About the Nashville Symphony
Orchestra & Conductors
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First Violin
Second Violin
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Cello
Bass
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E-flat Clarinet
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Bass Trombone
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Orchestra Personnel
*Section seating revolves for all strings
+ Leave of absence
Contact Us
Meet Our Musicians
Sam Bacco, Principal Percussion
Member of the Nashville Symphony since: 1983
Hometown: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
You recently led a class with members of the Rhythm Beaters, a drum circle from Park Center, which works with adults recovering from mental illness. Could you talk about that? It helped me reflect on why I started playing. Each of the members of the Rhythm Beaters had developed a personal relationship with their drum or rattle. They had learned that the sound that they were able to produce was completely in their control, and they loved to experiment! They were able to feel the power of playing together, create dynamic soundscapes and find rhythms in everyday words. Their obvious joy while they were playing and quest for knowledge was infectious. It was a great reminder of what music making can be.
You also design and build instruments too. Yes, as a percussionist, I’ve always had to find solutions to specific percussion needs as they arise. At first, it may have been designing and making a special mallet for a particular piece. That progressed to repairing or building my own instruments or restoring a historic drum, and eventually that path led me to learning about manufacturing processes, design work, etc. ........
