Podcast #97 - Augusto Oropeza

We’re closing in on 100 interviews here at Broadway Drumming 101, and we’re just getting started. We’ve got a great lineup ahead.

Upcoming episodes include conversations with:

• Pili Fronda

• Michael Manesseh

• Matthew Friedman

• Joe Bergamini

• Tom Jorgensen

• Trevor Holder

We're also re-releasing some Broadway Drumming 101 Classic Episodes you may have missed, featuring:

• Jesse-Ray Leich

• Jake Goldbas

• Paul Pizzuti

• Dena Tauriello

• Larry Lelli

• Rich Rosenzweig

• Elena Bonomo
  …and many more.

Be sure to subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen. And subscribe to the Broadway Drumming 101 YouTube channel for behind-the-scenes video content.

In this episode, I talk with Augusto Oropeza, the drummer on the national tour of Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations. He shares what it’s really like playing this music night after night, life on the road, his transition from an IT career into full-time performance, and the story of how he landed the gig in the first place.

We discuss:

• How he went from auditing the show to joining the cast on tour

• The challenges of split-week travel and three-city weeks

• Why he left behind a steady job in cybersecurity to chase his dream

• His influences—from Jonathan Moffett and Vinnie Colaiuta to Karen Carpenter and Sheila E

• What it takes to stay healthy and injury-free on tour

• The importance of networking, versatility, and being a good hang

• The reality of drum booths, tight pits, late-night DoorDash, and finding community on the road

• How Cirque du Soleil and musical theater sparked his passion for live performance

This is an honest and inspiring look at what it means to live the touring musician’s life.

Support the show by visiting our merch store: merchandise.broadwaydrumming101.com

And if you’ve ever dreamed of building a theater career of your own, my new book is almost here.

Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician’s Guide to Building a Theater Career is launching soon.

Get your name on the list at BroadwayBoundBook.com to be among the first to grab a copy when it drops.

Thanks for listening!

Clayton Craddock founded Broadway Drumming 101, an in-depth online platform offering specialized mentorship and a carefully curated collection of resources tailored for aspiring and professional musicians.

Clayton’s Broadway and Off-Broadway credits include tick, tick…BOOM!, Altar Boyz, Memphis The Musical, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations, Cats: The Jellicle Ball, and The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical. As a skilled sub, he has contributed his talents to notable productions such as Motown, Evita, Cats, Avenue Q, The Color Purple, Rent, SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical, and Hadestown (tour), among many others. He has also appeared on major shows, including The View, Good Morning America, Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the TONY Awards, and performed with legends like The Stylistics, The Delfonics, Mario Cantone, Laura Benanti, Kristin Chenoweth, Kerry Butler, Christian Borle, Norm Lewis, Deniece Williams, Chuck Berry, and Ben E. King.

Clayton proudly endorses Ahead Drum Cases, Paiste Cymbals, Innovative Percussion drumsticks, and Empire Ears.

Learn more about Clayton Craddock here: www.claytoncraddock.com