Bill is a Graduate of Westbrook High School and received a Scholarship from and attended Berklee College of Music in Boston MA. and graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music from the University of Southern Maine. He has studied Drum Set with: Les Harris Jr., Joe Hunt, Hank Dempsey, Phil Verrill, and Dom Moio, and also studied Classical Percussion with Nancy Smith.
He has been teaching percussion for the over 30 years both privately and in the public school setting. He maintains a teaching studios at The Drum Shop in Portland, ME. and is the Percussion Instructor and the Director of the Scarborough High School jazz program for the Scarborough school system in Scarborough, ME.
He is a free-lance musician in the Portland, ME area and is a member of The Novel Jazz Septet, Centennial Brass Band, and is the house percussionist for The Good Theater and Cast Aside Productions in Portland ME.
He has been on the percussion staff for The New England Percussion Camp, 1999 – 2005, & 2008. He has taught percussion in Westbrook ME, 1997-1999, and South Portland ME, 1994-96, school systems. He has been the Percussion Instructor for the All City Percussion Ensemble in Portland, ME (2000-2001), and has been the Marching Percussion Instructor at the following schools: Westbrook High School (1997-99 & 1981-1983); Wells High School (1994-97); South Portland High School (1994-96); Sanford High School (1989-93); Mt Blue High School (1984-86); Winslow High School (1983-84); and Old Orchard Beach High School (1980-81). Bill was also a founding member and instructor for The 20th Maine Drum and Bugle Corp. (1984).
Bill has been playing percussion for over 40 years starting in 5th grade . He played in Concert band, Symphonic band, Wind Ensemble, Marching band and Jazz band all through high school, as well as playing local gigs. . He has a wide variety of musical experiences from playing: Top 40, Pop, Rock, Jazz, Country, Musicals and Classical music.
He has played with: Portland Community Chorus, Voices in Harmony, Maine State Music Theater, Paul French, The Diamonds, Mid-Coast Symphony Orchestra, Anthony’s Italian Kitchen Dinner Theater, Tri-Community Chorus, The Best of Broadway 2005, Louie Phillipe, Lynne & The Top Cats, Under the Woodwork, The Bob Charest Band, Northeast Swing, The Chris Humphrey Big Band, A Cool Shade of Blue, The Maine State Ballet Orchestra, Maine Pro Musica Orchestra, Seaglass Choir Arts, The New Vocal Collective, Scarborough High School Chorus, Lake Region Community Theater, City Theater Associates, Snowlion Repertory Company, Lyric Music Theater, Portland Players, Hebron Academy Theater group, S. Portland High School Theater Company, Gorham High School Musical Theater group, Thornton Academy Theater group, Morse High School Theater group, Oak Hill Players at Scarborough High School, and The Embassy Players with Hank Beebe.
Discography:
The Novel Jazz Septet – Due out June 2019.
207 Wind Orchestra – America The Beautiful – July 2016.
Love Suite Love – February 2016.
Ellen Domingos /Good Theater – Is There Fat In That? – 2011.
Jim D’ Amboise – Sonic Arcade 2009 – 2007.
A Cool Shade of Blue – For Duke – 2004.
A Cool Shade of Blue – Swing Dance at the Church – 2002.
Mark Klienhault – Jazzin Maine Christmas – 1996.
Equipment:
Bill Uses:
Sonor, Yamaha, Premier, and Ludwig drums.
Zildjian, Sabian, Paiste, and Istanbul Agop , Istanbul Mehmet Cymbals.
Vic Firth sticks, brushes & mallets, Promark sticks, and Remo drum heads.
Latin Percussion, Pearl, Remo, and Toca percussion and hand drums, Roland electronic percussion, and Audix Microphones.
Bill Manning 