Born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, Hannah’s first experience with drumming was in the third grade when her elementary school teacher, Diane Downs, began adding music to the classroom curriculum. Hannah immediately fell in love with the drums and they became her passion. In addition to English, math, science and social studies, Hannah learned drumset, hand percussion and keyboard percussion as a member of the precocious, extra-curricular drumming group that became known throughout the world as the Fabulous Leopard Percussionists of Louisville.
Santa Claus reportedly delivered Hannah’s first drumset around the time she was 8 and, as a Leopard, the youngster was able to study and perform with major drum artists such as Louis Bellson (jazz legend), Ruben Alvarez (Eddie Palmieri, Anita Baker, The Commodores), Jerry Steinholtz (Diana Ross, Lee Ritenour, The Carpenters) and Ndugu Chancler (Santana, Michael Jackson, Herbie Hancock) as they came through Louisville on tour.
After moving to Chicago with her family when she was 12, Hannah continued to play and learn about the drums. Her positive attitude, hard work and determination paid off. Hannah won the 2006 Louis Bellson Drum Competition (first girl ever to enter and first ever to win), was named an outstanding musician at the 2006 New Trier Jazz Festival and received high score in the 10th annual “Chicago Heat Strokes” drum contest. In 2007 Hannah once again was recognized as an “Outstanding Jazz Musician” at the Jazz in the Meadows Jazz Festival held in Chicago and was recently awarded a scholarship to attend the summer Percussion Festival at the Berklee School of Music in Boston.
The teen currently attends Lake Zurich High School and is studying with internationally-renowned drum artist, Northwestern University faculty member, Grammy-winner and former drummer of the Pat Metheny band, Paul Wertico as well as Chicago-area freelance percussionist and mallet specialist, Joe Sonnefeldt. Over the past few years she’s performed at clubs, parties and events in the Chicago area with the critically-acclaimed local fan-favorite, “Universal Slim and the Blues Kangaroos” while her current performance projects include “The Hannah Ford Band” and her one-woman “Peace, Love & Drums” multi-media show. Hannah also appeared along with world-class drummers Peter Erskine, Stanton Moore and Johnny Rabb as a featured guest artist at the 2007 Chicago Vintage and Custom drum show.
As for the future, although she’s not sure exactly what she wants to be when she grows up, Hannah says she intends to go to college, study music and become a professional drummer.
“A husband, a house in the suburbs, 2.5 kids and a dog; that was my grandmother’s dream, not mine,” the exuberant teen says. “Like they say, we’ve come a long way because today we have so many options. And, whatever comes along, I know ‘We Can Do It’!”
Email Hannah at
hannah@hannahforddrums.com to subscribe to her monthly e newsletter and stay up-to-date on what she's been up to.
