221 – Clayton Craddock: Drumming for “Ain’t Too Proud,” Constructing Your Own Safety Net

Clayton Craddock’s drumming career spans decades and numerous Broadway and Off-Broadway musicals. Clayton is currently the drummer of the Broadway Show Ain’t Too Proud-The Life AndTimes Of the Temptations now playing at the Imperial Theatre on Broadway. Clayton has also held the drum chair and recorded the cast albums for the musicals Altar Boyz, tick…tick… BOOM!, Memphis the Musical and Lady Day At Emerson’s Bar And Grill with Audra McDonald.

After earning his bachelor’s in business administration from Howard University in Washington, Clayton stayed in the D.C. area, managing record stores by day and immersing himself in the local music scene by night as a drummer for blues and rock bands. In 1993, Clayton took a leap of faith and moved to New York City to pursue a career in music.

In this episode, Clayton talks about:

* The development and upward trajectory of Ain’t Too Proud * The process of launching a musical from the conception and initial workshopping to the full production* Learning the vocabulary of choreographers to understand what they want from a drummer* Emulating Benny Benjamin and other drummers who were part of The Funk Brothers, Motown’s “Wrecking Crew.”* Taking low money for workshops and readings in hopes that you can get in on the ground floor of something big * The many shows he’s played for over the years, either on a permanent or sub basis* The role of the Musicians Union in New York and the musical theatre scene* His experience at Howard University in Washington DC* His white collar career after college, and making the leap to full time drumming* How building your network is constructing your own safety net

Clayton endorses Innovative Percussion.