Andrew Grueschow is a Los Angeles based percussionist with an interest in music the world over. He has traveled to Ghana, West Africa several times, studying the music of the Ewe and the Dagombas, as well as recording traditional drumming for Zadonu Records. In addition to his work with Hands On’Semble, Andrew is also a long-time member of the Zadonu African Music and Dance Company (led by Kobla Ladzekpo), performing traditional music and dance from Ghana and Togo. Andrew has also performed with Adam Rudolph’s Go: Organic Orchestra, Lian Ensemble, UCLA African Music and Dance Ensemble, and Vinny Golia’s Large Ensemble, and can be heard on several movie soundtracks including Ali (with Zadonu), and Prince of Persia and Cowboys and Aliens (with Hands On’Semble).

Andrew is a faculty member at California Institute of the Arts, where he teaches African Music and Dance. For the last fifteen years Andrew has been teaching percussion based workshops, often focusing on the music of Ghana and composition/performance of original works, in schools throughout Los Angeles for the Music Center Education Division. He also teaches in juvenile detention facilities and outpatient care facilities through project ArtsCare, and as a mentor artist for the MCED, he has been involved with training and lesson plan development for other teaching artists. Andrew is active in teacher professional development through special projects such as the Music Center Artist Study Group and the LLSN Network (Music –In-Education National Consortium). He is also a teaching artist for the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Segerstrom Performing Arts Center. For the last three years Andrew has also been a presenter at the BEST Arts festival for early childhood educators.

Andrew has performed in Germany, Brazil, Ghana, Taiwan and throughout the US.
Teachers have included: John Bergamo, Kobla Ladzekpo, Swapan Chaudhuri, Alfred Ladzekpo, Sulley Imoro, Sayibu Nindow, Dizorgbe Lawluvi, Yeko Ladzekpo-Cole, I Nyomen Wenten.

BFA -African Music, California Institute of the Arts
MFA-North Indian Music, California Institute of the Arts

Contact: andrew@handsonsemble.com