Caryn Feder
908-294-1474
Musician/ Instructor
Brief Biography
Caryn Feder is an accomplished musician who loves to play various instruments in many different performance situations. She has been a member of percussion ensembles, concert bands, wind ensembles, marching bands, drum corps, jazz ensembles, jazz combos, pep bands, choirs, rock bands and orchestras all over NY & NJ. She has drummed professionally for Off Broadway, Playhouse and High School productions of Suessical, 1776, Curtains, Big River, Damn Yankees, Rocky Horror, Blood Brothers, You're a Good Man Charlie Brown, Godspell & Once Upon a Mattress.
Caryn holds a Bachelors Degree in Music Education from The College of New Jersey (formerly Trenton State) and a Masters Degree in Music Performance from Five Towns College, studying percussion as her principle area of expertise at both institutions. She has performed with some of the world's most celebrated musicians (Rob Papparozzi, Bernard "Pretty" Purdie, Don Randi, Richie Cole, William "Spaceman" Patterson, Bryan Carrott, Jason "Malletman" Taylor, Jason Gianni, Dom Famularo, Sam Ulano, and more). She has also performed as principle percussionist for the August Symphony Orchestra under the baton of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra's own late Martin Sklar. In October 2012 she directed the West Islip Drum Line, who came in 3rd in the NYC Columbus Day Parade Competition. In August 2011 she appeared as a featured clinician for the Drum Summit, hosted by Drumming's Global Ambassador Dom Famularo & Sponsored by Sam Ash, which featured some of the world's leading Drum Set artists.
If you go to CdBaby.com and search her name, the first 5 albums that come up are Caryn's; she has independently released 6 professionally recorded pop/rock albums of original material (the most recent full length album being Another Sort of Someone in 2011). Caryn is always writing new music, be it for her rock band or arrangements of music for percussion. She debuted her arrangement of The Zombies' "She's Not There" with the TCNJ Percussion Ensemble at their Spring 2008 performance, and also performed two works she helped arrange at her college senior recital: an arrangement of "Alexander's Ragtime Band" for Field Drum and Mellophone, and an arrangement of "Love Song", originally written by The Cure & later covered by 311, for Vibraphone, Drum Set and Guitar. Caryn's music has been featured on college radio, a number of different internet radio stations, as well as on a compilation CD put out by Kid Antrim Music (2001).
Caryn has been teaching both private and group music lessons on many instruments since 1998. In 2012 she started her own music lesson businesses that specializes in both in-home and in-studio music lessons in New Jersey and Long Island, NY. Lesson studios are located in Fanwood, NJ, Hillside, NJ, Medford, NY & Dix Hills, NY. Caryn knew she wanted to be a professional musician since Pre-K. Some of her music is currently available on CDBaby and Itunes.
Caryn regularly performs with The Bill Stone Trio, The New Jersey City University Percussion Ensemble, NJWA Concert Band, The Majestic Winds, The NJWA Jazz Ensemble, The Sharp Shooters Parade Band,and the 2012 NY State Champion Golden Eagles Drum & Bugle Corp. She is also a Mallet Records Representative (headed by Lionel Hampton's vibraphone protege Jason "Malletman" Taylor, whom she drums for sometimes), and a Drum Summit Team Member and Featured Clinician.
Caryn hosted an hour-long radio program, Caryn's Rock N' Rant Radio, from 2009-2011, in which she performed with and interviewed some of NY's most acclaimed musicians (Frank Bellucci, Jeff Indyke and more). She has her own TV show entitled Caryn Feder's Music Mania TV, which focuses on her live performances and airs in Long Island, NY on Woodbury Area Cablevision Channel 20 on Mondays at 12:30 AM, and Hauppaugue/Brookhaven Area Cablevision Ch. 20 on Mondays at 12 AM. Caryn is the author of Buddy Rich: A Look At His Life And Technique. She is endorsed by Bowie Custom Drum, who offers both a student and pro model of Caryn's Killer Cutter Signature Snare Drum.
Caryn Teaches: Percussion (Drums - Snare, Drum Set, Timpani; Mallets - Bells, Xylophone, Vibraphone, Marimba; Piano/Keyboard; Auxiliary & Latin Percussion), Strings (Guitar, Bass Guitar, Upright Bass, Cello, Violin), Woodwinds (Harmonica, Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute), Brass (Trumpet, Trombone), Voice (Pop/Rock/Broadway).
Many styles offered, all ages, special needs students welcome.
Rock Bands
High School: Falling Stars (Majestic Tranquility (2002)), Running, Pacing & Learning to Crawl (2003) ), Incognito, Inchoate, Gnaw, Slow Children At Play, The Lotus Kids, Ka-Thumb Bus
College: Frankenstein’s Alibi (Angst, Love, Hate, Hurt (2006) ), Cambodian Squirrels, Better To Fall, Robot Monkey, Lunch Box Buddies
Currently: Caryn Feder (solo project) Another Sort of Someone (Oct. 2011)
Second Chance (Feb. 2009)
Education
Masters Degree in Performance; Jazz & Commercial Music - Five Towns College
Bachelors Degree in Music Education - The College of New Jersey
Certifications
K-12 Music Teacher, State of NJ K-12 Music Teacher, State of NY Teacher of Students With Disabilities, State of NJ
K-6 Elementary Teacher, State of NJ
Supervisor, State of NJ
Interested in learning more?
Caryn studied drums under NYC's famed drum educator Sam Ulano up until his recent passing, (above). She now studies with LI legend Dom Famularo (below).
Caryn played with the Five Towns College Percussion Ensemble during her time there, directed by Bryan Carrott (above), and currently plays with the New Jersey City University Percussion Ensemble, directed by Greg Giannascoli (below).
Caryn with friends and mentors Joe Reo, Jason "Malletman" Taylor, and Bernard "Pretty" Purdie.
Caryn with the incredible & hilarious Frank Bellucci, who she spent many a Monday night watching and learning from.
Caryn with Drum Summit members at various NY & NJ clinics. With Jeff Indyke & Matt Miller (son of Al Miller) on left, and Jason Gianni & Dan Britt on the right.
Caryn with Lou Gervey, Peter Greco, his student Maddison, Dom Famularo, Jason Gianni & Sam Ulano on right, and with Drum Summit founding fathers Peter, Lou & Dom.
Caryn drumming with esteemed guitarist William "Spaceman" Patterson (Miles Davis, Bill Cosby, many more).
Caryn with the rest of the Florian Schantz Jazz Combo on left outside Somethin Jazz in NYC, and with The Bill Stone Trio ft. Rob Paparozzi (Blues Borthers, Blood, Sweat & Tears) on right.
