 Born in Belfast, Damien
started playing drums at the age of 11, performing traditional
Irish music with local groups.
He studied orchestral percussion at Guildhall School of Music
and Drama, London from the age of 15. At 18, he was awarded a scholarship
to the Royal Academy of Music where he studied with internationally
acclaimed performers, professors and conductors.
Damien began a successful career as a freelance percussionist,
playing a diverse range of musical styles with many different ensembles
all over the UK and abroad - The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra,
The British Rock Symphony Orchestra with Roger Daltrey (USA Tour),
The Young Vic Theatre Company, Riverdance, Desford Colliery Brass
Band, Neck-Psycho Ceilidh Band, and many other. Damien is still
a much sought after percussionist and for the last four years has
regularly played the solo percussion part for Disney’s Lion
King at the Lyceum Theatre, London.
Damien lives in Bedford and has a busy schedule teaching percussion
to mainstream and disabled school children. He is involved with
the Wider Opportunities government initiative and teaches African
drumming and Samba drumming to primary school pupils all over Bedfordshire.
In 1996 Damien took part in a workshop with Olodum when they came
to London. This inspired him to set up his own samba group with
other music students (not really knowing much about samba but having
a lot of fun making noise!). In 2000, whilst on tour with a show
in Rio de Janeiro, Damien made a "life changing" visit
to the Salgueiro Quadra. On returning to London he wanted to learn
pure Rio samba and, inspired by Joe Hanson, took up the Caixa.
In 2002, Damien was invited to become a member of the newly formed
Paraiso School of Samba. Since then he has been in numerous gigs
and shows and has taken part in carnival every year under the direction
of Mestre Esteves. Damien believes Paraiso is the heart of real
samba in the UK and is honoured to have been made the First Director
of Bateria at Paraiso.
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