Hailing from Perth Amboy, NJ, Juan "Carlito" Mendoza is a seasoned musician with over 25 years of experience. A classically trained percussionist, he excels in playing the marimba, timpani, orchestral snare drum, vibraphone, drum set, and hand percussion. Juan obtained his BA in Music Education from New Jersey City University in 2004 and earned his MA, summa cum laude, in Music Education in 2013. His musical journey has been enriched by studying under renowned instructors like Nicholas Cerrato (Timpanist for the Tony Award-winning Broadway show "Cats"), marimba expert Greg Giannascoli of the Philadelphia Pops Orchestra, and Brazilian percussion maestro Guillerme Franco.

Juan's musical prowess was evident from an early age. At 13, he won Best Soloist at the national Maid of the Mist competition in Niagara Falls, Canada. His competitive spirit continued through various drum corps engagements. He performed with the esteemed Hawthorne Caballeros Drum and Bugle Corps from Hawthorne, NJ, in 1997 and 1999-2001. In 2002, he joined the Syracuse Brigadiers, contributing to their victory at the Drum Corps Association World Championship and securing the best percussion title. That same year, Juan outperformed 35 other contestants to become the Drum Corps Association Snare Drum Champion.

Juan's talents have also led him to feature in Pat Petrillo's educational DVD "Learning to Read Rhythms" by Alfred Music, where he recorded all the musical examples and appeared as a featured soloist. His crowning achievement came in 2012 when he outshone over 5,000 competitors to win the Guitar Center Drum Off Grand Champion title. Juan has recently contributed to Drumeo, offering valuable content for their platform and the broader drumming community.

Currently, Juan serves as an adjunct professor at New Jersey City University, operates a drum educational website offering pre-recorded video lessons covering various techniques and musical styles, and holds a position as a middle school band director.

Broadway Drumming 101 is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Afraid of commitment? Click here to support Broadway Drumming 101: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/bd101

For more: https://www.carlitomendoza.com

Clayton Craddock hosts the Broadway Drumming 101 Podcast and has held the drum chair in several hit broadway and off-broadway musicals, including Tick, tick…BOOM!, Altar Boyz, Memphis The Musical, Lady Day At Emerson's Bar and Grill and Ain’t Too Proud. He has been a sub drummer on Motown, The Color Purple, Rent, Little Shop of Horrors, Spongebob Squarepants-The Musical, Evita, Cats, Avenue Q, and The Big Apple Circus. The next project he’s working on is The Hippest Trip – The Soul Train Musical.

Clayton has performed on various TV shows, including Good Morning America, The Colbert Report, The View, The Jimmy Fallon Show, The CBS Early Show, the Today Show, and the 2010 and 2019 TONY Awards at Radio City. He’s shared the stage with legends such as The Stylistics, Denise Williams, Chuck Berry, and Ben E. King and was in the Netflix DWYCK episode of Luke Cage with the Delfonics and the HBO version of Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill.

Clayton is a proud endorser of Ahead Drum Cases, Paiste Cymbals, Innovative Percussion drumsticks, and Empire Ears.

Get full access to Broadway Drumming 101 at broadwaydrumming101.substack.com/subscribe