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Irondequoit resident Matt Giordano might seem like your average drummer — always drumming on any inch of space he can find. At Boulder Coffee in Rochester, he not only played a snare drum and bongo drums, but also played a chair, the floor and even a customer’s table.
But Giordano is a bit different than your average drummer, as he has been diagnosed with attention deficit disorder (ADD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and an above-average level of severity of Tourette’s syndrome. As symptoms of his Tourette’s, Giordano has motor and vocal tics, often pausing to clear his throat or twitching.
When the 27-year-old was a youngster, he would drum along to the Moody Blues. His interest began at age 2 and he started taking lessons at 5 years old, working with the
Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra’s lead percussionist for 8 years.
“My parents realized I had a natural gift,” he said.
After he attended some college classes, he decided that wasn’t for him. He eventually moved on to begin his current venture: Drum Echoes, Inc. He got the idea to start the business while working at the Farmington-based Cobblestone Arts Center, when he realized that he enjoyed working with people. He learned about drum circles and thought that he could apply that to a presentation in which he would speak about disability and the acceptance of diversity.
Now Drum Echoes takes him across the globe, including Greece and Hilton, for all types of presentations, before businesses and schools. He has also been featured on PBS’s
“Nova,” BBC’s “Imagine” segment “Oliver Sacks: Tales of Music and the Brain” and The New York Times.
Through his company, he facilitates drum circles, composes and directs drumming productions and gives community-building presentations.
Giordano said drumming is an effective way to teach other lessons.
“It’s a great release,” he said. “The presentations allow me to be open with my disability.”
Giordano said that while he’s had many experiences with his presentations, the most significant experience is “when I witness someone being empowered and inspired to do something unexpected, but great, for themselves or for others,” he said.
Giordano is influenced by his teachers and by famed drummer Buddy Rich.
“I just love music all around — blues can hit you there, rock can hit you there,” he said.
“It taps into my heart and consciousness.”
This Irondequoit resident is “living the dream, but always dreaming more,” and is moving to Denver, Colo. this summer.
The drummer has advice for anyone in any industry: “Do what you love to do and you’ll more likely be a success,” he said.
For Giordano, drumming isn’t just a lifelong passion, but a way to rise above his disability. His symptoms of Tourette’s go away when he’s drumming.
“It takes me more to this world,” he said. “It grounds me, it centers me, it gets me to the right place.”
Irondequoit resident Matt Giordano might seem like your average drummer — always drumming on any inch of space he can find. At Boulder Coffee in Rochester, he not only played a snare drum and bongo drums, but also played a chair, the floor and even a customer’s table.
But Giordano is a bit different than your average drummer, as he has been diagnosed with attention deficit disorder (ADD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and an above-average level of severity of Tourette’s syndrome. As symptoms of his Tourette’s, Giordano has motor and vocal tics, often pausing to clear his throat or twitching.
When the 27-year-old was a youngster, he would drum along to the Moody Blues. His interest began at age 2 and he started taking lessons at 5 years old, working with the
Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra’s lead percussionist for 8 years.
“My parents realized I had a natural gift,” he said.
After he attended some college classes, he decided that wasn’t for him. He eventually moved on to begin his current venture: Drum Echoes, Inc. He got the idea to start the business while working at the Farmington-based Cobblestone Arts Center, when he realized that he enjoyed working with people. He learned about drum circles and thought that he could apply that to a presentation in which he would speak about disability and the acceptance of diversity.
Now Drum Echoes takes him across the globe, including Greece and Hilton, for all types of presentations, before businesses and schools. He has also been featured on PBS’s
“Nova,” BBC’s “Imagine” segment “Oliver Sacks: Tales of Music and the Brain” and The New York Times.
Through his company, he facilitates drum circles, composes and directs drumming productions and gives community-building presentations.
Giordano said drumming is an effective way to teach other lessons.
“It’s a great release,” he said. “The presentations allow me to be open with my disability.”
Giordano said that while he’s had many experiences with his presentations, the most significant experience is “when I witness someone being empowered and inspired to do something unexpected, but great, for themselves or for others,” he said.
Giordano is influenced by his teachers and by famed drummer Buddy Rich.
“I just love music all around — blues can hit you there, rock can hit you there,” he said.
“It taps into my heart and consciousness.”
This Irondequoit resident is “living the dream, but always dreaming more,” and is moving to Denver, Colo. this summer.
The drummer has advice for anyone in any industry: “Do what you love to do and you’ll more likely be a success,” he said.
For Giordano, drumming isn’t just a lifelong passion, but a way to rise above his disability. His symptoms of Tourette’s go away when he’s drumming.
“It takes me more to this world,” he said. “It grounds me, it centers me, it gets me to the right place.”
