Brad

Brad Broomfield, Co-Founder, Teaching Artist

Hailing from New Orleans, Louisiana, Brad Broomfield is currently the Principal Timpanist/Percussionist of the Jordanian National Orchestra in Amman, Jordan and the Instructor of Western and Arab Percussion at the National Music Conservatory. As a soloist, Brad has appeared as a featured artist and adjudicator at the China International Percussion Festival and Competition, Festival Internacional de Percusion de Honduras, and PAS DOP's. He can be heard playing percussion with YOA Orchestra of the Americas on Gabriela Montero's album "Ex Patria" which received a Latin Grammy for Best Classical Album. Previously, Brad toured internationally as Featured Percussionist/Snare Drum Soloist for the Tony and Emmy Award-winning Broadway show, "Blast!," and held percussion positions with the National Repertory Orchestra and Acadiana Symphony Orchestra.

Brad has spent years immersing himself in traditional musics of the African diaspora. He has performed with Kulu Mele African Dance & Drum Ensemble, Alokli African Dance, Leana Song, Ologunde Afro-Brazilian Folkloric Troupe, and the Anlo-Afiadenyigba Gadzo Group, among others. In addition, Brad co-founded World's Ewe African Music & Dance in Philadelphia and taught Afro-Cuban percussion at the University of Pennsylvania. He has apprenticed with master artists in Ghana and Brazil. 

Mr. Broomfield has a particular interest in music and culture from the Middle East and North Africa. He received his training performing as a percussionist with the Philadelphia Arab Music Ensemble where he had the opportunity to learn from and perform with some of the greatest musicians from the Arab world and beyond. He recently took part in an "Ambassadors for Peace" tour of Israel with Hanna Khoury of Al Bustan Seeds of Culture and Udi Bar-David of the Philadelphia Orchestra. He has supplemented his studies with research trips to Egypt, Morocco, and Andalusia. 

Brad has a passion for using music as a conduit for social transformation. He is a graduate and mentor of Youth Orchestra of the Americas' "Global Leaders Program" which trains fellows in social music entrepreneurship. Brad co-founded an arts education initiative called "Drumming for Social Change." Through "DSC," Brad uses his knowledge of world musics to create innovative, multicultural arts curriculums that engage youth and communities around the world. 

Brad received his degrees from Temple University and University of Louisiana at Lafayette. His teachers are Alan Abel, Christopher Deviney, Don Liuzzi, Troy Breaux, Jeff Prosperie, Christopher Lamb, Tim Adams, Dan Gorlin, Hafez Kotain, Dominick Nahawand, Orlando Fiol, Chuckie Joseph, Gabriel Guedes, Mario Pam, Killer Fiebor, and the late Marty Hurley. Brad proudly endorses Innovative Percussion Sticks & Mallets.