Professional Bio

Prevailing Melodies

Damon independently recorded and released an album called ‘Prevailing Melodies’ produced by David Ryan Harris. The album features Harris, along with other artists like: Morgan James, Marc Broussard, Zane Carney, Stephen Kellogg, Doug Wamble, Chrissi Poland, P.J. Pacifico, Christine Tambakis and many more.

In Good Company

Damon has recorded on the Grammy-Nominated albums by Blues artist, Joe Louis Walker and Randy Rainbow. He also worked with Madonna on her 2012 Super Bowl halftime show, her MDNA tour, and DVD premiere in NYC. As a professional side-person, Damon has performed around the world, and worked across many genres with world-class musicians including: Mary J. Blige, Charlie Hunter, Morgan James, David Ryan Harris, Eric Hutchinson, Javier Colon, Erich Bergen, Norbert Leo Butz, Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez, Stefon Harris, Quinn Sullivan, and countless others. He has played in the house band for American Idol, The Voice, and benefits supporting the ACLU, Gods Love We Deliver, Broadway Loves….. and has done sidelining work on shows like The Path, Pose and Daredevil.

Critically Acclaimed

Damon as well as his group, The Damon Grant Project, have been featured in Modern Drummer and Latin Beat Magazines and performed in London at the gala event for the 2012 U.S. Olympic team. He was a member of the 10-time DCI World Champion, Cadets Drum Corps, and with them, performed at the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta. Damon was also a member of the group The Bomb Squad which was featured in People Magazine and won an American Music Award. He was an original cast member of the show Blast! which won both an Emmy and a Tony award. 

Instruction

Damon teaches percussion regularly to private students ranging from beginner to intermediate and beyond.  He has performed clinics at PASIC (Percussive Arts Society International Convention), different "Day of Percussion" events for the Percussive Arts Society throughout the USA and Canada, as well as The Peruvian Cajon Festival. He has contributed articles to Modern Drummer Magazine, and has done other masterclasses for percussion groups, drum corps, high schools, and several universities. Similarly to the masterclasses, he has spoken at and given seminars at multiple music conferences. He is available for clinics or consultations for your group in person and virtually. 

Education

Damon is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst with a degree in African-American Jazz Studies and Performance. He has studied with greats like Yusef Lateef and Giovanni Hidalgo on all types of percussion instruments.

Damon also co-hosts a weekly percussion podcast called Discussions in Percussion and is a member of the Percussive Arts Society’s World Percussion Committee.