Drumming With The Best of 'Em

Self-made percussionist Jordan Critchley likes to bang on stuff.

At least that's how he became involved with the fledgling instrumental world fusion band called String Theorie.

Critchley auditioned for the band's founder Joel Weik and bass player Karl Messerschmidt when the band was first forming in the summer of 2009, quickly experiencing success within the local music scene.

Having no formal musical training, Critchley admits he's kind of just "winged it," since he began experimenting with bongo drums with friends about 10 years ago, when he heard a friend playing the bottom of a 5-gallon paint bucket.

Drumming has been his love story ever since, learning how to play a variety of percussion instruments including the African djembe, the Latin percussion cajon, the Tibetan singing bowl and Nigerian udu drums – two of which he made himself.

And he's enjoyed every minute of it.

"It's been so fun. Basically my job is to play music, and hope people have a good night because of it," Critchley said. "I tell people it's like a musical sandbox that I can get involved in every show – I just bang on stuff."

In the short time the band has been together, they've landed notable appearances and venues from WNPR's “Where We Live,” the Mark Twain Museum and the Lyceum, to the Studio at Billings Forge. Their self-titled EP is available on iTunes, CD Baby and other online music retailers and their full-length album is scheduled for release in early in 2011.

The group has also gained recent sponsorship from Ovation guitars.

Although the ever-increasing fan base and demand for music has been overwhelming, Weik said one of his greatest achievements so far is scoring an upcoming gig in Collinsville, where String Theorie will open for Don Ross, the acoustic guitarist who first inspired Weik as a child.

"That just means so much to me, I still can't even believe it," Weik said. "It's been an amazing journey so far. If you would have told me that we'd be able to play our kind of music in bars, and people not only stop and listen, but ask where they can get our music and when we're playing next - I never imagined it."

Although Critchley and Weik were both newcomers to stage performing at the band's inception, they say they've quickly become comfortable playing in crowds. Aside from experiencing the happiness playing paid gigs after about one year of performing, they love the evolving synergy and experience practicing and developing their musical styles together.

"It's been so satisfying and rewarding to really learn to understand each others' approaches and how to compliment each other," Weik said. "I hope to keep doing what we've been accomplishing as a group and hopefully get fully out of playing at bars and focus on shows and recording."

Always balancing work and music can be challenging, said Critchley, who owns Sunnyside Carpentry of Southington, it's always worth it.

"I'd love to focus more on music in the future, but we'll see where it goes," Critchley said.

One of their bigger venues coming up is an appearance at Hartford under the Stars by the Hartford Guitar Society on Sept. 11 at the Riverfront Plaza.

Events and links to the band's music can be found at www.stringtheorie.com.