MUSE • Musicians United for Social Equity

Biography

Michael Manasseh is a drummer and percussionist currently on the North American tour of Shrek the Musical.  

Michael began learning drums at the age of five, quickly exposing himself to a multitude of styles and traditions. He attended The Rivers School in Weston, MA where he participated in the big band and small combos under the direction of Philippe Crettien. Throughout high school, he had the opportunity to participate in many prestigious jazz camps, including The NEC Jazz Lab, The Berklee Five-Week Jazz Workshop, and the Vail Jazz Workshop. During this time his private teachers included John Ramsay, the former percussion chair at Berklee, and Bob Gulotti who was also faculty at Berklee.​

In college, Michael continued his jazz playing, studying under Vince Cherico, Bruce Barth, David Gibson, and Don Sickler. He also played in 11 theater productions, including In The Heights, Head Over Heels, Pippin, and The Varsity Show V126 and V129.

Michael graduated from Columbia University with a degree in Economics and Mathematics.