Frank Briggs - Drum Solo Artist

Frank Briggs

As a drummer and composer, Frank Briggs musical diversity is revealed in a body of work that encompasses Rock, New Age, R & B, Drum n Bass to Jazz & Fusion. Frank grew up in central New York and started playing drums at age 10. His parents figured he was serious by the time he was 11 and bought him his first drum set. Briggs recorded his first single on B & W Records before he was a teenager and by age 17, was opening for Alice Cooper and Sly and The Family Stone. By then, he was listening to Coltrane and Miles, Mahavishnu, Chick Corea, Tony Williams, Jack DeJohnette and Elvin Jones. When fusion came along, he discovered the sound that would engage him the most. But early on, he joined a popular local rock band, and soon signed to RCA records. Frank was also a writer for this group. After 2 albums, over a thousand gigs, MTV and opening for many national acts Frank decided to head to Los Angeles.

His first winter in Los Angeles, he played the NAMM Show, landed a gig with the R & B recording group Atlantic Starr and played drums on two albums for Higher Octave Records. This led to endorsement deals with Paiste cymbals, DW drums, Regal Tip sticks and Attack drumheads. TV appearances included Arsenio Hall, Pat Sajak, Soul Train and the Jerry Lewis Telethon. He expanded on these commercial ventures by recording jingles and film trailors as well as appearing with artists on such labels as Universal, Higher Octave, MTM, Immune, EMI/Sony and Warner Bros. plus many independent releases.

With his first instructional book/DVD, The Complete Modern Drum Set, he consistently heads Mel Bays Top 10 percussion methods. A dozen books and DVD/CDs later, his instructional material is used in colleges (recommended by professors at Berklee School of Music) and music schools around the country as well as by teachers and students world wide.

Frank has written and/or performed music for corporate titans American Express, Toyota, Johnson & Johnson, SAP, Forest Labs, Sepracor and AstraZeneca as well as being the primary composer for his own group .

Frank has appeared on over twenty albums, written dozens of compositions for bands, corporations and educational products. Frank has authored ten instructional books and two DVDs. He has also taught hundreds of students, some professionals and others who have gone on to have successful careers of their own. Frank has also inspired countless others through his teaching materials. Briggs has given dozens of clinics, is a member of Los Angeles Musicians Union Local 47, Percussive Arts Society, ASCAP, and a voting member of NARAS (the grammys)