ABOUT
percussionist
jamie drake

Jamie Drake is a percussionist, drummer and composer, whose musical interests span from environmental chamber music to Motown, and who values collaboration and integrity.  As a member of TorQ Percussion Quartet, he has performed across North America and as a featured soloist with the Toronto Symphony, Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, Niagara Symphony, Kingston Symphony, Kitchener Waterloo Symphony and the Buffalo Philharmonic, as well as numerous wind ensembles, and has premiered works by composers including Christos Hatzis, Dinuk Wijeratne and Nicole Lizée.  Jamie regularly performs with orchestras and choirs across the GTA, and also serves as the percussionist for the Toronto Children’s Chorus and Hamilton Children’s Choir. Active in musical theatre, Jamie has played percussion for Mirvish, Musical Stage Company, Soulpepper, Young People’s Theatre and Canadian Stage, and has played drums for singers including Ron Sexsmith, Jackie Richardson, Jully Black, Divine Brown and more.  For the last 10 years he has served as the percussionist in Toronto’s favourite Motown band The Big Sound.  He received his Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Toronto, and currently serves as Assistant Professor of Percussion at the DAN School of Drama and Music at Queen’s University.