The innovative percussion of Ian Wurfl
Maggie Dave percussionist & drummer Ian Wurfl shakes his unique creation, “the fruit bar,” proudly above his head at Harbor Party, a celebration of yacht rock’s greatest hits. A homemade instrument composed of more than a dozen plastic fruit and vegetable shakers mounted inside a plank of wood, this one-of-a-kind contraption debuted at the Lodge Room in Los Angeles, January 12th, 2020.
“I think it relates to my approach to percussion on multiple levels,” says Maggie Dave drummer Ian Wurfl, “the first being the importance of fun and silliness. I take music very seriously, but it's creations like these that remind me that patrons of pop music are looking to be entertained and have a good time.”
To the delight of the audience, Ian debuted his unique creation, the “fruit bar,” at Harbor Party’s rollicking tribute to yacht rock. Dancing in the crowd, I reflected on the joy of collaborating with an artist like Ian, whose innovative and carefree approach to rhythm and his role as a percussionist energizes our music with unexpected glee. A craftsman with consummate precision behind the drums, Ian isn’t afraid to “shake things up” from time to time: “I was inspired to make it [the fruit bar] by the banana shaker that Landon, the male lead singer, often uses. I was watching him at the last show and I got a vision, almost identical to what ended up getting created, in my mind. The steps of how to actually get to the final product weren't there, but I had a very clear end goal.”
Ian Wurfl pieces together the “fruit bar.”
As Ian slid down into the audience from the stage, he quickly converted the fruit bar into a limbo stick that concert-goers enthusiastically shimmied under, his surprising performance inspiring an impromptu conga line that broke out with gales of laughter, each link in its human chain bobbing in time with the music. More than just a visual gag, it was enlightening to hear Ian’s perspective on his homemade instrument’s deeper purpose: “The fruit bar is also an artistic statement in itself, and that's how I feel about percussion. There are so many choices to made at any given moment, and the artistry of any percussionist informs these decisions, for better or for worse. Every single note I play is an artistic statement, one whose goal is to uplift and inspire the music. This shaker is just another tool in my toolbox to do just so, and hopefully my artistry will inform me about when to pull the hammer out instead of this...or actually, a tambourine…because a hammer probably isn't generally useful for making music!”
“Froots & Vedgis 4 Sail” by Ian Wurfl…will we see the “Hammer Bar” next?
Ian Wurfl is a drummer & percussionist who received his Bachelor of Music from the USC Thornton School of Music. He has performed alongside many celebrated musicians, including John Fogerty, Jacob Collier, Farzad Farzin, Chaka Khan, Steve Vai, Jason Charles Miller (Godhead) and Pepe Aguilar. He lives and works in Los Angeles, CA. Learn more about his craft at ianwurfl.com