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 Powerful percussion is the very heartbeat of the exhilarating dance and music extravaganza "Riverdance, the Show." As percussionist for the US tour of "Riverdance," Noel Heraty performs with a stellar, multi-national orchestra (and some tirelessly energetic dancers!), intermingling updated traditional Irish music with the percussive rhythms of flamenco, tap, and Russian folk tunes. World tours of "Riverdance" have been extraordinarily successful, and appearances are planned well into the year 2000.
Born in Limerick, Ireland, Heraty played piano as a child, before starting on the drum kit at age 14. He studied classical percussion in Dublin and London, then Latin percussion in the US (he is an honors graduate of the Percussion Institute of Los Angeles). His influences include drummers Billy Cobham and Dave Weckl; his classical percussion teachers; Sheila E, Tito Puente, and Luis Conte; and his Latin teachers, Richie Gajate Garcia and Efrain Toro.
Prior to joining the Riverdance Orchestra, Heraty was a first-call player with the National Symphony Orchestra and the TRE Concert Orchestra in Ireland, and performed regularly with the Irish Chamber Orchestra. On stage and TV, he has accompanied opera greats Placido Domingo, Jose Carreras, and Kiri Te Kanawa, as well as Sinead O'Connor, Midge Ure, Clannad, and Micheal O'Suilleabhain. Heraty has performed in several productions on London's West End (including "West Side Story" and "42nd Street") and recorded numerous movie soundtracks (including "The Remains of the Day," "The Mask," and "The Grifters").
Heraty was 15 when he bought an LP tambourine and has been an LP fan ever since. "Most of my work is in situations where the music already exists and I am adding to it. By experimenting with LP's wide range of instruments, by combining two or more instruments, for example, I can create unusual colors and effects."
Equipment list: LP
Classic Congas, LP
Bongos, LP
Tito Puente Brass Timbales and
Timbalitos,
LP
Cyclops Mounted Tambourine, LP
Shakers, LP
Shekere, LP
Gajate Bracket, LP
Cricket, LP
Claves, LP
Rainstick, LP
chimes and various LP
Maracas
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