Meet Josh Hartwell | Flow Percussion & Entertainment

We had the good fortune of connecting with Josh Hartwell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Josh, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
The idea for Flow was born from past experiences in both of our performing careers, primarily on the west coast in Las Vegas and Phoenix. In Las Vegas, I was a part of contracted drumline and percussion groups that performed for the likes of award shows, TV shows, private and corporate events, and even Dana White’s 50th birthday party. These gigs showed me what was possible when you added drums to any kind of event.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
The road to being a professional musician is never easy. Of the many routes you could go, being a “working drummer” takes sacrifice more than anything. This is all because one day you decided that making controlled loud noises was cool. If you go the academic route, like I did, you are moving away at 18 to another state to pursue it wholeheartedly. You become a student of the game; you fall in love with process of getting better at your craft. From there, you decided that 5 years of undergraduate work was not enough, and you sign up for 2 more years even further away for a Masters in Percussion Performance. It’s a culmination of time and getting your hands dirty (sometimes literally). You learn more about yourself in a 10×10 practice room than you do in most of life’s situations, I’ve found. This translates to Flow by understanding that our performers all have had similar paths, and our high standard of performance is easily achieved because we have put the work in. We do not take what drumming has given us for granted- and that is a purpose.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
You absolutely cannot go wrong with a stop at Saint Arnold’s Brewery, followed by a sporting event such as a Rockets, Astros, Texans, or Dynamo game (which you may see Flow at sometimes!)

I’d make sure to take a trip to the museum district for stops at the Museum of Natural Science and Museum of Fine Arts, and maybe even spend the day at the zoo nearby.

One of my personal favorites, though, is Space Center Houston. Seeing the inner workings of NASA up close and personal is something I’ll never get tired of. I grew up on that side of town and have always held the space culture of Houston near and dear to my heart.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Matt and I would not be where we are today without the influence of many great fellow musicians, friends, teachers, and drumming heroes over the course of our careers. Each person or experience has offered something that has now applied to how Flow operates. Our standard of performance and creativity has been bred from a multitude of factors, but at the center of it all, it’s been the art of percussion that has drawn all of the influences together for us.

Website: https://www.flowpercussion.com/

Instagram: @flow.percussion

Facebook: Flow Percussion & Entertainment https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091769229954

Image Credits
Hunter Greene