Drummer and percussionist Meg Thomas has performed in musical realms that range from rock to calypso, avant-garde to spoken word, Latin-jazz to punk, and dance ensembles to percussion ensembles.
Meg has acquired years of performance, recording, and teaching experience. She has toured the U.S. and Europe and played with Grammy winners and countless artists that span many genres of music. In addition to having obtained a degree in Music, performing in a wide spectrum of musical settings has helped contribute to her creativity and unique approach to each new musical endeavor. Her drum and percussion set-ups range from the traditional ideas to unique set-ups that incorporate a vast range of percussion instruments.
Meg won runner-up "Rising Star Percussionist" in Drum! Magazine's 2010 Drummie Awards and was named "Musician of the Month" for January 2013 by the Chicago Music Guide.
Meg is part of the the Vic Firth drumstick and mallet company's Education Team as a Vic Firth Private Drum Teacher, teaches lessons out of her studio in Chicago, and has been a panelist for education seminars and panels. Meg teaches private lessons for drum set, congas, bongos, snare drum, djembe, classical percussion, timbales, among other percussion instruments as well as to anyone who is interested in learning to read music, improve their rhythm, or wants to work on music notation. Meg founded and runs the Chicago Women's Drumming Group.
Meg’s love of music and it’s healing properties has led her into the field of Sound Healing. She has two certifications for sound healing and sound therapy. She offers sound healing sessions for individuals and groups.
She has endorsements with Sabian Cymbals, Vic Firth Sticks and Mallets, Evans Drumheads, LP Percussion, PureSound Percussion, and Humes & Berg Cases.
Groups Meg has Performed with
Tropixplosion!, Calabash, LIFEAFTERSIX, Nevin S. Hersch, Hannah Frank Group, In The Flesh, Big Suit, Deacon Blues, D.S. Wilson, Birdy, Peter Calo (of Carly Simon), Cleemann (Denmark), Nino Arobelidze, Rendezvous, SpaceFace, Better with Bacon, Greenlight, Donna Frost (Nashville), Jim Duncan and Friends/ Joey Sunset Project, Jacqueline Sylvie Band, Vessy Mink, Retrospect, The Gasper Ghoul, Don Pedigo (Nashville), Blue Period, Liz Chidester, Christina Trulio, Waiflike, The Howl, Forbidden Knowledge, The Wanton Looks, GingaBop, The Very Small Quartet, Paul Willaert, Victor Sanders, The Sweet Maries, James McCandless, Barrett's Hidden Agenda, The Greenleaf Band, Daniel Connolly, Clarence Goodman, One Big Tribe, Roger Reupert and Friends, Rich Rubietta, "Bodies of Memory" (Dance Show), Squirrel, Pont des Arts Ensemble, Saint Cloud, The Josh Nelson Project, Zozo, Nicolau Santos, Jess Yoakum Band, Echoes, OD TAPO IMI, POP!, Gray Area, Down to the Ground, Sweet Inspiration, Ultimately Blessed, The Pickin' Bubs, Trinity Irish Dance Troupe II, Trinity Irish Dance Troupe, Reptoids, Darlyne Caine, Catfish Jenkins, Matt Mercado and the Amazing Devils, Rhumbuzzz, Capt'n Groovy, Big Fun, The Jake and Elwood Show, Gypsy, Deja Vu, DV8, The Runs, Alma Mendoza, Brian Delaney, The Jasper Stone Trio, The Late Shift Orchestra, Ripley Caine, Tim Seisser Trio, Arturo's Latin-Jazz Combo, Flabby Hoffman Acoustic, Troupe Namaste, Brown Dog, The Kevin Leeds Band, Harem, Casolando, The Carlos Ortega Latin-Jazz Combo, Reely Dan, Caribbean Castaways, Ted Wulfers and Beggers Bridge, Margarita Island, The Tom Brockman Blues Band, RMR, The Acousticats, The Decatur Municipal Band, Stewed Tomatoes, The Chinese Professionals.
Recorded with (in no particular order and not complete):
Hannah Frank Group, LIFEAFTERSIX, The Wanton Looks, Birdy, Nino Arobelidze, Nevin S. Hersch, Jeff Brown, VoxBox, The Sweet Maries, James McCandless, OD TAPO IMI, Canis Lupus, Sue Fink, Eric Hill, Donna Adler, GingaBop, Reptoids, Joseph Sobol, Jacqueline Sylvie Band, Marshall Hong, Eres Ra, Liz Chidester, Rick Anton, The Drum Circle (Kindermusik), Chicago Mike, Liesl Downey, Tom Harter, Lisa Danielson, Randy Rice, Noah Gabriel, Terry MacNamara, The Polar Bears, Bobbi Rector, Jim Gary, Frank Nims, Reva Karkhanis, and others.
