We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Donavan Perkins a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Donavan, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s jump to the end – what do you want to be remembered for?

I started NoD Percussion LLC in 2019. It was created to shine light on drummers of different backgrounds and lifestyles to be noticed more for their skills and performance. I have been a part of the music performance industry for some time now, as I have performed in many different arenas, venues, ballrooms, stadiums, etc. My idea of creating this company started in 2012, as I was finishing my senior year in college, while participating in a marching band. I attended Alabama A&M University, where I marched four years in the percussion section named S.T.i.X. INC. While enjoying the unforgettable moments, I noticed that even in that large group of musicians, the drum section was always last to be called on in rehearsals. In my experience, I had noticed that not all the time, but in most cases, the drummer is not thought of as an important element. It has been said that drums are an instrument that is not as hard to master as other musical instruments. NoD Percussion is here as a voice for drummers to say otherwise. A drummer is not just a member in a band, or a person who just holds a beat. Sometimes the drummer can be the most talented out of an entire group, and can be the key source of where energy is controlled and displayed through the creation of music. Drumming is a language and also a lifestyle, equal to any other musician of any instrument. Music is universal and people can listen to it day and night, receiving the lovely skills and talents from the energy provided by musicians. NoD Percussion is here only to say, “Never Overlook Drumming”! That will be my legacy when it is all said and done.

Donavan, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

NoDPercussion is a performance-based company. NoD Percussion consist of musically talented performers to give you high energy shows for any size crowd and/or venue. Musical instruments we use are in the Percussion family (Keyboards, piano, drums, tambourines, djembes, etc.). We specialize in drumline performances; however, we are not limited to that at all. We can do large and small shows played on gallon buckets, all while making music that people love to dance to. We also offer drum lessons as well for all ages, on all percussion instruments. What sets us apart and what we are known for is our creativity and high energy. Our energy becomes contagious when we are seen or heard, and we have the ability to create countless numbers of shows for any large or small crowd or setting. Our mission will continue to be providing high energy shows using drums to help bring more excitement to any event, to the point that people will tell another person to Never Overlook Drumming for their next event.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I think my reputation was built slowly, but it was built with every opportunity received. When I receive an opportunity, I truly care for it from start to finish. Things sometimes can go wrong because there are a lot of moving parts. But because of my knowledge of the business and what problems you may run into, you become better prepared to face challenges. An example would be our organization is granted a gig which include 5 members needed to perform. First you have to find drums, then member who can play those drums, and also uniforms needed. For this example, a drum may not be available, or a member may call off and needs to be replaced. There are many issues that you can run into, and the client is still expecting a great show. So you have to adjust to whatever issues come up, and get the job done. Every client we have interacted with has always loved us and our shows and that is how our reputation has grown for our company.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

My advice for managing a team and keeping high morale would be that you have to be the best and hardest worker on the team. When managing people, you have to treat them with respect, treat them with care, and also you have to trust them. Nobody likes a micro manager, and that could potentially hurt your business because the morale can go down and then people would not want to work for you. You have to be the leader and also have to put your vision of your company into work. If the Leader is showing that they have lack of care for the business or craft, then the employees will follow the same path. People will respect your business as much as you respect your own business. So my advice is first, care about your business or brand, secondly you must put the work in to build and consistently support your business, and lastly treat your employees with the respect that you would want to be shown.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.instagram.com/nodpercussion/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nodpercussion/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/donavan.perkins.37
• Other: Most of our content is on Instagram @nodpercussion. You can email us at [email protected].