Hannah Ford

Hannah FordHannah Ford has been playing Toca percussion instruments since her mid-teens. One could say that her popularity blossomed at age seventeen but the truth is that she's even more of a veteran. The interesting thing about Hannah, and a source of inspiration for her peers, is that her success hasn't hinged upon her gender, or lore about girls-smashing-barriers. Rather, she's always relied on something more universal-a passion for drums so strong it drives her to achieve goal after goal. From the beginning, Hannah's strongest suit is that she's found her voice and satisfaction behind a set of drums. Toca's rallying cry, Just Play, is something Hannah has always known well, as far back as elementary school in Louisville, Kentucky. Then as now she played for the sheer joy of it.

Something intervened, however. Hannah got good; she became accomplished. Major percussion figures bestowed praise on her. And audiences applaud, not out of respect for feminine marginality in a male trade but in recognition of excellence. When Hannah Ford plays the drumset, she can scarcely conceal her excitement, while her chops speak volumes. The combination of this fine technique and passion is unbeatable, pardon the pun. Already Hannah is reaping satisfaction and perks enjoyed by musicians much more advanced in years. For one, she's well on her way with a Toca endorsement, earned at age seventeen-not too shabby! 

As far back as she can remember, Hannah has devoted herself to music. To honor the commitment, her parents bought her a drumset at age eight. It was the perfect present since Hannah had taken on percussion and keyboard duties with The Leopards of Louisville, an amalgamation of capable young players. Since The Leopards were constantly on the prowl away from home, Hannah was able to study with a lexicon of legends: Louis Bellson, Ruben Alvarez, Jerry Steinholz, and Ndugu Chancier. Her touring enabled her to gain a rare savvy.

A family move to Chicago put her increasingly in the limelight. There she won a pivotal Louis Bellson competition, the first of many awards in 2006 and 2007. At Lake Zurich High School she followed a music stream and had the opportunity of studying under Paul Wertico of Pat Metheny fame, as well as mallet pro Joe Sonnefeldt. In trade fairs, Hannah appeared with Peter Erskine, Johnny Rabb, and Stanton Moore, while her one woman multi-media show Peace, Love and Drums has enjoyed critical acclaim. Now a leader of a band under her own name and an accompanist to stalwarts The Blues Kangaroos (sometimes joined by her father), the world is her oyster. She's got age on her side, chops to spare, and she's smart.

Hannah Ford is a proud Toca artist and uses percussion instruments from virtually every page of the catalog. A typical setup augmenting the drumset includes Toca Mini Timbales, blocks, bells, congas and bongos.

 

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