A working drummer and percussionist for more than three decades, Kelli Rae Tubbs‘ resume spans the musical spectrum, covering jazz, pop, country, bluegrass, drum corps, brass band, and children’s music. From 2017 to 2020, she served as the house percussionist at the Smoky Mountain Opry in Pigeon Forge, TN. She was featured in DRUM! Magazine.
Over the last decade, Kelli has established a formidable “second” career as a collector, researcher, and clinician. She has presented on the preservation and restoration of antique drums as well as historical drumming methods at the Chicago Drum Show, the Delaware Drum Show, and the Percussive Arts Society International Convention. Currently, she is writing a book with the noted drummer, author, and educator Daniel Glass, entitled “The Postcard Project: A Snapshot of Drumming Life, 1900-1930” (due in 2021).
She is the 2020 recipient of the Paul Charosh Independent Scholar Fellowship, 8 grants, and was an original music contributor to a Regional Emmy winning project in 2011. Her recent live and studio performances include artists Waltzing on Waves and international blues singer-songwriter, Annie Mack.
Kelli is a member of the Sabian Education Network and the D’Addario Education Collective. She has been a regular contributor to Vintage Drums Legendary Sounds and Tom Tom Magazine and served on the Scholarly Research Committee of the Percussive Arts Society.