MUSIC
Kris Manning is a percussionist with over 35 years’ experience playing music. From rock, country and blues to classical and world, That Girl Drummer happily plays it all. Her background includes a Percussion Performance Degree from the University of Connecticut and Music Composition Studies from the Hartt School of Music. She has toured Russia with John Beck and percussionists from the Percussive Arts Society. She has also studied marimba with Leigh Howard Stevens.
Kris specializes in hand drumming, drum set, orchestral percussion and mallet instruments.
You can catch her live, most weeks, drumming somewhere in the US.
My Gear
I have multiple drum sets but favor a modern drum shop basic kit, DW kit for larger venues, 4 octave rosewood Musser Marimba (this is the actual marimba that LHS recorded Bach for Bars on!), special edition Alex Acuna cajon, a typical acoustic set-up, sprinkles for our musical cupcake (additional handheld instruments) and custom hi-hats from Heither Stein at 37 cymbals.
Look & Listen
In the pit with the 2018 tour of Beautiful The Carole King Musical. It was a blast to play 14 different percussion instruments in 8 performances at the Performing Arts Center in North Charleston, SC.
Learning the secret sauce when wrapping my own mallets with Michael Rosen, Oberlin Conservatory
With Allan Otte, Percussion Group Cincinnati, after an intense eurhythmics session
Drum solo!
2022 Greatest Showman Tour
Rockin’ a stripped down drum kit for Guys and Gillian at the Charleston Music Hall
Shenanigans with the North Charleston POPS are always a favorite!
The PAC Presents music series playing with 40 Mile Detour
Honing my bass drum techniques with Frank Epstein, Boston Symphony Orchestra
Rocking the Pour House stage with FB3
Leigh Howard Stevens, my marimba mentor