The Daunting Pursuit of Success: Adam Carlson’s Chase

for Drumming Mastery

By Jesse Romero

More often than not, the Friday nights of young college students can be vastly categorized down to crowded fraternity parties and drunken actives, with the occasional study session. For one former student however, Friday nights saw the inside of a Frohnmayer Music Building practice room. Adam Carlson’s incredible precision, tempo and coordination echoed throughout the building’s halls; A star was in the making. Carlson’s passion however, had been burning for years.

Born and raised in Bend, Oregon, Carlson had long been dreaming of becoming a professional musician. From middle school jazz band to playing with local bands in the area, Carlson became obsessed with jazz from a very young age. Years later, when accepted into the University of Oregon’s esteemed jazz department, his determination to rise to a riser level persisted.

“I wanted it that much more. And I saw the next level of the profession that much closer,” Carlson recalls, “I wanted to prove myself (at Oregon) … I thought the same when I went to New York.”

After graduating Cum Laude in 2014, Adam fulfilled his dream of becoming a professional musician in his dream city of New York.

“I had no doubt that he would find success” said Tony Glausi, a professional trumpet player whom Carlson recorded an album with. “Adam has always been next level.”

 In New York, Adam quickly became involved with multiple of the city’s top jazz bands and branched out his musical umbrella to include all different and new genres of music. But after a year of the big apple, Carlson moved back across the country to Portland, Oregon, seemingly leaving ‘the dream’ behind.

“I just realized that I wanted something else. It had caused problems for me and my family and I was not going to make that sacrifice” Carlson said. “It showed me what I value in life…happiness and balance.”

Back to his jazz roots, Carlson choose to slow life down in Portland, while still continuing to play with a newfound appreciation for the profession. Now, Carlson teaches drumming to students of all levels, passing on that same passion that has long burned deep inside for all these years.