My name is Grace Goss, I’m a born-and-raised New Yorker, and I have been playing the drums for 18 years.

During my undergraduate in classical percussion, I started applying chamber and solo percussion techniques into my kit playing. It has transformed my approach: now, I look for ways to incorporate ensemble leading and dynamic awareness, as well as considering tone, timbre, beating spot, and phrasing.

The other players in this video are two of my closest friends– Cally Mansfield on Bass and Lead Vocals, and Tori Hall on Guitar and Backup Vocals. We’re in a band called Dogs on Shady Lane. I feel grateful to make music with these two, and enjoyed watching them shred on this piece.

While this may be a strange format for submission– heavily featuring other players– I wanted to showcase what I believe the essential task of a drummer to be: keeping a band together, creating phrasing and dynamic, and synthesizing form within a song. I feel like this was the best way to show my personal chops and style.

I’d also like to give a shoutout to Lily Nord for recording and editing the video, Olivia Klegraefe for her all-around assistance during the shoot, 3 Academy Studios for providing space, equipment, and audio recording, and Hit Like a Girl for providing this opportunity to myself and others. I hope you enjoy!