Meet Tim Gaisser | Session and Touring Musician

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tim Gaisser and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tim, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
A career in music certainly didn’t start as a lifelong, childhood dream. It was a self discovery that wound up being a major left turn from my intended path and field of study going into college. I knew that it would be a lot of work, given that many people start much earlier than I did, and nothing would be a guarantee. However, the immeasurable amount of joy I got from playing music every single day with talented, like-minded individuals sealed the deal. The arts and music aren’t recreational or a hobby to me, I truly couldn’t imagine doing anything else.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I have been incredibly fortunate that playing my instrument professionally has been paying the bills for going on 9 years. I believe a big part of that has been through diversification, and my wonderful mentors and colleagues that have referred me for work over the years. Towards the end of my undergraduate studies I was getting the call to sit in with the local Philharmonic percussion section, hit the road with a few local bands/singer songwriters, and occasionally drive to Nashville over the weekend to cut some demo sessions. I moved to St. Louis briefly after my undergraduate where I worked primarily in small jazz combos, a corporate big band, and even had the opportunity to sit in with Chuck Berry when he was still alive. Even with this experience, the shift to full time happened upon moving to LA. I enrolled in a more contemporary music performance program as well as a program in music production because I found that the educational environment was a quick route to network and start getting a good feel for the scene and wouldn’t be as overwhelming with the feeling of starting from scratch in a new city.

Eventually I took an audition for the band SixStep where I met my good friend, Elliot Koenig, who runs Hear No Evil Studios in Orange. Getting a spot on his roster was a great step for me, and led to continuous opportunities recording and performing with musicians and singer/songwriters from all genres. Remaining eclectic and flexible is something I’ve found to be invaluable in this industry. Whether I’m playing in a country act, metal band, jazz combo, musical theatre pit, I’ve truly come to value the phrase “Musician first, drummer second.” It’s all about adapting to whatever the music asks for, and that’s something I brand myself to doing, and what I consistently work harder to always get better at.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well typically this is where my wife takes over as the California native. However, for coffee I’d say we have to go to Old Town Pasadena to either Copa Vida or Amara Cafe. It can get overwhelming having so many choices, but I tend to stick to hole in the wall or mom and pop type places. We would definitely hit up avenue 26 night market which has so much variety and tons of delicious food options. 2nd street in Long Beach is always fun, and has nice shops, good food, and beach options without being super crowded. For an evening stop, Strongwater Anaheim is also a great place to grab a craft cocktail.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have to give a huge shoutout to the teachers I have had along the way. An amazing thing about this industry is your mentors and educators often end up being your colleagues, and I have been so fortunate to work hands on with educators who are at the top of their field and continue to lend their expertise to me. The amount I have learned from them goes far beyond hand and foot technique and I hope I am able to make an impression on young players the same way they have influenced me.

I also have to give a tremendous shoutout to my close friends, family, and especially my wife. Her continued love, support, and understanding given all the crazy hours and time apart means the world. I couldn’t do it without her.

Website: https://tgdrums.wixsite.com/presskit

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tgaisser1/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tim.gaisser/

Other: Inquiries can also reach out to tgdrums1@gmail.com