Biography

Washington, DC area drummer, Chip Clemmer is originally from Farmington, Connecticut, and has been playing drums since he was nine years old. He honed his craft through years of private instruction as well as gaining playing experience starting with the Farmington, Connecticut public school music programs; local summer stock theater productions in the Hartford, Connecticut area; Hartford and Danbury, Connecticut local rock bands; and through over three years of university level instruction and performing ensembles. After attending Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio, and Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, Connecticut as a Music Education major, Chip decided to concentrate on specializing as a drum set player rather than as a concert percussionist and public school music teacher. He spent the next year and a half studying drums with former NBC and CBS staff drummer Sonny Igoe in New York City.

In 1977 Chip auditioned for, and was accepted by, the United States Air Force music program. Upon completion of basic training, he was assigned to the 590th Air Force Band at McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey, where he played with the jazz band and as Principal Percussionist with their concert band. In 1979 Chip auditioned for, and was hired for a position with the United States Air Force Band in Washington, DC. Over the next 24 years he served as the drummer with the Singing Sergeants Combo, Principal Drumset and Section Percussionist with the Concert Band, and drummer with Silver Wings, the Air Force's premier country band. This assignment led to tours in 49 states as well as the US Territory of Guam, and overseas tours in Russia, Turkey, Greece, Spain, Portugal including the Azores, Germany, Belgium, England, France, Italy, Japan, the Philippines, and The Peoples Republic of China. In 1992, while he was stationed with the USAF Band, Chip returned to college on a part-time basis to study percussion with Professor Ronald Barnett at the University of Maryland, College Park. Currently, he has 98 college credits toward a Bachelor of Arts in Music degree. He retired from the United States Air Force on November 1, 2003, at the rank of Senior Master Sergeant.

Over the years that Chip has been in the DC area, he has established himself as a much sought after freelance drummer, teacher and clinician. He can regularly be heard with the Paulverizers, the Hall Brothers, the Joy Bodycomb Band, and the Roustabouts. Chip hosts the Wednesday night blues jam at the Old Bowie Town Grille in Bowie, MD, as well as hosting the jam session at Sapphire Restaurant in Laurel, MD. He is also part of the house band at the blues jam session at JV's Restaurant on the second and fourth Monday of each month that is hosted by Steve "Wolf" Crescenze and Matt Kelly. Currently, he is adjunct faculty as a drum and percussion instructor at the Bullis School in Potomac, Maryland, and on the staff as a drum instructor at Bach 2 Rock Music School in Bethesda, MD. Chip also maintains a small exclusive private teaching practice out of his home where he sees a small select number of students.

Chip Clemmer's professional credits also include performances with Henry Mancini, Richard Carpenter, Clinton Gregory, Marie Osmond, Patti Austin, Roy Clark, Marilyn McCoo, Janie Fricke, Margaret Whiting, Gary Morris, Mitch Miller, and Doc Severinsen. In addition, his professional affiliations include membership in the American Federation of Musicians AFL-CIO, the Metropolitan DC Federation of Musicians AFL-CIO, and the DC Blues Society.