Working Drummer Working Drummer

Justin Amaral first made a name for himself touring the country in the jam band scene, leading to shows with Mike Gordon of Phish and a profile in Modern Drummer’s (April, 2004) “On The Move” column. After world tours with alt-country guit-steel legend Junior Brown, Justin relocated to Nashville and quickly became first call for many of Nashville’s finest players and songwriters including Paul Burch, Tim Carroll, Fats Kaplin, Jon Byrd, Charles Butler and the late, great David Olney. In addition, Justin has performed and recorded with Jim Lauderdale (Late Night with Conan O’Brien), Laura Cantrell, Michelle Wright, The Wild Iris Brass Band feat. Jeff Coffin, Dennis Crouch, Milan Miller, Mike Farris, Layton Howerton, Tommy Womack, Chris West and many more. Justin maintains an active performing and recording schedule working at some of Nashville’s most prestigious studios like Blackbird, Creative Workshop and the Hen House as well as venues like The Bluebird, The 5Spot, The Exit/In and Roberts Western World. 
In 2024 Justin released a collection of traditional hymns re-imagined as world beat instrumental duets called LIFE IN GROOVELAND - The Hymnal. Each track features a different instrumentalist.
In this episode, Justin talks about:

   Heeding the call to do your own thing

   The origin of his new record: LIFE IN GROOVELAND - The Hymnal

   Creating your own opportunities

   Jump starting the creative process

   The inspiration of Drum and Fife

   Practicing movement and visualization as a technique

Ty Bailie is currently on tour with Mitski playing keys and organ. He moved to Nashville in 2021 after a stint in LA where his main gig was touring with Katy Perry. Since coming to Nashville, he has also performed with Joss Stone, Don Felder, Tanya Tucker, Wilder Woods, and his own group Uncle Bronco featuring Petar Jancic on drums and Adam MacPhail on guitar.
In this episode, Ty talks about:

Touring with Mitski, and buying into at artist's vision

Being musically agnostic and seeing validity in all types music, musicians, and music fans

What makes a good organ drummer - "don't panic"

Moving from Seattle to LA to Nashville, and the differences between those scenes

Finding different versions of yourself while still being yourself

Born in Northern New Jersey, Finch grew up with an unwavering love for drums that shaped his life's path. Before his eventual move to Nashville Tennessee in late 2020, Finch spent time in the US Army as well as working in the insurance world. Shortly after his move to Nashville, his dream was realized by the founding of FDS Drum Services, a drum tech service that includes repairs, restorations, custom heads, tour teching & so much more.
FDS quickly gained recognition through Finch’s dedication as well as the overwhelming support from the Nashville drumming community. Beyond providing professional drum services, he actively contributes to the community by hosting drummers' hangs, fostering networking, and uplifting fellow musicians.
In this episode, Finch talks about:

   Managing your time as a self employed person

   Utilizing your network to get things done

   Always learning new skills

   Being ready when shit goes wrong on stage

   Reviewing five different drummers he’s teched for

   Creating financial security

   Focusing on physical and mental health

Steve Picataggio has lived in New York for over a decade and has stayed busy on the jazz and musical theatre scenes there. He has toured with The Hot Sardines, The Four Phantoms, and others, and is active on the New York jazz scene playing everything from trio to big band. He is a graduate of University of North Florida where he studied with Danny Gottleib and Ulysses Owens Jr., and NYU where he studied with Billy Drummond. He is also active as an educator, with students from age 4 to adult as well as at the collegiate level.
In this episode, Steve talks about:

His fully remote college gig

Touring with The Four Phantoms

Why he loves rehearsing

The mentorship and influence of Matt Wilson and Bill Drummond

How cutthroat attitudes are mostly gone

His love of accompanying singers

Yamil Conga is a percussionist and drummer with over 20 years of experience playing a vast array of musical genres in live venues, music videos and in the studio. A native of Puerto Rico and a current resident of Nashville, Yamil has benefitted from a vast array of musical influences. Salsa runs in Yamil’s blood due to his father, singer songwriter, Eladio Jimenez, who wrote and produced for several Latin giants. Knowing that music has no boundaries, Yamil’s mission is to make people fall in love with the art of live performance and foster a new generation of percussionists.
Yamil tours nationally and internationally bringing educational lectures on the conga drum and salsa music. He is currently the percussionist and DJ for Country artist Frank Ray. Yamil rounds out his calendar performing with corporate bands as well as performing as a soloist as a drumming DJ.  
In this episode, Yamil talks about:

   Diversifying your "portfolio”

   Being proactive with your daily activities

   The evolution of the drumming/DJ thing

   Playing with artist Frank Ray

   Lecturing on the origin of the conga in American music

   The influence of his father’s legacy

   Percussion advice for drum set players

Tom Jorgensen is an active and highly-requested drummer, session musician, composer, and mixing engineer based in New York City, currently on the first national tour of the Beetlejuice Broadway musical. Tom is a graduate with a BFA from The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in NYC, where he studied with jazz legends such as Reggie Workman, Charli Persip, and privately with Master Drummer Michael Carvin, with whom a mentorship continues to this day.
Tom frequently performs with the internet sensation Post Modern Jukebox, having toured with the group extensively in the United States, Canada, Europe, New Zealand, and Australia. His career has also taken him abroad throughout Europe, South America, French Polynesia, and the Caribbean while acting as Music Director onboard Holland America Cruise Line.
In this episode, Tom talks about:

The broad range of genres and drumming styles in the “Beetlejuice” show

Auditioning for a Broadway tour vs. being offered the gig outright

The “authenticity meter” in relationship building

What it means to have a sound-oriented approach

His experience studying with Michael Carvin at The New School in New York

What good relationships look like - if one person wins, we all win

“Go, do, be, have” in that order