BD101 Classic #3 : Matt Vander Ende (YouTube)
Drummer for the Broadway musical Wicked!
In 2021, I started this podcast with a clear goal: to give you a behind-the-scenes look at the lives and careers of Broadway drummers. Since then, we've hosted some truly remarkable guests who've shared their unique stories, experiences, and insights.
As our audience has grown, we've realized that many of you might have missed out on some of our most inspiring interviews. So, over the next year, we’re bringing back some of those classic, condensed episodes. Whether it’s your first time hearing them or you’re revisiting them, I hope they spark the same sense of inspiration.
But don’t worry, that’s not all—we’ve got some fresh, exciting episodes in the works and a few surprises along the way. Stay tuned because there’s plenty more coming your way!
In this third episode of Broadway Drumming 101, I had the pleasure of talking with Matt Vander Ende. Matt was born and raised in Oakland, CA, and he began playing drums at the age of 13. Trained as a classical percussionist, he graduated from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in 1993 with a Bachelor’s degree in Music. He was a member of the award-winning San Francisco Youth Orchestra, which toured Asia in 1986. In the summer of 1987, Matt attended the Interlochen Center for the Arts, where he realized that playing drums was his lifelong passion.
During high school, he helped form the heavy metal thrash band Defiance, which was part of the notable Bay Area thrash scene that produced legendary bands such as Metallica, Testament, Machine Head, Violence, and Forbidden. Defiance recorded three albums for Roadrunner Records and toured the United States, opening for bands like Violence, Flotsam & Jetsam, Testament, Forbidden, Death Angel, and Dark Angel.
While studying at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Matt began taking drum set lessons from Greg Sudmeier, affectionately known as “Suds.” Under Greg’s mentorship, Matt gained knowledge in various aspects of the music industry, including jazz, big band, rock, pop, chart interpretation, recording sessions, and musical theatre. Greg played a pivotal role in inspiring Matt to pursue a career in musical theatre. He served as the music director of the Broadway by the Bay theatre company, where he brought Matt on as the drummer for five seasons from 1994 to 1999.
During this time, Matt balanced a freelance career in recording and performing. He toured and recorded with several bands, including Defiance, Laaz Rockett, None of the Above, Yellow 5, Thirst, and Shelly Streeter, opening for notable country artists like Sammy Kershaw and Trace Adkins. After five seasons with Broadway by the Bay, Matt joined the Musicians Union. He began working with various San Francisco Bay Area theatre companies, including TheatreWorks, American Musical Theatre, and Nederlander Shorenstein-Hays in San Francisco. In his musical theatre career, Matt had the opportunity to perform with many stars, such as Tony Curtis, Alfred Molina, Carol Kane, David Garrison, Ben Vereen, and Neil Patrick Harris. He even joined the First National Tour of Wicked on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
2004, Matt moved to New York City to further his musical theatre career. Shortly after his move, he began substituting for several Broadway shows, including Fiddler on the Roof, Assassins, and Wicked. While substituting for Wicked, he was offered the chance to open the First National Tour of Wicked, performing in cities such as Toronto, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. After working on the tour for a year, Matt took over the drum chair for Wicked on Broadway in March 2006, where he continues to perform at the Gershwin Theatre. At Wicked, Matt has collaborated with esteemed professionals such as Steven Schwartz, Wayne Cilento, Stephen Oremus, and Alex Lacamoire. He has also performed with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and most recently toured China with The Unreachable Stars in 2017-2018 while teaching and recording sessions from his studio in Long Island City, Queens.
This episode is filled with great stories and insights, and I can’t wait for you to hear it!
Yeah, that's a familiar story; he came up through the ranks learning the ropes and had a good handle on the the musical styles needed. Lastly he had and made the Connections!!