Joseph An.

My musical career began at the age of thirteen, playing snare drum, in the junior high band of Sparta Elementary School in Sparta, North Carolina. Shortly thereafter, I attended my first rock concert – an experience that was truly inspiring - and it made me realize I wanted a full drum set of my own. It took some begging, but I eventually convinced my father to buy it for me. I immediately began learning my favorite songs of the time and very soon realized I had discovered my natural talent. The thrill of playing those songs lit a fire inside me that still burns very passionately to this day. I began playing during any free time I had. I stopped playing sports and focused solely on music.
Throughout high school I participated in the marching band where I was percussion captain for three years, eventually winning the John Phillip Sousa Award - the highest award given at that level. I played drum set in the high school jazz band and snare drum, bass drum, vibraphone, chimes, timpani, and all other orchestral percussion in the high school band. In addition, I played drums for many local rock bands during those years, learning and performing many of my favorite cover songs.
I began my undergraduate studies at Berklee College of Music in the fall of 1996, where I studied under some of the finest teachers in the world today. My Berklee experience provided me with the opportunity to learn Afro-Cuban (songo, mozambique, mambo, bembe, merensongo, abakua, etc.) and Brazilian styles (samba, bossanova, baio), not only on the drum set but also on hand percussion and vibraphone from teachers such as Ed Uribe, Ernesto Diaz, and Victor Mendoza. The private instruction I received from John Ramsay, Jon Hazilla, Ron Savage and, my favorite drummer, Dave DiCenso, really developed my funk, linear, polyrhythmic, and double-bass drumming.
Throughout my years at Berklee, I performed all around the Northeast with some phenomenal musicians in a number of bands that differed stylistically. The most distinguished of those bands was a progressive rock project for which I competed against many other highly talented drummers and won the job. The project included Berklee faculty members Don Lappin and Joe Musella from the guitar department. Many great gigs and experiences came from that wonderful opportunity, including being hired by Berklee College to play drums for Don Lappin’s ensemble during the 1999 Berklee Guitar Sessions.
During my final semester, I learned Alan Dawson’s Rudiment Ritual in eight weeks, which still remains the record in John Ramsay’s private instruction. On August 13th of that year, I graduated Summa Cum Laude from Berklee College of Music with a BM in music performance.
In 2000, I was accepted to the University of Denver’s Lamont School of music as a graduate student and candidate for an MA in music theory. I was also a teaching assistant in music theory and ear training. However, after only one semester of graduate studies, my appetite for performing was at an all-time high and, in January of 2001, I decided to move to Nashville, TN.
I spent the first two years in Nashville playing local honky tonks, clubs, and bars while networking continuously. Gradually, I met those who were well-enough connected to help me reach my ultimate goal - performing and touring with a national act. I met a wonderful guitarist by the name of Gary Tackett, who, at the time, was the band leader for a new Mercury recording artist named Billy Currington. Gary heard my playing and asked if I would be interested in the project. After auditioning for Billy, I got the gig.

Since then, I've had the great fortune of performing numerous times with Billy at the highly prestigious Grand Ole Opry and Ryman Auditorium. Our television performances included: The Grand Ole Opry Live on GAC, CMT’s Most Wanted Live, The CBS Saturday Morning Show and PBS’ Soundstage in Chicago, IL, Grand Ole Opry Benefit for Hurricane Katrina, The Tonight Show and The Martha Stewart Show. We also enjoyed a slot on the “Time Well Wasted Tour” with Brad Paisley and Sara Evans.
Billy’s self-titled debut album was released in September of 2003, and produced two top-ten hits on the Country Billboard Chart - “Walk a Little Straighter,” which reached number 8, and the smash hit, “I Got a Feelin,” which peaked at number 5. Moreover, during the summer of 2004, Billy was asked by world-renowned producer, Mutt Lange, to record a duet with international superstar, Shania Twain. The song, entitled “Party for Two,” was released in September of that year and was a top-ten hit. Consequently, Billy and Shania were nominated for the CMA ‘Vocal Event of the Year’ in 2005. Billy’s sophomore album, “Doin’ Somethin’ Right,” reached Platinum status and produced two #1 singles including, “Must Be Doin’ Somethin’ Right,” and “Good Directions”.

In November of 2006, I became the drummer for Arista Nashville recording artist Jason Michael Carroll. His critically acclaimed debut album, “Waitin’ in the Country,” was released in February of the following year. The debut single, “Alyssa Lies,” was the fastest rising single by a new male country artist in 15 years, peaking at #5 on the Country Billboard Chart. The follow-up single, “Livin’ Our Love Song,” also was a top-five hit, and, “I Can Sleep When I’m Dead,” broke the top-20 and became a theme song for the summer of 2008.
In my time with Jason, I performed at festivals, fairs, clubs, theaters and arenas all across the United States and Canada with the hottest country stars of today, including George Strait, Alan Jackson, Brooks & Dunn, Carrie Underwood, Gretchen Wilson, Martina McBride, Trace Adkins, and Montgomery Gentry. Our live performances created a tremendous buzz within the Arista label, on music row, and among our fellow artists and musicians.

I’m truly excited about what the future may hold!

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