Bio

Anthony Lafond is a drummer based near Boston, Massachusetts, as well as having grown up close-by. Anthony graduated from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst with a bachelor’s degree in Drum Set Performance/Jazz and African-American Music Studies in the spring of 2021 where he studied with Jeff Holmes, Tom Giampietro, Felipe Salles, Fumi Tomita, Claire Arenius, Thom Hannum, Ian Hale, Colin McNutt, and Alex Beltran. At UMass, he really immersed himself in technique study, as well as intensive study in more traditional jazz, blues, and latin music.

 

He more recently graduated in the summer of 2023 with a master’s degree in Contemporary Performance (Production Concentration) in Drum Set from Berklee College of Music's Valencia, Spain campus, where he studied with Mariano Steimberg, Yoel Paez, Sergio Martinez, Joshua Wheatley, Gary Willis, Perico Sambeat, Olga Roman, and Magda Giannikou. It was here at Berklee where he really got to blossom in the world of contemporary music, playing and studying genres he loves such as funk, rock, latin, fusion, R&B, pop, and others.

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An active drum set player/percussionist for over 19 years, he has experience playing many styles, and has participated in drumlines, drum corps, indoor percussion groups, jazz and world music ensembles, rock and pop groups, musical pit orchestras, classical orchestras, a variety of different bands and styles, and many more.

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Additionally, Anthony has lots of experience recording in the studio, having done over 300 individual studio sessions and counting since his time in Spain, and has almost 50 songs, in which he has played and recorded on as a drummer, released on digital music streaming platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music. 

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Some highlights include when he played drum set for the Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps (DCI) in 2021 and United Percussion World (WGI) in 2022. During the 2021 DCI season, Anthony won the gold medal in the DCI I&E/Performer’s Showcase Competition with his drum set solo entitled “Stormy Weather”, as well as the Front Ensemble Rookie of the Year award from the Blue Knights.

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As a prominent educator, Anthony has had the privilege of teaching both drum set lessons and marching percussion programs throughout the United States and Europe, with students and groups ranging in age and experience. These levels include younger children in elementary school, high school, college, all the way up to world class drum corps and indoor percussion groups and participants, as well as high-level drum set players and percussionists.

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Anthony is a proud member of the Percussive Arts Society and continues to share his love for drumming with his ever-growing community.