George Marsh

Office

About

George Marsh is a drummer, percussionist, composer, author, and educator whose career has spanned more than seven decades. At the center of his teaching is Inner Drumming, an approach to rhythm, movement, coordination, listening, and improvisation developed over a lifetime. Through polyrhythm, limb independence, melodic rhythm, improvisation, and his Inner Drumming Rudiments, students build technique as a pathway toward greater freedom, confidence, and musical expression.

Marsh has performed and recorded with artists including Denny Zeitlin, David Grisman, Jerry Garcia, John Abercrombie, Mose Allison, Joe Henderson, Barbra Streisand, Terry Riley, Pauline Oliveros, and the Kronos Quartet, among many others.

Improvisation and deep listening are fundamental to his work. He encourages students to hear rhythm melodically, explore space and silence, and develop the ability to respond spontaneously to what they hear and feel. Jazz is an important foundation, while the work extends naturally into spontaneous composition and other forms of improvised music.

His longtime collaboration with acclaimed jazz pianist and composer Denny Zeitlin reflects these ideas in performance. Their recordings of completely improvised music explore spontaneous composition through listening, interaction, and musical trust.

Marsh has taught drum set, improvisation, and rhythm studies at Sonoma State University since 1983. His teaching is centered on helping each student develop stronger coordination, deeper listening, greater rhythmic understanding, and a more individual musical voice. He continues to teach, compose, record, and develop Inner Drumming, his life's work in exploring how rhythm can lead toward greater awareness and musical freedom. More about his music, teaching, and Inner Drumming can be found at georgemarsh.com.