I am a drummer by trade. Everything I am today, was build on my drumming career. I worked as a professional free lance drummer for more than 27 years, having played thousands of gigs from small cub dates and casuals to the biggest venues, festivals and corporate events. I was endorsed by Pork Pie Percussion Drums. This all happened before smart phones, so little is captured on photos or video. I also used the name, Thomas Michael, as the last name Michael was easier to spell and pronounce than Gallmeier, for band leaders when writing checks and introducing me on stage. That career and success enabled me to transition into songwriting and producing. I started taking private drum lessons at age 13. I only ever wanted to play drums in a rock’n roll band with my friends playing original music. I worked hard, practicing 4-6 hours a day as a teenager, playing local shows with my own band. I became known as the young and upcoming drummer in the local music scene and bands started to hire me for rehearsals, recording sessions and shows/tours. Until then I had never even thought of making money as a drummer for hire. So all this came as a surprise to me. Since my own band had its teething problems, key members unwilling to commit, playing gigs for other bands and projects seemed the way to go and I wanted to become a more versed drummer/musician. Plus I had increasingly become weary of the miserable weather and decided to enroll in drum curriculum at Musicians Institute in Los Angeles. I would stay in Los Angeles for 33 years, playing drums for just about any gig - as long as it paid. There were too many small club dates with cover bands as well as small casuals to big corporate events to recall. I was lucky enough to have played on recording sessions in some of the most famous studios in the world, like A&M Records and Chick Corea’s Mad Hatter studios. I had the pleasure of touring throughout the US, Scandinavia and Europe. I was very fortunate to have worked with amazingly brilliant and diverse artists and musicians throughout the years. Here are some of the more memorable names I played drums for or performed on same stage with:

Angela Teek, singer (Star Search Winner), Leonard Reed (award winning, producer, arranger), Adidas (FIFA world Cup 1994), The Platters, Harley Davidson, Friends (NBC), Stagecoach (Festival), Aaron McLain (Indie Artist/guitarist and MD for Air Supply), Jerri Jheto (King Sunny Ade, Fela), KIIS-FM with Rick Dees, Bob Margouleff (Grammy winning producer/Stevie Wonder), The Rippingtons, Fall Out Boys, Maroon 5, Terry Bozzio to mention a few.

I was one of the first drummers in LA to have a pro home studio and offer remote sessions. Clients would send in or drop off their tapes and I recorded live drums and provide multi-track tapes and later hd files. All this is and has been common practice for years now for even the biggest drummers in the business.

I was last on tour with my own band Tarzanaland in 2019-2020 until Covid struck. I play drums on my sessions when needed and do provide remote drum session when requested. I teach drums and have a free drum lesson video channel on YouTube. www.youtube.com/motandkrid