NDP PANEL: Breaking into Broadway (2/16/26)

Ever wondered what it really takes to play Lower Broadway in Nashville? This live roundtable discussion pulls back the curtain on one of the most competitive and fast-paced live music scenes in the country.

Featuring Nashville’s most in-demand drummers — both in-town and out on tour — join us for an honest, behind-the-scenes conversation about breaking into the Broadway scene and building a sustainable career.

Moderated by NDP Co-Hosts Dan Ainspan and Nate Sletner, this interactive session gives attendees the chance to ask questions in real time and learn directly from the players who have been there, done that, and still doing it…

Panelists:
Nico Medina (Ep. 7)
Ethan Harb (Ep. 5)
Molly Rose (Ep. 53)
Kevin Keith (Ep. 20)
Kyle Law (Ep. 59)

Thank you to our Episode Sponsors:

Drum Supply
https://www.drumsupply.com

Drum Box
https://drumbox.space

Low Boy Beaters
https://lowboybeaters.com

Rezo Custom Drum Heads
https://rezoheads.com

WFL III Drums
https://wfliiidrums.com

Groove MPL
https://www.groovempl.com

Music City Audiology
https://www.musiccityaudiology.com

Chapters:
0:00 Intro & Welcome
0:21 Meet the Panelists
4:25 First Broadway Shift Stories
20:42 Drum Box (Sponsor)
21:24 What Makes a Drummer Broadway Ready?
23:37 Charting vs Memorizing
30:25 Playing Like the Record
33:06 WFL III (Sponsor)
34:03 How to Get Gigs
35:25 What Not To Do
39:19 Respecting The Gig
45:07 Low Boy Beaters (Sponsor)
45:49 A Day In The Life
48:29 The Gear You Need
50:31 Get A Cart
1:00:56 Play The Room
1:04:44 Avoiding Burnout
1:08:10 Gig Triangle Mindset
1:13:08 Skills On Tour
1:19:04 Sub Out the Right Way
1:26:00 Music City Audiology (Sponsor)
1:26:42 Recording Gigs For Content
1:31:33 Wild Broadway Stories
1:39:19 From Covers To Originals
1:42:46 Broadway Pay Reality
1:44:53 Requests vs Setlists
1:47:15 Rezo Custom Drum Heads (Sponsor)
1:48:17 Q&A
1:48:24 Breaking into the Scene
1:50:15 Broadway Circuits Explained
1:51:37 Cajon Gigs and Auditions
1:53:48 The Future of Broadway
2:01:50 Singing Drummer Advantage
2:05:44 Clicks and Open Mics
2:12:47 Arranging Modern Tracks
2:16:38 Wrap Up and Thanks
2:17:48 Outro

Music Featured in this Episode:
"Beef Stew" - Too Hot For Leather

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Recorded at Garden Groove Recording Space, Nashville, TN
Podcast Artwork: GENUINE CREATIVE ART 

ⓒ 2026 Nashville Drummers Podcast, LLC