Andrew Kurtis Szypula is a percussionist, musical designer, and educator located in New Orleans, LA. He currently holds the position of Assistant Director of Bands at Tulane University. After graduating Summa Cum Laude with dual Bachelor’s degrees in Music Education and in Music Performance from West Chester University of Pennsylvania in 2012 he obtained a Master of Music in Percussion Performance from Temple University in 2015. He was also a member of the WCU Honors College.
Andrew is trained in all areas of percussion and musicianship. He is highly skilled in the areas of orchestral percussion, orchestral timpani, contemporary percussion, marching percussion, world percussion and hand drumming, drum set, and jazz vibraphone. His arrangements and compositions have been performed worldwide by a variety of ensembles from cover bands to championship marching ensembles to professional entertainment companies. Andrew is a certified music educator proficient on all standard band and orchestra instruments. Andrew is available for designing, consulting, and teaching for programs from elementary band to world class drum corps.
Andrew is a member of the Beetle Percussion Artist Family. He proudly endorses and supports their mission to create beautiful, hand-crafted, sustainably-sourced percussion products.
Andrew is also a member of Percussive Arts Society and the Vic Firth Education Team.
Performance
Andrew's performance experience spans many genres. He currently performs on drum set and percussion with the New Orleans Johnnys. The Johnnys latest EP Outta Ya Mind was released in late 2020. The lead single from that album, “Valentine,” was released on WWOZ and streaming platforms on Valentine’s Day 2020! Andrew has recorded with New Orleans greats such as Khris Royal, George Porter, Jr., Caren Green, and Simple Sound Retreat.
Classically trained with Philadelphia Orchestra legend, Alan Abel, Andrew regularly performs with professional orchestras including the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, New Orleans Opera, Jefferson Performing Arts Society, Reading Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Academy Chamber Society, Philharmonic of Southern New Jersey, and the Pennsylvania Philharmonic. He has also performed nationally with Drum Corps International World Class Drum and Bugle Corps including the 2009 silver medalist, Carolina Crown.
The stage is not an unfamiliar medium for Andrew. He has performed and arranged for several professional entertainment companies including Windish Music and Productions, performing at State Fairs and theme parks; and John W. McGrath Productions International; arranging for and performing in private, public, and corporate events along the east coast. In 2013, Andrew joined the performer roster for Blue Devils Entertainment. As a performer and music arranger with BDE, Andrew has performed in front of sold out crowds at Madison Square Garden, MetLife Stadium, The Javits Center, the TD Garden, the Wells Fargo Center, and Gillette Stadium. BDE has worked with many high-caliber clients such as the K-Pop supergroup BTS, the New York Knicks, the New York Giants, the San Fransico 49ers, the NYC Football Club, the Philadelphia Flyers, Under Armour, Super Bowl XLVIII, and the NBA 2015 All Star Game. Andrew was a Performing Member Leader at BDE and also wrote and arranged music for the NFL drumlines and for a corporate performance for Nike.
In The Studio
Andrew has recorded in a wide range of studio settings from full orchestra tracks to percussion film cues. Andrew appears on recordings with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, Simple Sound Retreat, The New Orleans Johnnys, The Songwriter Collaborative, Khris Royal, Albert Allenback, George Porter, Jr., and John Cleary. He has recorded drums and percussion for projects with HBO, Extreme Music, and more. He is an experienced audio editor and produces the weekly podcast Lewy Body Roller Coaster
Studies
Over the course of his education, Andrew has studied with the late Alan Abel, Retired Associate Principal Percussionist of the Philadelphia Orchestra; Chris Deviney, current Principal Percussionist of the Philadelphia Orchestra; Ralph Sorrentino, Principal Percussionist of the Philadelphia Ballet Company; David Nelson, Principal Timpanist of the Philly Pops and Lancaster Symphony, and a frequent substitute percussionist with the Deleware Symphony and Philadelphia Orchestra; Dr. Chris Hanning, percussionist for a premier chamber group, Relâche, and a recording artist for NFL Films; and Dr. Marc Jacoby, a world-class educator, certified Apple specialist, and a jazz vibe artist and clinician.
Education and Instruction
Andrew's teaching experience includes directing, consulting, and teaching nationally competing high school groups such as the Sun Valley High School Marching Band, the Downingtown West Marching Band, and the WGI World Championship Finalist Downingtown Indoor Percussion Ensemble. He also instructed the bass drum sections at the Raiders Drum and Bugle Corps, the Jersey Surf World Class Drum and Bugle Corps, and The Arizona Academy of the Performing Arts. Andrew has presented clinics and masterclasses at schools and conferences all over the country from ReNew Schools in New Orleans to the Percussive Arts Society International Convention. Andrew currently serves at the Assistant Director of Bands for Tulane University in New Orleans where he directs the Tulane University Marching Band and Green Wave Brass Band. In this role he oversees music, drill, and audio design for the band program and produces marching and spirit entertainment for the 2023 Cotton Bowl Champion Green Wave.
Design and Production
Andrew’s work in the pageantry arts has led to a wide array of opportunities designing and producing large-scale events. His work has been for Under Armour, Nike, The World Expo, NCAA Final Four, The Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, The NBA All Star Game, The New Orleans Pelicans, and others!
Just a short list of schools, programs, and companies for which Andrew has designed include Blue Devils Performing Arts, Tulane University, Temple University, Kutztown University, Grand Banda Medellín, St. Martin Independent (Ocean Springs, MS), Downingtown West High School Marching Band, Downingtown Indoor Percussion Ensemble, Bayard-Rustin High School, and Cheltenham High School (Greater Phila.).
Andrew currently resides in the New Orleans suburb of Metairie, LA with his wife, Alison, and their two cats, Castiel and Sadie. In his free time he enjoys working on and riding his three motorcycles.