This month’s drumming unsung hero is Kate Schellenbach. Kate is a 54-year-old musician and television producer. Since 1992, she has been the drummer for “Luscious Jackson” and was also the drummer in an early incarnation of “The Beastie Boys”. She is a born and raised New York City native, attending Stuyvesant High School, and majoring in math and science. She started playing drums at the age of 14 when a family friend asked to store her drums at Kate’s house. After 10 years of playing, Kate reached a plateau, was frustrated with her level of playing and went on a mission to improve her performance.
"I'd been playing for a while and basically learning by listening and copying what I heard. But then I kind of reached a plateau where I couldn't learn anything more … I was frustrated with my level of playing … You start meeting more and more musicians, and they're just like kicking your ass. Not that I'm competitive, but just, like, how come I can't really like do fills…time signatures, jazz, or blues? So, I called up this drummer Paula Spiro, and we talked for like an hour. She has this interest in honing your skills no matter what level you're at, even if you may never be a big-time drummer. She became a real mentor for me, and convinced me that I could do this as a career, if I really worked hard, that I could be one of the great female drummers..."
Not only is she an accomplished musician, but she won an Emmy Award as a segment producer on the “Ellen DeGeneres Show”. Currently she is a segment producer on “The Late Late Show with James Corden”.
Kate names filling in for Clem Burke playing for Blondie in 1999 as one of the most memorable musical experiences she had.
Kate plays Ludwig drums.