Meet Patrick R. F. Blakley:
I am a SAMMY award-winning percussionist from Syracuse, New York. I’ve worked with field bands, WGI percussion ensembles, WGI winds ensembles, and winterguard programs across the country, as well as both DCA and DCI drum corps as a performer, caption head, concept designer, composer, drill writer, sound designer, and director.
I am also a member of the Percussive Arts Society, the National Band Association, and have a dual membership with the National Association for Music Education and the New York State School Music Association. I’m currently an endorsed artist/educator with Innovative Percussion and Epiarch Drums. I’ve been a finalist for the SAMMY awards several times and have won once!
In 2021, I was a CNY Book Awards Finalist for writing a 320-page young-adult marching band novel called Drummond: Learning to find himself in the music. This novel was an expansion of a children’s book I wrote about marching band called Drummy Drum joins Marchy Band. Both books challenge young readers to find who they really are inside. My Drummond novel received high praise from editorial reviewers across the country and in 2022 it became an Amazon teen fiction eBook #1 best seller! The novel was nominated for over a dozen national awards and won in several categories!
In the more technical world of percussion, I’ve published two books called Quadratics: The Tenor Drum Equation, and The Field Percussion User Manual, which explore the details of tenor drumming and the entire marching percussion section, respectively.
You can find all my books here on this website as well as Amazon.com!
I earned my degree in International Studies & Language, and I’m a member of the List and Index Society as well as two local historical associations where I volunteer as an archivist and writer while working closely with my town’s official historian. I published a 110-page paper about a local geodetic survey location called Terre Hill, a little-known area near Woodard, NY. This research was then cited by Eagle News, a local newspaper covering the area.
In my spare time, I have curated a large personal collection of antique toasters, as well as an enormous amount of toaster-related things! Of course, I’m also a member of the Toaster Collectors Association. I also own a private gin collection of 122 different brands from 22 different countries, and offer private tastings to learn more about this incredibly unique spirit.
I have a number of pet research projects, such as BlakleyRoad.com, which documents all roadways in the country named Blakley, including spelling variations. I also have a goal of visiting as many of these locations as possible! Or my research on the local history of the Weller family and schoolhouse #6 as a side-project from my Terre Hill paper.
I’ve also published an essay called Questions I Have For You which explores many polarizing religious questions. Prior to that piece, I also published some articles in my college’s newspaper called Evading the Need to Think Part One, Two, and Three.
Finally, my college capstone paper, covering the Narodna Odbrana of Serbia, was published in the school’s Historical Review academic journal and is now cited as a source for all of the related Wikipedia articles, among many others, including translations, and is one of the most predominant sources for this subject matter!
I am an endorsed drumset artist with Epiarch Drums and have performed with a variety of local and national acts in various styles, including progressive, fusion, alternative, and experimental. I’ve recorded drumset for two full studio concept albums with the band Our 11th Hour, released in 2022 and 2026. The main concept album is exactly one hour long and took over a decade to carefully plan, compose, and record!
I come from a concert and marching music background, in addition to some scholastic jazz bands. I’ve marched four years of drum corps with the Syracuse Brigadiers Drum & Bugle Corps, and I’m proud to have helped continue their DCA record 46 consecutive win streak while also winning several percussion caption awards as a member of the tenorline. I also received a bronze medal and a gold medal in the DCA I&E event.
I’m now a consultant, composer, and judge for marching percussion and field band. All of my ensembles became multiple state champions while I was on staff or director! In 2018, I taught and composed for an ensemble that performed in the 92nd Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
I’m a member of two statewide judging federations, one national judging federation, and I’m also a certified percussion judge through WGI. I typically travel across the northeast US, judging marching competitions in six circuits across seven states, through the winter and fall seasons. I’ve also judged championship events several times!
I also work with several winterguard groups across the country, including WGI scholastic world and independent world winterguards as a design consultant, music editor, and sound designer. Through my company CompetitiveMusic.com, I also work with numerous dance, cheerleading, figure skating, gymnastics, and artistic swimming groups all over the world!
In North Syracuse, NY, I own a percussion studio called SyracuseDrums.com where I record and teach lessons on almost any percussion instrument!
Bands across the country have used my 326-page percussion technique method and warmup/exercise program from more than 200 high schools and universities in 43 states, plus Canada, Australia, Brazil, and the United Kingdom! Additionally, some of my exercises are featured on the robust iOS Drumr metronome and practice app.
Full Publication List & Bibliography:
Blakley, Patrick R. F. “Cooking With A Two Slot Toaster: THE PLAY!”
Paperback, 167 pages, 2026, 979-8241945020.
Stage Manager’s Edition, 333 pages, 2026, 978-1291830460.
Blakley, Patrick R. F. “Drumline Rudimental Evidence Locker.”
Paperback, 43 pages, 2025, 979-8276722986.
Blakley, Patrick R. F. “Cooking With A Two Slot Toaster: The Lost Recipes.”
Paperback, 212 pages, 2025, 979-8304797733.
ATwoSlotToaster.com, audiobook, 2025, Free Online!
Blakley, Patrick R. F. “Drumming Sight Reading Level Assessments.”
Paperback, 28 pages, 2023, MOD2073130526.
Blakley, Patrick R. F. “Cooking* With A Two Slot Toaster.”
Paperback, 208 pages, 2023, 979-8368043401.
ATwoSlotToaster.com, audiobook, 2023, Free Online!
Blakley, Patrick R. F. “Questions I Have For You.”
Paperback, 112 pages, 2022, 979-8806375125.
Blakley, Patrick R. F. “Drummond: Learning to find himself in the music.”
Paperback, 320 pages, 2021, 979-8429926469;
Hardcover, 320 pages, 2021, 979-8429909325;
eBook, 65,000 words, 2021, B09TSKZJ6S;
Special edition paperback, 320 pages, 2022, 979-8432789846;
Special edition ebook, 65,000 words, 2022, B09VMYVSJ6.
Blakley, Patrick R. F. “Drummy Drum Joins Marchy Band: Coloring & Activities Book.”
Paperback, 36 pages, 2021, 979-8432119551.
Blakley, Patrick R. F. “Terre Hill, Woodard, New York State: Surrounding History & Exploration.”
Paperback, 112 pages, 2020, 979-8432110169.
Blakley, Patrick R. F. “Drummy Drum Joins Marchy Band.”
Paperback, 44 pages, 2017, 979-8432171962;
Audible, audiobook, 2018, B0797C3VRH.
Blakley, Patrick R. F. “The Field Percussion User Manual.”
Paperback, 136 pages, 2015, 979-8432096302;
ebook, 20,000 words, 2016, B09TS4F52B.
Blakley, Patrick R. F. “Drumline and Pit Information, Warmup, Exercise, and Song Book.”
Paperback, 326 pages, 2014, 979-8432101259.
Blakley, Patrick R. F. “Quadratics: The Tenor Drum Equation.”
Paperback, 151 pages, 2013, 979-8432089830.
Blakley, Patrick R. F. “Narodna Odbrana: Terrorist Faction That Divided The World.”
Paperback, 56 pages, 2008, 978-1-4717-3820-3;
Oswego Historical Review Academic Journal, issue 2, pp. 13-34, 2009.
Blakley, Patrick R. F. “Evading The Need To Think: Part I, II, III.”
The Oswegonian Newspaper, issue 5, pp. 9, March 7, 2008;
The Oswegonian Newspaper, issue 6, pp. 8, March 14, 2008.
