Percussion (random objects): Reggie Washington

Reggie Washington playing


Interview with Reggie Washington (accent free of charge)

Artist: Reggie Washington
Medium: Random Object Percussion (ROP)
Location: The steps of Union Square

He’s Reggie Washington, from Nort’ New Jersey.

Reggie's distinct accent tells almost as much of a story as he does. Reggie learned percussion from his brother, who taught him to channel his passion for banging on things into a structured system of sound. In 1979 Reggie took his skills to the street and started playing drums outside the Foodtown in the Nort' Jersey ghetto. Hitting on anything he could find, he’d go around asking the people in cars for money. Eventually, his abilities and desire to perform brought him to New York.

Reggie plays on the New York street for two reasons: first, he likes the city; he likes the atmosphere of many different types of people and cultures trying to “come together as one, not trying to be separated.” Second, he loves music. “The music is amazing,” it's “doing something positive instead of something negative…it’s not a crime, a crime is selling drugs so music is different, it’s history.”