CROSS RIVER, N.Y. — As a kid growing up in Goldens Bridge, Ian Rosenbaum took drum and piano lessons and played in ensemble orchestras at school. He stuck with the drums, but toward the end of high school he made a subtle shift.
“I moved away from the drum set and started pursuing percussion as a more general field,” said Rosenbaum, a 2005 John Jay High School graduate. With many more implements to bang on, the decision has clearly paid off.
As a member of Sandbox Percussion—alongside Victor Caccese, Jonny Allen, and Terry Sweeney—the quartet has earned Grammy nominations in the categories of Best Classical Compendium, Best Contemporary/Classical Composition, and Best Engineered Classical Album. It marks the group’s second nomination.
“It’s a pretty amazing thing,” Rosenbaum said.
The road to success began after high school. Rosenbaum completed his undergraduate studies at the Peabody Institute in Baltimore before heading north for graduate school. “We all met at Yale,” he said. “Going through the experience of playing this very specific genre is what inspired us to do this for a living.”
Cannonballs, homemade drums, mallet percussion, and eclectic objects like wine glasses and scrap metal are among the group’s instruments of choice. While all are capable of making a serious bang, the musical goal remains consistent.
“One of the things I really enjoy is finding ways to make melodies, to play lyrically, and to explore other kinds of music rather than just going pedal to the metal,” Rosenbaum explained.
The group’s Brooklyn studio, filled floor to ceiling with unconventional instruments, serves as more than just a rehearsal space. “We moved here early on because a lot of our community from college was here,” he said. “Composers and collaborators wanted to work here, and we built a life.”
Operating as a nonprofit, Sandbox Percussion uses the studio as a home base for teaching and outreach. The members plan lessons for their work at the New School and Peabody and host seminars with percussionists from around the world. While the group has developed a following, Rosenbaum keeps it in perspective.
“We have a little bit of a following, but it’s in this very esoteric world,” he joked.
New York City audiences don’t always get extended exposure, though. The group performs locally only a few times a year, as venues across the country often limit repeat appearances to maintain demand.
A recent snowstorm forced the cancellation of a Kansas City performance, but the group’s reach extends far beyond the heartland. Sandbox Percussion was invited to perform at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, where the LA Dance Project danced to the quartet’s music.
“We got to play our percussion in front of 2,000 Parisians,” Rosenbaum said.
Closer to home, the group will return to a familiar stage in April with a four-night run at Lincoln Center’s Chamber Music Society. “It’s a wonderful venue,” he said.
The Grammy nominations are another strong addition to an already impressive résumé, and the band knows firsthand the impact they can have. “The nomination we received in 2021 had a huge effect,” Rosenbaum said.
Because bookings are typically made 12 to 18 months in advance, the benefits don’t arrive overnight. Still, the quartet has little doubt that new conversations are on the horizon.
Harmony doesn’t always rule within the group. “It’s like being married to three other people,” Rosenbaum said, acknowledging that disagreements and challenges are part of the process.
Even so, the payoff is undeniable.
“It’s the best thing in the world,” he said. “My job is to show up at the studio and make music with some of my best friends. It’s pretty idyllic.”
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here