Mr. Lenny Marsh

Surely one of the things that makes Mr. Lenny Marsh such a terrific musician and teacher is his ability to listen. When we interviewed Mr. Marsh in the MIDI Lab, he not only answered all our questions thoughtfully, but frequently paused to respond and ask us for more details about our interests. That generosity of spirit radiated from Mr. Marsh throughout our conversation. We hope it comes through to you.

Mr. Marsh has been a private music instructor for almost thirty years. He is a full-time teacher at the Nixon School (CPS), teaches at the Old Town School of Folk Music, and gives private lessons to students ranging from kindergartners to adults. And, of course, Mr. Marsh is an active working musician. Recently, he has been performing with a trio that specializes in '50s and '60s rock and roll and R&B. Mr. Marsh is open to many musical styles. As he puts it, with a smile, “I play with anyone who will have me.”

As a young man, Mr. Marsh explored his father’s extensive record collection. In the process he discovered the music of Vernell Fournier and Ahmad Jamal. Throw in radio broadcasts by DJs Herb “The Cool Gent” Kent and Dick Biondi on stations WVON, V103, WLS and WDCB, and you can see how the young Lenny Marsh came to enjoy Motown music and works by the Rolling Stones and other British Invasion groups, music he enjoys to this day.

As you have probably guessed, Mr. Marsh is a busy artist and teacher. We asked what he does to stay fit for the very physical work of playing the drums. He agreed the work is very athletic. He warms up, tries to eat right, stays hydrated, and maintains a positive outlook. The music business is demanding: “It can wear on you; it can eat you up if you let it.” Mr. Marsh mentioned the hard times experienced by two musicians whose work he admires very much, Chet Baker and Miles Davis, both of whom found the musician’s life very difficult and hard to manage.

One of the coolest things Mr. Marsh told us is that he has come to think of practicing as “a meditation.” The artist is in a special place with his or her instruments/tools, and the level of concentration and attention becomes an ongoing search to learn more. Mr. Marsh says one of the challenges he faces as a teacher is how to impart to students what it means to practice, “how to be with the instrument.”

Mr. Marsh’s parents wanted him to get an education degree so he could support himself. He entered the VanderCook School of Music Education, where he was a percussion major and studied under instrumentalist and teacher Vic Zajec.

We asked Mr. Marsh to name his top five percussionists, knowing that he could easily name more than five. After giving it some thought, he named six players who inspired him: Vernell Fournier, Ruth Underwood, Airto Moreira, Vic Firth, Art Blakey and Max Roach. Ms. Underwood played with Frank Zappa, and Mr. Marsh got to meet her at a place called Frank’s Drum Shop on Wabash Avenue in Chicago. Mr. Marsh has had some helpful percussion teachers, too. He has studied with Haskell Harr, Kenny Aronoff and others. Currently, he is studying bata, three cone-shaped drums used for religious songs from West Africa. Some of his favorite instruments include the conga and surdo drums, and he talked about the spiritual dimension of the drums, calling the skins “the most direct connection to the creator, the pantheon of deities, God and his disciples.” Mr. Marsh was influenced by the music he heard in his grandmother’s church growing up. He sang madrigals a capella in high school.

We asked Mr. Marsh to name his three “desert island discs.” That is a tough question, because he enjoys so many different kinds of music, but he mentioned Kinda Blue, by Miles Davis; Out of Our Heads by the Rolling Stones (Mr. Marsh admires the drumming of Charlie Watts, and added that “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” is a favorite single); and Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On album, which Mr. Marsh says is “a prayer.” We asked which of his listening pleasures might surprise us. Mr. Marsh considered that, then told us that he has been listening to early Jerry Lee Lewis records and noticing how well-produced they are. He has also been enjoying Junior Walker and the All-Stars' recording of “How Sweet It Is.”

From his earliest days growing up in South Chicago, Robbins, Illinois, going to school at Kellar in Blue Island, to playing with many ensembles and coaching the Jazz Band at FWP, Mr. Marsh has continued to grow and develop as a musician and teacher. Talking with him and learning about his life was a wonderful experience. We shook his hand and left the MIDI Lab feeling lucky to have talked with Mr. Marsh!

Watch this video of Mr. Marsh performing below.