Bailey O’Donnell is a young Tabla player, percussionist, and composer. Initially a Western Classical orchestral percussionist, Bailey has performed in diverse settings ranging from concert bands, the orchestra, and jazz combos to a West African Ensemble, Steel Pan Ensemble, and free-form improvisatory dance accompaniment ensemble. In 2016, she toured China with the Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra, and has additionally performed at iconic venues such as the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing, the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Carnegie Hall, and Chicago Symphony Hall. She received her bachelor's degree in Percussion from the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music in Long Beach, California. 

 

A major turning point in Bailey’s career came halfway through her undergraduate studies when she had the opportunity to begin studying under world-renowned Tabla maestro Sandeep Das of the Benares gharana (school) of Tabla playing. She fell irrevocably in love with the Tabla and now engages in more improvisatory styles of music and World Music / cross-genre collaborations, often composing pieces that reflect her experiences at the intersection of two rhythmic traditions. She is currently based in Boston, where she continues to study Tabla with her Guru.