MI SUCCESS STORY: LAEL ECCARD

Lael began his drum training when he was 11, playing in his school’s jazz band and orchestra. From then on, jazz bands, orchestras, choirs, jazz choirs, rock bands and even musical theater filled his days. During high school he auditioned for both All State choir and jazz band 3 years in a row, was accepted each time and given an honors chair twice. He eventually enrolled as student in Music Performance at the Eastern New Mexico University. Lael eventually moved back home to New Hampshire and over the next 13 years would play around the country in a variety of different bands whose styles included country, blues, rock, jazz, folk, reggae and jam.

In late 2010, he decided to go back to school to study drums, percussion and singing further at the Musicians Institute in Hollywood. During this time he recorded full length albums with Byzantium (a folk group) and Jimmy Jax Pinchak Band (a blues/rock guitarist and actor) and the legendary Pete Anderson’s “Live at The Moose”, with whom toured the country and played 2 weekly residencies while living in LA. He also started his private lesson business during this time.

Lael graduated from MI with an accredited music degree in March of 2013. Lael moved to Nashville and he’s worked with blues guitarist RJ Ronquillo of Thompson Square, Reverie Lane and with the unbelievably talented, multi-instrumentalist, Jake Clayton, with whom he’s played most steadily with as Jake’s drummer and backing vocalist since the start of 2017.