Kendell Haywood has spent the last decade building a career as a drummer and percussionist across the DMV — playing musicals, jazz gigs, and orchestral seasons, with several client relationships now stretching past five years. His playing draws from a wide range of traditions: classical percussion, jazz drum set, world percussion, gospel music, hip hop, R&B, and years spent serving in houses of worship, playing in orchestras and concert halls, and playing in musical pit orchestras.

That range has taken him beyond the region, too. As a member of George Mason University's Green Machine — recognized by NCAA.com as the #1 pep band in college basketball — Kendell performed alongside Lady Antebellum at Jiffy Lube Live and GRiZ at The Anthem, and composed and arranged original repertoire for the ensemble. He's also brought his playing to the Percussive Arts Society International Convention in Indianapolis, the McCormick Marimba Festival in Tampa, and the College Music Society International Conference in Vancouver.

Behind the kit is only part of the story. Kendell is also a working audio engineer — mixing regularly on Allen & Heath dLive and SQ consoles, Dante certified, and fluent in Pro Tools. He's mixed 60+ channel live broadcasts on a weekly basis, managed teams of multiple contractors and organizations on projects valued at $500,000, and toured to venues including the Philips Center in Orlando, The Met in Philadelphia, and the Belk Theater in Charlotte.

Today, Kendell continues to write, produce, and mix original music, and is the founder of BackBeat Productions, an audio and event production company serving the DMV.