Kit Marsden // Musician

I specialise in percussion (drumkit, orchestral percussion and a variety of ethnic percussion) and keyboards (piano, electric piano, Hammond organ, synths, etc.); I work with a wide variety of different orchestras, bands and artists, spanning a large range of musical styles.

I play gigs and tours across the UK and abroad, and I play recording sessions for various producers – including ‘remote’ sessions in my own studio. I am also able to write and/or arrange music to commission – including songwriting projects; soundtracks for film, TV and theatre; advertising jingles; etc.

I started playing drums when I was five years old, and since then I have studied drumkit with Simon Dring, Dave Wickins, Jason Bowld, Craig Blundell and Ralph Salmins, and percussion with Ian Chopping, Sam Girling and Donal O’Brien.

I grew up around the piano, in a family of pianists, and I have been a pianist for as long as I can remember. I had lessons with Rory Marsden for over ten years – I passed Grade Eight Piano with Distinction in March 2008 and went on to study jazz piano with jazz specialist Peter Hayes.

I became a full-time musician in 2007, and began working in bands and orchestras playing gigs, as well as teaching from my home near Norwich. In 2008, I joined Witchers as a drummer and synth player. In 2011, I joined Sistema In Norwich (then known as In Harmony Norwich) as a percussion tutor.

In 2012 and 2013, I started working with synth pop duo Crystal Bats, playing gigs with them on keyboards alongside my tours on drums with singer/songwriter Axel Loughrey. I also joined the Music Arts Project team, working alongside former West End stage dancer Danny Coates with BTEC Musical Theatre students, based out of Wayland Academy in south Norfolk.

I am very proud to have been involved with PX Productions’ hugely successful ’90s dance show Ultra ’90s almost since its inception. In 2015, I was involved in the formation of Ultra ’90s Fresh – a spin-off line-up created to cope with the huge demand for booking the show. And in 2017, I was asked to run my own line-up of the show – and I became the musical director, keys player, male vocalist and band leader of 90s Jam.

In 2018 and 2019, I started MD-ing live shows for Jade MayJean (BBC’s The Voice), building a full audio-visual set from Jade’s debut album of original songs complete with fully-sequenced lighting cues and video. Jade’s band played the set with me as the onstage band leader at a string of festival shows and a slot at the O2 Academy in Islington, as well as the Christmas Lights switch-on in Ipswich town centre.

I have been extremely lucky to be supported by some wonderful companies. I’ve been a Pellwood Drumsticks player for many years, and I joined their artist roster early in my career – I am very grateful to Ivan and Vojtěch at Pellwood for being so welcoming to me right from the very start.

In 2020, I was proud to be invited to join Axis Percussion as an endorser. I have always loved the feel of direct drive pedals and the connection they give you to the instrument, so I am very thankful to Zed at Axis and I am delighted to have been welcomed on board by Zed and the Axis team.

Aside from music, I enjoy cooking, photography, watching Formula 1, supporting Norwich City Football Club, going to the gym, and playing table tennis in local leagues and national tournaments. I am also involved in the ‘Right To Repair’ movement, campaigning for more sustainable electronics and household devices.

I am available for session work, recording or live, with bands, solo artists or orchestras, across the UK and abroad – for more details, please contact me.

Thanks for visiting, and I look forward to hearing from you soon!