Meet Evan Wright | Scholar/Percussionist/Athlete

We had the good fortune of connecting with Evan Wright and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Evan, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I’m still a kid right now but I plan to go into a career in the creative arts. Since I was a baby I’ve loved music. All kinds of music. My mom says that I could listen to a song and pick up random sounds that make up the layers of the song. When I was about two years old I told my mom that I was a drummer. I just knew it. I didn’t really talk about any other career. Percussion is the heartbeat of every song. I see lots of opportunities like music production or sound engineering. Math is my favorite subject in school so maybe I can use that too. I could even be a band director, for college though. My parents say that I still have time to figure it out.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am thankful for my gift and that my parents recognized it very early in my life. Even as a toddler, I was so serious about learning all I could. I would ask my mom to put YouTube videos on the TV or laptop so I could watch. I tore up a Remo bongo set by wearing out the drumhead because I played it all the time. It was almost as big as me but you couldn’t tell me that I didn’t know what I was doing.

When the bongo tore up, I got my first drum set at 3 years old. After getting that drumset, I started having so many opportunities. I got to see and meet the legendary percussionist Sheila E when I was three. I started with ADA right after I turned five and got to be on NBC Little Big Shots with Steve Harvey. It’s been nonstop ever since.

With Atlanta Drum Academy, I’ve played at Super Bowl Live for Super Bowl LIII, been on Good Morning America with Robin Roberts, and played at Atlanta Hawks and Atlanta Dream games. In 2023, we were Golden Buzzer winners on America’s Got Talent Season 18.

One challenge is learning new music and dances almost every week. Another challenge is time management because we have to juggle performance dates and drum competitions with our regular school and home responsibilities. Even though we are young, we are professionals. Mr. Riles (the executive director) always says, ‘Play it wrong, play it long. Play it right, play it light’. One of the assistant instructors, Mr. Bernard Smith, tells us ‘Don’t practice ’till you play it right, practice ’till you can’t get it wrong.’ With ADA, I learn how to be a better drummer but also how to work with people, younger and older.

I’ve been able to do a few commercials, videos, and movies. As a kid, you have to be ok with hearing no when doing auditions. You can’t take it personal if you don’t get the callback. But I had a lot of fun on set for music videos with Ludacris’s Kid Nation and musician Jon Batiste. I screamed so loud when Mr. Batiste’s “Freedom” video won a Grammy. This past year, I had a small part in Red One, the Christmas movie with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Chris Evans.

I’m a hardworking kid. My old Cub Scout leader used to call me “Renaissance Man” because he said I knew how to do a lot of different things. I want the world to know that I came a long way from where I started. When I get a chance, I’m gonna run with it. And yes, I’m still working on what I said as five-year old me…being the “best drummer in the world.”

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
To eat: Botiwalla or Fogo de Chao. I’m a foodie and I eat a lot. I like to watch all the food shows like MasterChef.

To drink: anywhere I can get great boba tea.

To hang out: Lucky Strike Atlantic Station or Beat the Bomb

I love to go to any of the games for all the Atlanta teams just to be there. And eat of course!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I thank God for giving me this gift. Everybody tells me that I can do so many different things by knowing how to play and read music.

I want to thank my parents who have supported me since day one. They have given up so much of their time and energy. Yes, money too. They make sure I get to performances on time and have the stuff I need like sticks and tape.

I want to shoutout Atlanta Drum Academy (director James Riles III) and the instructors for giving me a good foundation. If Mr. Riles didn’t start this group, a lot of kids like me in middle school or younger than me would not have a place to learn drumming. Not everybody gets a chance like me to play with high school band early. If we didn’t have ADA, we would have to wait a long time to be in marching band. I’d also like to thank the old ADA squad who are in college now or have graduated. Our big ADA brothers and sisters give us something to look forward to when we get older.

I would also like to thank everybody involved with the movie Drumline. You couldn’t tell me that I wasn’t Dr. Lee (actor Orlando Jones). I would make my mom, dad and grandma line up in the living room and march like the people in the band. If they didn’t march on beat, they were in trouble. Mom says I was about 3 or 4.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evanjazzwright

Facebook: www facebook.com/evanjazzwright

Youtube: https://YouTube.com/@EvanJazzWright

Image Credits
Steve Harvey and Atlanta Drum Academy (Photo by: Paul Drinkwater/NBC)

Terry Crews and Atlanta Drum Academy (Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC)

Little Drummer Boy (Photo by Kahran and Regis Bethencourt of CreativeSoul Photography)

Freedom Video Poster (Artist Jon Batiste, Director Alan Ferguson and Producer Alex Willson)