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This page features various Press and
Video. As you scroll
down the page, you go further back in time.
2012
John Donovan was invited to perform as the opening entertainment for the 2012
New Jersey Disc Jockey Network MINI EXPO on January 10th, 2012. Nearly 200 DJS were in attendance.
Click here for my feature story with Gregg Hollmann of Ambient DJ Service on his popular blog! 2011
I am performing at the opening night party for the 2012 Mobile Beat DJ EXPO on Monday night February 6th, 2012 in Las Vegas. Event info TBA.
Party Percussionist John Donovan was the opening act for the 2011 DJ Times International
DJ Expo on Monday August 8th, 2011 at the Casbah nightclub inside the Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, New Jersey. At what is called
the "Monday Night Mobile Party," John entertained hundreds of event industry professionals. John was then invited
to perform at the I DJ NOW/American DJ Lighting booth with celebrity On-Air radio personality, Steve Mittman for the last
two days of the expo. John would like to thank the DJ industry for the overwhelming love and support. John adds: "When
I jumped into this market in late 2007, everyone would tell me about the AC DJ Expo. I would have never imagined my first
time at the expo would be in the capacity as the opening act, to work the exhibit hall for two days, and be praised in numerous
seminars by industry giants. As weird as it sounds, it was as if facebook became a reality show for me. The attention was
very humbling."
July 18th, 2011. John Donovan becomes the first Quad player to be featured on a commercially
released single. John is featured on a special MIX of the tune, "Can't Get Thru 2 U," alongside Aleksey. The single
is part of a full album entitled Phase I - Random which is produced by Scott Lea through his new label - RadicLea and distributed
through Interscope DD. Please click on the flyer below to preview and buy the single which is TRACK TEN. Thank you.
On
July 2nd and 3rd of 2011, John Donovan became the WORLDS FIRST AERIAL QUAD DRUMMER alongside three other AERIAL percussionists
performing with THE ELECTRIC CIRQUIT. This event was in the Hamptons at the WVVH Television Station and was a production of
Cirque Hamptons. The final event was LIVE on Hamptons TV Cablevision CH. 78, NYC FIOS 14 and streamed live on WVVH.TV The
four videos below are 1. TV Interveiw with John Donovan 2. Part of the AERIAL PERCUSSION show 3. The Finale 4. Post performance
footage 5. TV Host Cognac Wellerlane doing various interviews with celebs and cast. AERIAL PERCUSSION - DON'T FEAR THE HEIGHT
- FEAR THE ADDICTION.
I have been invited to become part of: THE DRUM SUMMIT, as a supporting team member. This project is led by Dom Famularo, Peter Greco, and Lou Gervey. Hit the logo below to learn more about this ultimate educational clinic. I will be sending out special facebook invites for select Sam Ash locations, for which I am scheduled.
DUE TO DEMAND BY EVENT COMPANIES: The CENSORED Private Market Sales video is now on You-Tube for embedding. On the bottom of the "About John," page of this site, you will find the COMPLETE HI DEF FILE for download in hot pink text.
John Donovan at the Hofstra University Radio Awards Banquet on May 12th, 2011. John Donovan was invited to perform at the 2011 EPMEN Wedding Marketing and Entertainment Conference on May 16th, 2011. Below is a picture, speaker list and a cell phone video of the performance. The invitation was quite an honor.
After more then a year of planning, the John Donovan Party Percussion Sales DVD is ready for free distribution to high end event companies. Also exciting news, is the release of the Drumline Vs. Drumset performance chapters on a special sub-menu of the DVD. The DVD will be for sale at all drum clinics in the future as well as at other percussion industry functions. Below is the DVD case wrap.
Click here for the N.A.M.E. Publication! I am on page 11 of the May 2011 issue of "NATIONAL ENTERTAINER NEWS DIGITAL
MAGAZINE" Click on the feature below to visit the N.A.M.E
Disc Jockey Association website.
The short video above is random footage found online from the Atlantic
City job on 4-6-11
1-26-11 John officially joins team Paiste as a performing
artist and clinician
John is in the 2011 Vater Catalog! Download your copy today!
Click for the 2011 Vater Catalog! 2010
World renown clinician Dom Famularo, John Donovan, and Liberty Devitto of Billy Joel Fame at a Recent Luncheon.
