Daily Inspiration: Meet Burleigh Drummond

Today we’d like to introduce you to Burleigh Drummond

Hi Burleigh, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
In 1970 I was a founding member of the group Ambrosia and we’re still going 54 years later, for the last 20 years joined by my wife Mary Harris on keyboards and vocals. Of course along the way I was fortunate enough to perform with the likes of Frank Zappa, the L.A. Philharmonic, Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins, Mighty Mo Rodgers, Alan Parsons, etc. My wife and I are especially proud of three albums we did together under the name Tin Drum. Also, we established Tin Drum Music which became a recording studio, estimating that we produced, engineer, and performed on nearly three hundred recordings. During Covid our son and daughter where confined to the family home which resulted in the TIN DRUM FAMILY BAND, culminating in our first family CD, EMERSON STREET. So today we are still recording, touring with Ambrosia and the Tin Drum Family Band. Life is good!

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The music industry is never a given formula. There was a heyday in the 70’s for Ambrosia but the late 80’s and early 90’s not so much. The blessing in that down period was meeting my wife, starting a family, learning the art of engineering and producing, and playing and creating with a multitude of other amazing artists. Now Ambrosia is enjoying a resurgence which keeps us busy but as we have developed other musical outlets we are not dependent on one source of income.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I began playing the drums around the 5th grade and at the age of 72 I can say I have been obsessed with drums/percussion practically my whole life. I have had amazing mentors and now I am being called that myself. My influences are vast from classical to jazz to African and Indian. The input and exposure to the art of music never stops and I am as enthralled with it as much or more than ever. I have been nominated for 5 Grammy awards, had 5 top ten singles and performed on over 300 recordings. I have become a known engineer/producer and have written over 100 songs that have been record and released.

If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Very shy throughout my teens finding my voice and presence through performing and slowly coming out of my shell until now I’ve become a bit of an onstage personality. But still that shy boy inside. If all the music went away tomorrow I would be in the yard planting, growing, mowing, etc!

Pricing:

• Ambrosia 25K
• Tin Drum Family Band 5K
• Studio Engineering: $100 an hour
• Studio performing: $200 an hour

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ambrosialive.net
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/burleighdrummondofficial/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/burleigh.drummond.1?mibextid=LQQJ4d
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@tindrummusiclabel

Image Credits
CREDITS:

I FALL DOWN: (BURLEIGH G. DRUMMOND, MARY HARRIS)
BURLEIGH G. DRUMMOND: LEAD VOCAL, ACOUSTIC GUITAR, PERCUSSION
MARY HARRIS: KEYBOARDS, KEYBOARD BASS, LEAD VOCAL, BACKING VOCALS
MARC BONILLA: ELECTRIC GUITARS, BACKING VOCALS
BURLEIGH M. DRUMMOND: TABLA, BACKING VOCALS
SIERRA DRUMMOND: KEYBOARD, BACKING VOCALS

HOLD ON: (MARY HARRIS)
MARY HARRIS: LEAD VOCAL, KEYBOARDS, KEYBOARD BASS
BURLEIGH G. DRUMMOND: DRUMSET, PERCUSSION, BACKING VOCALS
MARC BONILLA: ELECTRIC GUITARS
SIERRA DRUMMOND: BACKING VOCALS
BURLEIGH M. DRUMMOND: BACKING VOCALS

BRING YOUR BODY: (BURLEIGH M. DRUMMOND)
BURLEIGH M. DRUMMOND: LEAD VOCAL, ACOUSTIC GUITAR, DRUMSET
MARY HARRIS: KEYBOARD BASS, RHODES, BACKGROUND VOCALS
BURLEIGH G. DRUMMOND: PERCUSSION
SIERRA DRUMMOND: UKULELE

THE DEEP END: (SIERRA DRUMMOND)
SIERRA DRUMMOND: LEAD VOCAL, BACKING VOCALS, ACOUSTIC GUITAR
MARY HARRIS: KEYBOARDS, KEYBOARD BASS, BACKING VOCALS
BURLEIGH G. DRUMMOND: DRUMSET
DEVON GEYER: ELECTRIC GUITAR
DANNY LEVY AND KIRA DRUMMOND: FINGERSNAPS

HUMMINGBIRD: (MARY HARRIS)
MARY HARRIS: LEAD VOCAL, BACKING VOCALS, KEYBOARDS

WALK OF LIFE: (MARY HARRIS)
MARY HARRIS: LEAD VOCAL, BACKING VOCALS, KEYBOARDS, KEYBOARD BASS
SIERRA DRUMMOND: LEAD VOCAL, BACKING VOCALS
BURLEIGH G. DRUMMOND: DRUMS, PERCUSSION, BACKING VOCALS
BURLEIGH M. DRUMMOND: BACKING VOCALS
MARC BONILLA: ELECTRIC AND ACOUSTIC GUITARS

MOM: (SIERRA DRUMMOND)
SIERRA DRUMMOND: LEAD VOCAL, ACOUSTIC GUITAR, KEYBOARDS
MARY HARRIS: KEYBOARDS, KEYBOARD BASS
BURLEIGH G. DRUMMOND: DRUMSET

SALT CREEK: (BURLEIGH M. DRUUMMOND)
BURLEIGH M. DRUMMOND: LEAD VOCAL, ACOUSTIC GUITAR, DRUMSET
MARY HARRIS: KEYBOARDS, KEYBOARD BASS, BACKING VOCAL
SIERRA DRUMMOND: ELECTRIC GUITAR, BACKING VOCALS
BURLEIGH G. DRUMMOND: PERCUSSION
KIRA DRUMMOND: VOCAL

SIGNS: (SIERRA DRUMMOND)
SIERRA DRUMMOND: LEAD AND BACKGROUND VOCALS, ACOUSTIC GUITAR
MARY HARRIS: KEYBOARDS

NEVER FAR FROM HOME: (BURLEIGH G. DRUMMOND, SIERRA DRUMMOND)
BURLEIGH G. DRUMMOND: LEAD VOCAL, ACOUSTIC GUITAR, DRUMS, PERCUSSION
MARY HARRIS: KEYBOARDS, KEYBOARD BASS, BACKGROUND VOCALS
SIERRA DRUMMOND: BRIDGE VOCAL, BACKGROUND VOCALS
MARC BONILLA: ELECTRIC GUTARS
JOHN WOULD: SLIDE GUITAR

SILK: (SIERRA DRUMMOND)
SIERRA DRUMMOND: LEAD VOCAL, BACKING VOCALS, ACOUSTIC GUITAR, KEYBOARDS
MARY HARRIS: KEYBOARDS, KEYBOARD BASS
BURLEIGH G. DRUMMOND: DRUMS, PERCUSSION

MY SWEET LULLABY: (MARY HARRIS)
MARY HARRIS: LEAD VOCAL, KEYBOARDS, BACKING VOCALS
DAVID HARRIS: ACOUSTIC GUITAR