More about me

Brayden Reed is a percussionist based in the Chicago area, and currently attending Ithaca College School of Music in Ithaca, NY, as a Sophomore. He has previously studied with Don Skoog, Yulia Block, and at The Birch Creek Performance Center. He is currently studying with Professor Mike Truesdell. Brayden has been playing percussion for a relatively short time, starting in 8th grade on drum set. Seeking to expand his horizons, Brayden sought out lessons with classical percussionists, hand drummers, and anyone who can help feed his voracious appetite for musical knowledge. This approach has paid off substantially, as he can fit into almost any role given to him. For example, Brayden has performed on djembe, doumbek, riqq, classical percussion, drum set, bata drums, and has even dipped his toes into voice acting and narration. Brayden is currently the percussionist in the band Mesa Pa' Seis, which is an Ithaca-based Latin group. He currently plays a baticonga (bateria + conga) setup, using three congas, two guiros, two foot pedals, a cajon, and a cymbal. Even though Brayden’s main love is music, he also is a voracious scholar, dedicating a large amount of time to studying ethnomusicology, with a heavy emphasis on Cuba. Brayden has also studied Brazilian and Arabic music, and is learning how to play the instruments central to the musical culture. Furthermore, he has been fortunate enough to play in the Birch Creek Samba band, and the Birch Creek Maracatu band, under the direction of Dr. Tony DiSanza. Everyday, Brayden strives to grow his knowledge and become a top shelf performer and a scholar.