John Donovan is in the 2010 Vater Catalog on page 17! Download your online copy today! 2009
July 12th 2009 at Club Touch in Times Square, NYC. Ironically, the DJ that night was DJ PM who would later tour with DJ Nick Hogan.
Our Flyer designed by Jack Mansager of Blast Fame.
Pasic 2009 drumming with Legends Nick Angelis and Mike Eagle. Percussion News, July 2009, pg. 14 (A publication of the Percussive Arts Society) In April, the first full PAS NYC Weekend of Percussion event since 1979 took place at the Player’s Theatre in Manhattan’s West Village,hosted by Michael Sgouros and AndrewBeall. Billed as “The most diverse percussion event outside of PASIC,” this event brought audiences from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut 14 hours of percussion clinics, concerts, and shows from the hottest percussionists and drummers in the country. Genres represented were orchestral, chamber, contemporary, world, rock, rudimental, Broadway, and concert cimbalom. The lineup included the Tony and Grammy-winning rhythm section from Broadway’s In The Heights: Andres Patrick Forero, Wilson Torres, Doug Hinrichs, Alex Lacamoire, Irio O’Farrill (Broadway/Latin), Ted Atkatz (orchestral vs. rock), Valerie Naranjo (gyil/marimba), Rolando Morales- Matos (Latin/classical/hang drum), Nick Angelis(rudimental), Tom Stubbs (orchestral), Joe Tompkins (orchestral/French, Swiss, American rudiments), Richard Grimes (Hungarian/American cimbalom), John Donovan (rudimental percussion in the club scene), Michael Eagle and the NYC All-Star Pipe Band Drum Corps (Scottish/rudimental), TimeTable Percussion Trio (Matt Gold, Matt Ward, Alex Lipowski) and Percussion People (FUNdamentals): Michael Sgouros, Jack Mansager, Andy Akiho, Andrew Beall. This event was sponsored in part by Alfred Publishing, Bachovich Music Publications, Beall Percussion Specialties, Evans, Innovative Percussion, Jupiter/Mapex, Kettles & Co, LP, Pearl, Sabian, SIR, Toca, Vic Firth, Yamaha
Percussion News, May 2009, pg. 10 (A publication of the Percussive Arts Society) The new officers of the PAS New York Chapter had a successful first meeting on Jan. 29 at the Player’s Theater in Manhattan. The officers are Andrew Beall (president), Pete DeSalvo (vice president, downstate NY), Joel Smales (vice president, central NY), Brad Fuster (vice president, western NY), Michael Sgouros (treasurer), Laura Jordan (secretary) and John Donovan (chapter advisor).
The first ever Drum Summit at Sam Ash Music on 2-19-09 hosted by The Legendary Dom Famularo and Lou Gervey Here are two videos, thanks to Daniel Britt. It was
an honor to be amoung some of the hardest working professional drummers in New York and New Jersey. The first video is of
my Rudimental tenor pad demonstration and the second video is the intro anouncing all the
members of the panel. I was truely humbled by this opportunity. 2008
Percussion News, November 2008, pg. 8-9 (A publication of the Percussive Arts Society) The Drumset and Percussion camp, part of the Goucher Summer Arts Institute, was held at Goucher College in Baltimore July 6-18 for serious percussionists ages 13-18. Faculty members consisted of Wes Crawford (Camp Director, Goucher College), Laura Cerruli (disapear fear), John Donovan (DCI champion), Jerome Herskovitz (Goucher College), Jeremy Hummel (ex-Breaking Benjamin), Dr. Michelle Humphreys (MD/DE Chapter President), Keith Larsen (Maryland Drum Company), John Locke (Goucher College), Marshall Maley (VA/DC PAS Chapter President), Joe McCarthy (AfroBop Alliance), Bill Meligari (TigerBill.Com), Mike Miller (Old Mill HS Steel Band Director), John Parsons (U.S. Navy Commodores), K.S. Resmi (guest Indian vocalist), Brett Ripley (Colonial Heights H.S.), N. Scott Robinson (Goucher College) and Scott Tiemann (Avec). Offerings included jazz combos, percussion ensemble, Afro-Cuban ensemble, world percussion ensemble, drumline, steel pan ensemble, virtual pop styles band, and dance accompaniment, as well as numerous clinics, workshops and concerts. Sponsors included Acquarian, Brother Entertainment, Washington Music Center, Cooperman Drums, Dream Cymbals, Gaylord National Resort, Innovative Percussion, Larsen Sound Group, LP, Mapex, Mountain Rhythm, MusicAndGamesForU.com, MyDrumLesson.Com, Pearl, Phatfoot, ProLogix Percussion, Pro-Mark, Sabian, Trueline, Vic Firth, Wright Hand Drums and Ziljian. Visit www.DrumsetAndPercussionCamp.org for video excerpts of the final camp concert.
