A Lifetime In Service of The Song

Ken Lingad's professional career as a performing artist spans over 40 years. Dividing his early childhood years between intensive training and professional performance in classical dance, solo and choral vocals, opera, and musical theatre, Lingad's early accomplishments include a co-starring role in the first Hollywood reboot of The Legend of The Lone Ranger major motion picture, print and catalogue modeling for national retailers, and noteworthy solo vocal performances for professional stage productions and Heads of State. A card-carrying member of SAG and AFTRA before the age of 13, he was overwhelmingly recognized as a world-class vocalist, continuing to pursue an active high school and collegiate career studying both orchestral and marching percussion performance.

A noted pioneer in progressive marching percussion education, Lingad remains a historic figure in the development of the modern marching ensemble idiom in the Southwest at the competitive collegiate and drum and bugle corps-levels, respectively. Lingad was instrumental in the final design of the world's most popular line of marching bass drum mallets: the original Corpsmaster by Vic Firth, after actively field-testing several prototypes with the elite drum lines under his direction. As a Yamaha Performing Artist and Clinician, Ken Lingad was particularly involved in the research, design, and development of Yamaha's Sfz line of marching snare drums. 

Today, Ken Lingad enjoys a unique position at the forefront of the music industry, as both Business Executive and Performer. Based on the Music industry's third coast—Nashville, Tennessee—he reimagined rhythms and music arrangements for legendary Bluegrass artist Rodney Dillard as a member of The Dillards and has contributed his distinctive sound to several live and recorded music artists and projects, including Swedish mega-talent Maxida Märak. Currently, Lingad occupies the drummer’s throne and Native American percussionist duties for GRAMMY® Award-winning artist Bill Miller and other talents.

KEN LINGAD'S SELECT GEAR LIST

• Early 90s Yamaha Maple Custom Drum Set (customized by Yamaha to Ken's specifications): 12 x 10 rack tom, 14 x 14 floor tom, 16 x 16 bass drum configuration

• Yamaha Recording Custom Drum Set (pre-YESS): 10 x 7.5 rack tom, 12 x 8 rack tom, 14 x 12 floor tom, 16 x 14 floor tom, 18 x 18 bass drum configuration

• Ken’s private collection of boutique and otherwise top-shelf drums include a Limited Edition (#9 of 20) DW Collector’s Series Exotic Birdseye Maple Drum Set: 10 x 8 VLT rack tom, 12 x 9 VLT rack tom, 14 x 12 ‘X’ Shell floor tom, 16 x 14 VLX floor tom, and a 22 x 18 VLX bass drum configuration

• Zildjian cymbals: 20" Heavy K Dark Ride, 17" K Custom Dark Crash, 17" K Custom Dark China, 14" A Custom Fast Crash, 15" K Light Hi-Hat

• 14 x 5.5 Brass Snare Drum - Yamaha Manu Katche Signature Model

• 10 x 4 Maple Snare Drum - Peter Erskine Signature Model

• 14 x 5.5 Maple Snare Drum - Mapex Black Panther Velvetone Model

• Gon Bops Cajon - Alex Acuna Signature Model (Ken sometimes uses 2 identical models on stage)

• Authentic Pueblo Indian Powwow Drums - various sizes

• Schlagwerk Studio Shakers

• Schlagwerk Frame Drum - Pandariq Model

• Grover Beryllium Copper and German Silver Tambourines, Triangles / Stoessel Beaters

• AKAI MPC Renaissance DAW

• Nord Drum 3P percussion synthesizer

• All Hardware is Drum Workshop. Ken has recently switched to DW Machined Direct Drive (MDD) Pedals and Hi-Hat Stands.

  Ken Lingad is a Yamaha Performing Artist / Clinician and Vic Firth Artist.