Glenn Kotche
Glenn Kotche has been the drummer of Wilco since 2001 with whom he’s recorded 10 studio albums – garnering a Grammy and 7 nominations. As a composer, he’s released 7 solo albums and has been commissioned by many artists including Kronos Quartet, The Silk Road Ensemble, Bang on a Can All-Stars, Eighth Blackbird, So Percussion, Third Coast Percussion, Carnegie Hall, the Chicago Youth Symphony and Roomful of Teeth.
Kotche has done cross-disciplinary collaborations with the likes of choreographer Danielle Agami, actor Jon Hamm, chef Rick Bayless, WNYC’s Radiolab, Notre Dame’s Engineering Dept. and Delta Faucets.
Kotche has played on over 180 recordings by artists such as Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, KD Lang, Neko Case, First Aid Kit, Phil Selway, Ed O’Brien, Andrew Bird, Iron and Wine, On Fillmore, Neil Finn, Low and Beck. In 2013 he released his book, A Beat A Week. Kotche has appeared on the cover of Percussive Notes and 3 times on the cover of Modern Drummer Magazine.
Kotche has done cross-disciplinary collaborations with the likes of choreographer Danielle Agami, actor Jon Hamm, chef Rick Bayless, WNYC’s Radiolab, Notre Dame’s Engineering Dept. and Delta Faucets.
Kotche has played on over 180 recordings by artists such as Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, KD Lang, Neko Case, First Aid Kit, Phil Selway, Ed O’Brien, Andrew Bird, Iron and Wine, On Fillmore, Neil Finn, Low and Beck. In 2013 he released his book, A Beat A Week. Kotche has appeared on the cover of Percussive Notes and 3 times on the cover of Modern Drummer Magazine.
The Monkey Chant for Solo Drumkit at 20.
Session Description:
This is a performance and in-depth look at Kotche’s drumkit solo, the Monkey Chant: an arrangement of the Balinese Ketjak – a rhythmically fascinating performance artwork based on the Hindu epic Ramayana story. He researched multiple versions as well as the text of the Ramayana tale for his unique interpretation of what is essentially a retelling of the story through percussion with specific sound sources on the kit playing the parts of the main characters. The clinic will examine the adaptation of the storyline with examples of Balinese versions and look at how the piece has grown over the last 20 years with an underlying message of the finding inspiration outside the canon of music that typically incorporates drumset. Illustrating that ethnic folk musics can be relevant to us as drumset players and help us to grow as musicians and artists as it expands the possibilities of our chosen instrument.
Session Category:
- Composition
Date:
Friday, November 14, 2025
Time:
12:00 PM
Location:
Wabash
Session Type:
Clinic
Session Format:
Live
