Sean J. Kennedy


Sean J. Kennedy is an American drum set player, percussionist, recording artist, author and educator. Kennedy's drumset method book Camp Jam: Rock Solid Drums was nominated as Educational Drum Book of the Year in the 2011 Modern Drummer magazine reader's poll. Kennedy's release Sixty Second Solos won 2nd Runner Up in the 2015 DRUMMIES, DRUM! Magazine an annual readers poll award. Kennedy has been officially recognized by Guinness World Records for participating in "most people performing a drum roll online simultaneously", with Legacy 150 Celebrations Society, Vancouver, Canada.
"Kaku, kupala | Fear in Neutral Buoyancy" an original orchestral composition by Sean J. Kennedy - premiered at Carnegie Hall, September 27, 2015, performed by Youth Philharmonic International Orchestra, conducted by Jose Luis Gomez.
Since April 2016, Sean J. Kennedy has produced and hosted the music-industry podcast Backstage At The Enharmonic. Guests have included many musical innovators and legends including, Dame Evelyn Glennie, Hal Blaine, Gordon Goodwin, Harold Jones (drummer), Nitzan Haroz, Donald Nally, Richie Cannata, Jerry Weldon, Julian Bliss and many others.
Kennedy's "Lux Contritum " an original choral piece with orchestral accompaniment commissioned by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia had its debut performance on April 17, 2018, at the Kimmel Center's Verizon Hall, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and was conducted by Kennedy.
September 2018, Kennedy presented a TedX Talk called Happy Accidents: Drumming Up Serendipity, which explores how serendipity, or happy accidents, can influence and change our lives. The talk was presented to a local audience at TEDxWilmington.
In 2020 Kennedy founded The Rolling Buzzards Brigade, an American chamber ensemble that is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The ensemble creates virtual performances of arrangements of 18th Century military/patriotic music.
The group has received widespread press coverage in Modern Drummer, International Musician, the official journal of The American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada., Irish Philadelphia, and Make Music Magazine.
The group's recordings have also been premiered on US classical musical radio stations. Including WWFM, The Classical Network's show Cadenza with David Osenberg, and on WLRH 89.3 FM/HD Huntsville's 2020 4 July celebration, "Benjamin Franklin's Favorite Protest Song of the Revolutionary War"
Reception within the drumming community has been overwhelmingly positive, culminating in an online interview at DrummerNation.com, hosted by Michael Vosbein, featuring Sean J. Kennedy, Bernie Dresel, Clayton Cameron and audio engineer Andrew Torre.
Members of The Rolling Buzzards Brigade include: Sean J. Kennedy, Bernie Dresel, Clayton Cameron, Chris Colaneri, Chris Coletti, David Earll, Evelyn Glennie, Neil Grover, Nitzan Haroz, Heather High-Kennedy, Tawnee Lynn, David Lu, Sherrie Maricle, Dave Nelson, Chihiro Shibayama, Gabriel Staznik, and John Wooton.
Sean J. Kennedy is a member of the Percussive Arts Society Drum Set Committee.

Discography

With The Sean J. Kennedy QuartetRoad to Wailea Queen Anne's Revenge featuring Bob Mintzer and Liberty DeVittoHey! Where's My Tux?!
With The KAV TrioOutta' Here!
With Ramblin' Ant & The Locust Street Band Ramblin' Ant & The Locust Street Band
With Philadelphia Boys Choir & ChoraleCelebrate the Sounds of the Season Sing, Choir of Angels Celebrate the Sounds of the Season Winter Wonderland
With Allentown BandOur Band Heritage, Volume 17: Seasons Greetings Our Band Heritage, Volume 18: Band on Broadway Our Band Heritage, Volume 19: Sesquicentennial: The Music of John Philip Sousa Our Band Heritage, Volume 20: A World of Marches
With The Frank DiBussolo QuartetAverage White Cats
With Olesia GordynskyYou Remain
With The Bob Wagner QuartetToot Suite
With The Rolling Buzzards BrigadeThe Downfall of Paris Connecticut Halftime and The Three Camps
With Gardyn Jazz OrchestraGardyn Vinyl Brews
With Mark Kramer (jazz pianist) and Samuel Heifetz
  • ''Secret Society of Sound, Vol. 1''

Publications

Camp Jam: Rock Solid Drums – Carl Fischer Music, co-authored with Liberty DeVitto
I Used to Play Drums – Carl Fischer Music, co-authored with Liberty DeVitto
Improvising and Soloing in the Pocket – Carl Fischer Music, co-authored with Richie Cannata
Sixty-Second Solos – Alfred Music
Help! I'm Not a Drummer!... but I Have Some in My Ensemble – Carl Fischer Music
In the June 2021 issue of Modern Drummer Magazine, Kennedy authored the featured article "Mentor | Sean J. Kennedy Salutes Ray Deeley."
Oodles of Accents: Jazz Drum Set Workbook – Sean J. Kennedy
Sixty-Second Solos | Advanced Edition: for Snare Drum, Timpani, and Mallet Instruments – Sean J. Kennedy
Wipe Out! The Beat Behind Surf Rock Drumming, published by Hudson Music