Is there a Blue Man inside you? AMNewYork, Written and Produced by Lauren Johnston When we heard about an open casting
call [PHOTOS] for the Blue
Man Group, we
expected to find a manic-panic-cacophonous affair, and it was, but it turns out there are some rules too. Rule
No. 1: Don't show up painted blue "We look for someone who kind of has a Blue Man inside them already, and then we work to bring that Blue Man out,"
said Blue Man casting director Deb Burton at Monday's auditions, which were held at the Blue
Man Training Center at 412
Broadway, just south of Canal St. Rule No. 2 - Don't PhotoShop your face blue on your
headshot or send your resume disguised as a pipe bomb.Both of these things have happened says Burton, adding, "those types of things are entirely unnecessary
because part of our process is for US to discover what the person will look like in the makeup. [laughing] We don't really
need people to do that ahead of the game."Rule No. 3 - You must be between 5'10" and 6'1"No elaboration here, them's just the facts. You must
be tall and you must have rhythm -- but you DON'T have to be a man to play a blue man. So all you blue ladies out there, come
on down. We met one woman in the audition waiting room Monday, dancer Oceane McCord, who lives in Manhattan."It's kind of out of my normal auditioning experience, usually i'm
surrounded by hundreds of women," McCord said, adding she thinks as a female performer, she might bring an interesting
layer of vulnerability to the Blue Man character.Blue Man hopefuls don't get painted blue in the first round, it's more of a screening and drum check, said Burton, to
see "what kind of person they are, how they react to drumming with another blue man performer." The full audition
process can last up to six months.Drummer John Donovan, 32, from Deer Park, Long Island, said the week-long
wait to find out if he makes it to round two will be "the longest week of my life so far." He's a drummer and he misses working with drummers. "I miss it all the time," he said. "I miss playing with other drummers terribly -- like it aches at me." (Ari Mintz, Newsday / August 11, 2008) "Blue Man Group", the popular, long-running off-Broadway show with nine national and international companies running concurrently is looking for new Blue Man performers. The show's casting team held an open casting call at their training center. John Donovan, a full-time musical performer, who moved his family to Deer Park, LI, one year ago gives his all during his drumming audition. Blue Man original musical instruments are in foreground in the show's training center.
What Drum Corps Did For Me; Part 2 by JohnDonovan.biz
On the technical side, I choose a training path that is still to this day, uncommon. While most corps style drummers choose to stick with one section for the duration of their training, I knew early on that it would benefit me to become proficient on snare, tenor and bass. Not only did this benefit my drumline arranging skills by producing parts that sound well balanced, but each of the segments has it’s own unique educational advantage. I feel that snare drum training focuses on rudimental proficiency, tenor training focuses on movement mechanics and bass training focuses on fills and crazy timing. I touch on these subjects more in my Instructional/Performance DVD entitled: Drumline Vs. Drumset, which is still in post production. Work ethic is very important in the music business. Often, as a professional musician, you have to work three times harder then someone who has a normal 9-5 day job, just to make ends meet. If you don’t have an intense work ethic, you will be eaten alive in this business. I really credit my work ethic to drum corps training, as well as watching directors Roman Belenski and Bob Jacobs in action. To wake up everyday and love doing what you do to financially survive is rewarding, but it sure can be stressful. My work ethic is what keeps me involved in professional music every day, and I will never quit. I might have been forced out of DCI because of age, but my heart never left. I still strive to become better every day. Learning to constantly adjust to new situations as a professional drummer is an art. Every day, week, month and year is different. You never know what is going to happen. Control is an illusion. You can have a week where you have it figured out that you are making a grand and then all hell breaks loose. A musical director dissolves his band, and sells his contracts off to the highest bidder, half your private students miss for various reasons, checks from clients bounce, your truck breaks down, all on top of catching a cold from your wife and your toddler son. Then there are times that you know the week is going to be really tight, and then opportunity after opportunity pours in. No matter what type of week I am having, I can go to sleep at night knowing one thing: I am a professional drummer that did not quit after aging out of DCI. I will admit it is depressing knowing that probably more than 96 percent of all that performance talent coming off the field at finals just vanishes into thin air. The music business