MUSE • Musicians United for Social Equity

Biography

Jesse-Ray Leich is a versatile percussionist and drum set player, who received his Bachelor’s degree in Music Education and Percussion from the University of Rhode Island in 2017 .

Raised in North Kingstown Rhode Island, Jesse-Ray started playing the drums at 4 years old. He has played drums throughout the years, achieving multiple All-State, and All-Eastern Division musician rankings. Growing up in the music world of Rhode Island, Jesse-Ray has performed for various bands, musicals, and ensembles. Some credits include drummer/percussionist for the URI Big Band at the world-famous Newport Jazz Festival, productions of West Side Story, Footloose, Guys and Dolls, and performance competitions in Boston at the Hard Rock Cafe, among much more.

From 2013-2017, Jesse-Ray worked in Newport, RI at the Newport Playhouse Dinner Theater, playing drum set for the Cabaret, sparking his interest in musical theater. From September 2017 to June of 2018, Jesse-Ray embarked on his first National Tour, as drummer/percussionist for the 3rd National Tour of “Motown the Musical” through Work Light Productions. Following the Motown tour, Jesse-Ray joined the 2018-2019 2nd National Tour of “Something Rotten!” the hit Broadway musical as drummer/percussionist. Most recently, Jesse-Ray was drumming for the 1st National Tour of “Summer: The Donna Summer Musical” from August 2019-March 2020.

Currently, Jesse-Ray is drumming for the new Jason Robert Brown Musical “Mr. Saturday Night” Starring Billy Crystal and Shoshana Bean at the Nederlander Theatre in NYC.  Come the fall of 2022, Jesse-Ray will be drumming for the new Broadway-bound Musical “KPOP”.