of the long…
Andrew has finally quit his day job!
After 1 1/2 years of selling books at Nashville's Davis-Kidd Booksellers and 4 years as a member of the reference staff at the Nashville Public Library, Andrew can finally put his skills to the test by drumming full time. "It’s been a long, often frustrating wait. For so long I felt the hindrance of having to give 40+ hours a week to my day gigs. Scheduling was also a nightmare sometimes. I’ve been anxiously waiting for the chance to play full time and now I’m here. Waiting did allow me to get my chops and gear in order though, which was time well spent" says the New York native. "This is a big change for me. I'm beyond psyched right now!"
Andrew began drumming in the fourth grade as part of the percussion section in his elementary school band in the small town of Geneva NY. After acquiring his first kit in sixth grade, Andrew blew up with excitement for the instrument. Helping form his first rock band named Obscurity the following year, Andrew got an early taste of playing live. Gigging with members of this first band throughout middle and high school (then college, then Nashville… we’ll get to that in a minute) allowed Andrew, while still WAY under age, to rock many of Upstate NY’s premier rock venues. One of these clubs was Rochester NY’s The Penny Arcade where Andrew and his partners in mayhem earned a slot on regular show rotation. During this period Andrew was taking drum kit lessons, performing Jazz and classical music and taking classical percussion lessons at the Eastman School of Music.
Then came college. Andrew graduated from Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts with a bachelor’s degree in Jazz Performance and Ethnomusicology. (Ethnomusicology is an academic field where one studies the world’s cultures by way of their music.) While working towards his degree, Andrew studied with renowned ethnomusicologist Jayendran Pillay, renowned jazz educator/pianist Andy Jaffe, took 2 semesters of improv seminars with jazz pioneer Yusef Lateef, lessons from renowned South Indian percussionist David Nelson and spent a semester in Bangalore, South India studying mridangam (South Indian classical drum) under Sri Vasudeva Rao. This all lead up to his senior thesis/recital series entitled "Talas and Time Signatures: An Exploration of Indian and Western Musical Systems."
Aside from classes at Hampshire, Andrew performed on the earliest recordings of the experimental metal outfit Maudlin of the Well (now Tzadik Record’s Kayo Dot) while also gigging in various hardcore, funk, blues, jazz and rock settings.
While at home during breaks in Geneva, Andrew and some of his pals from high school played covers. This was Andrew’s first taste of professional drumming by sometimes playing four hour shows five nights a week.
Andrew graduated in the spring of 1999 and anxiously moved to Nashville that following fall with friends and band mates Shaun and Dan Smith. Since arriving in Nashville Andrew has played tons of shows mostly with Second Generation of Blue. Most recently, Andrew appears on new music from Nashville singer/songwriter Matthew Ebel. Aside from these two projects, he has also been quick to arrange eclectic improv sessions and help out any of his peers if they needed tracks laid down for their original music. (See Audio Samples for clips)
"I’ve stayed busy my whole time here. Be it gigging, promoting, recording or rehearsing. I’ve been on some awesome indie records and played tons of shows at clubs like Exit/In, 12th and Porter, 3rd and Lindsley, Slow Bar, The End, Blue Sky Court, tons of places. I’m just fortunate now to give it every waking hour of the day."