would be a better place if more drummers that aged out became full time professionals. Mapex Signs John Donovan as Performing Artist/Clincian- Mapex Quantum Marching signs John Donovan as of 6-10-08 in the capacity of performing artist and clinician in what promises to be a mutually beneficial relationship. John likes to think of this deal as in the works for almost 10 years. His endorsement contract Hangs in glass to the right of his undergrad frame. John Donovan Served as the Exclusive North American Distributor of Majestic Marching Percussion from 1999 to 2001. Facing the evil fury of Pandora's box of defeat, John Bk'D and was further motivated to earn his undergrad in music business. Along comes his family and inspiration, Lauren, his wife and son Evan, almost Two. 2008 brought upon a slew of new opportunities, including an eventual signing credited towards what comes down to Johns heavy party drumming gigging schedule using marching drums. Thanks to Chris and Rick at Jupiter. According to John, "This relationship feels good, and this is why I'm signing." Not to mention, "I will be amused by the positive fallout from Majestic concert percussion resurrecting as well." And what's the best? A Luxury snare wont cost the end consumer $ 1,700 this time around!"JMajestic Marching Percussion of North America, Inc., dba: MajesticDrumline.com, owned and operated by John Donovan, was credited for the following percussion industry firsts: Online video product demonstrations, Initial G1 indoor drumline product design, etc. John adds: "The hardware alone was so out of the comfortable American box, and was way ahead of it's time, but not anymore, check out the bass drum design as the hardware is pure Majestic blood. Great job to Doug and Chris for nailing this! Our cutting edge advertising techniques were copied by many motivated companies back in the day as well." To this day, The PASIC archive picture representing Pasic 2000, has always been a pic of John Promoting Majestic, now in a way, Mapex. John is a full time freelance artist out of Long Island, New York. http://www.JohnDonovan.Biz
Modern Drummer Magazine – March 2008, Kit of the Month, pg 192.
2007 Dakota County Tribune, 07/05/07, One Hundered Twenty-Fourth Year, Number Nineteen Local production team to hold advance screening of their instructional drum DVD
John, his wife Lauren, and their almost one year old son Evan, drove out to Minnesota from Pennsylvania in May to start production of this project which took John nearly two years to complete pre-production. On Tuesday July 17th at 7:00 p.m. in the McNally Smith Auditorium in Downtown St. Paul, Labyrinth Productions will host a formal screening of this mega production. There is no admission fee for the July 17 preview. The DVD will be available for that night for $20. The final packaged product should be available in September. After the screening, will be a question answer and answer session, followed by a networking session. McNally Smith Collegeof Music invites all Alumni, especially the class of 2003, back home for this special occasion. Like most drummers, John began by playing rock and roll, but everything changed when at age 16 he saw his first Drum Corp International drumline. Through intense drumline training and regimented personal practice, he mastered rudimental snare, tenor and bass drumming. He then aggressively incorporated those skills into his drumset techniques. "Drumline Vs. Drumset" is a tool any drummer can use. Drumset players will want to explore drumline playing to hone their mechanical skills and learn new academic theories and techniques. Drumline players will want to explore drumset playing to expand their emotional range and create new career paths and opportunities.The DVD explores various musical and performance elements, everything from extreme rudimental drumming to heavy metal to classical musicianship. Labyrinth Productions is located in Apple Valley. Their Web Site is www.LabyrinthProductions.com
On Tuesday July 17th at 7:00 p.m. in the McNally Smith Auditorium in Downtown St. Paul, Labyrinth Productions will host a formal screening of this mega production. There is no admission fee for the July 17 preview. The DVD will be available for that night for $20. The final packaged product should be available in September. After the screening, will be a question answer and answer session, followed by a networking session. McNally Smith Collegeof Music invites all Alumni, especially the class of 2003, back home for this special occasion. "Drumline Vs. Drumset" is a tool any drummer can use. Drumset players will want to explore drumline playing to hone their mechanical skills and learn new academic theories and techniques. Drumline players will want to explore drumset playing to expand their emotional range and create new career paths and opportunities.The DVD explores various musical and performance elements, everything from extreme rudimental drumming to heavy metal to classical musicianship. Labyrinth Productions is located in Apple Valley. Their Web Site is www.LabyrinthProductions.com
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