ONG DRUM STUDIO

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ONG DRUM STUDIO 🥁

William Ong - Drummer , Educator, Working Musician & Composer

William Ong is a seasoned drummer, music educator, working musician, and composer who runs the highly respected "Ong Drum Studio". With over three decades of experience in the music industry, William comes from a family with a rich history in drums, as his father Joseph Ong has been a professional musician for 38 years and previously taught jazz percussion at “The Ohio State University” from 1983 to 2006, and his grandfather L.B. Ong was a professional tap dancer and drummer during the "Big Band Era".

William's passion for music began at a young age, and he began studying with his father at just five years old, who taught him the lessons he learned from Charles "Charley" Wilcoxon. He then went on to study with Phil Shipley, the Principal percussionist with the Columbus Orchestra, among others. Later, he attended Fort Hayes Arts Academy, where he gained a solid foundation in music history, theory, business, and recording under the tutelage of Jim Maneri and Jeff McCargish. William continued his education by participating in lessons and sitting in on his father's combo sessions at OSU after school, which allowed him to develop his skills in jazz performance, comping, and trading 4s at a college level while still in high school. After graduation, William taught and ran the Beechcroft Drumline for three years before moving on to private teaching and gigging. He also took drum lessons with Steve Dodge from Columbus Pro Percussion to learn more double pedal techniques.

Throughout his career, William has toured extensively across the United States and Canada with the math rock band "SRVVLST" and has performed with numerous renowned musicians and bands, including Medeski Martin Wood, Into It Over It, The World is a beautiful place and I am no longer afraid to die, Anthrax, Circle Takes The Square, Man Forever, Tera Melos, Joan of Arc, The Melvins, Modern Baseball, Tiny Moving Parts, Xerxes, Empire Empire, Sport, Dads!, Tim Kinsella, Mike Kinsella, Giraffes, Giraffes!!, Maps and Atlases, and Hella.

In his adult life, William has also taken private and master classes with esteemed drummers such as Steve Gadd, Thomas Pridgen, Sean Kinney, Akira Jimbo, and Zack Danzinger. He strongly advocates for continuous self-improvement, staying open to learning and listening to various styles of music, performing as much as possible, and maintaining a humble attitude towards one's craft.