Phillip Todd Proctor Biography

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TODD PROCTOR

I started playing drums at the age of twelve. At the age of fifteen, my friends used
to drive me to my first gigs which were played at many of Virginia’s finest clubs and fraternities. Thus began my music-playing career which has yet to end. Since my first
gig at the age of fifteen, my career has taken me around the country, from Massachusetts
to Florida to California and everywhere in-between.

     I received a scholarship to study at East Carolina University which has one of North Carolina’s most prestigious music programs. I studied privately under Mark Ford, who is currently the head of the percussion department at North Texas State University. Louis Pragasam, a Fullbright Scholar from Malaysia taught me privately. Pragasam influenced me to study drum-styles from India,Malaysia, and Indonesia. I also studied with the world-renowned bassist, Caroll Dashiell and jazz great Peter Erskine. While attending East Carolina University, I had the fortunate opportunity to play with some of the world’s finest Jazz musicians: Mulgrew Miller, Christian McBride, Grady Tate, and Maceo Parker.

      I have an active freelance career performing varying styles of music with artists throughout the Southeast. These styles include pop, country, rock, cuban, blues, funk,
R&B, straight-ahead jazz, electric- jazz, and reggae.

      I have opened for many popular artists such as Edwin McCain, The Wailers, Yellowman,
Third World, The Derrick Truck’s Band, and Bobby Watson and the New Horizon. I have
also shared the stage with The Hartford Symphony, Triangle Chamber Orchestra, Gogi Grant, Amy Grant and Vince Gill (Duke Children’s Classic pit-ensemble), The John Brown Quintet, and The Duke Chorale.

      My work is best represented on the following recordings: Mother Nature, Mother Nature (1995), East Carolina Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Directions 2 (1997), Armand & Bluesology, Everything I Need (1997), Rusty Adams, Windows to the Soul (1997), The Crooked Smile Band, Debut (2000), Van Zant/Palmer, Sessions (2001), Laura Ridgeway, Triple Dog Dare Ya (2002), Dave Youngman Quartet, Usual Suspects (2002), Jim Crew, Shimmy Shack (2002), House Arrest, House Arrest (2002), and Mark Williams, Hold On (2002), Mark Williams, Rainbows: single (2004), Mark Williams, Soldier (2004), Lola Youngman with the Dave Youngman Quartet, This Can't be Love (2005), James Dunn, Lonely American Dream (2006),and Mark Williams, Freedom (2007).