Andy Macpherson
Drums

Andy Macpherson has been playing vibes and percussion for over three decades and is the leader of the New Vibes Jazz Quartet. He has performed in a wide range of ensemble settings, spanning Latin, classical, rock, and jazz. His studies at Humber College under Canadian jazz icons Ron Collier and Pat LaBarbera in the late 1980s were highly formative. He continues to make music with many of the region’s finest musicians, with one career highlight being a recording collaboration with Canadian jazz legend Don Thompson.

In addition to the NVJQ, which he co-founded, Andy currently plays with Big Band Theory, K-W’s premier big band. He is also frequently called upon to “sit in” with other local artists, including Andriy Tykhonov and Robin Reid Habermehl. He was the principal percussionist with the former Waterloo Stage Theatre during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Andy loves playing the vibraphone—a visually engaging instrument with rich tonal variety whose classic jazz sound is rarely heard live—though he plays all percussion instruments.

Alongside his active musical life, Andy is the head of the Mathematics Department at St. Mary’s High School in Kitchener and directs the SMH Hypercussion Ensemble.