Tom Sharpe is an American born musician, composer and recording artist who is principal performer and artistic director of the Sharpe World Music Ensemble. He is best known as the drummer for the Grammy award-winning group,

Mannheim Steamroller Mannheim Steamroller is an American neoclassical new-age music ensemble founded and directed by percussionist/composer Chip Davis in 1974. The group is known primarily for its ''Fresh Aire'' series of albums, which blend classical music with ele ...

, as well as

Dennis DeYoung Dennis DeYoung (born February 18, 1947) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. He was a founding member of the rock band Styx, and served as its primary lead vocalist and keyboardist from 1972 until 1999. DeYoung was th ...

, a founding member of the rock band

Styx In Greek mythology, Styx (; grc, Στύξ ) is a river that forms the boundary between Earth (Gaia) and the Underworld. The rivers Acheron, Cocytus, Lethe, Phlegethon, and Styx all converge at the centre of the underworld on a great marsh, whic ...

. The title track of his debut CD ''Like Setting Myself on Fire'' was voted Grand Prize Winner - World Music Song of the Year by the John Lennon Songwriting Contest. "Trance-formation”, another album track, received honors as one of three finalists in the same category. On October 28, 2014, Sharpe released his second solo CD ''Lifting the World'' via Marathon Records. Sharpe is an alumnus of the Interlochen Arts Academy and holds the degrees Bachelor of Music and Master of Music from

DePaul University DePaul University is a private university, private, Catholic higher education, Catholic research university in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by the Congregation of the Mission, Vincentians in 1898, the university takes its name from the 17th-centu ...

in Chicago. Tom Sharpe is endorsed and represented by the Yamaha Corporation of America,

Sabian Cymbals Sabian is a Canadian and Armenian cymbal manufacturing company established in 1981 in Meductic, New Brunswick, where it is still headquartered. Sabian is considered one of the ''big four'' manufacturers of cymbals, along with Zildjian, Meinl and ...

, Vater Sticks and Mallets, Aquarian Drum Heads, Black Swamp Percussion, HipTrix Glowing Percussion, the Illinois Arts Council, and Urban Gateways Center for Arts Education. Sharpe currently resides in

Oswego, Illinois Oswego is a village in Kendall and Will Counties, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 34,485. Oswego is the largest municipality in Kendall County. It is a suburb of Chicago, Illinois. History In 1833, William Sm ...

, but grew up in

Romeo, Michigan Romeo is a village in Macomb County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,596 at the 2010 census. The village is situated at the southeast corner of Bruce Township, with a portion extending south into Washington Township. Armad ...

References

American male musicians Living people Year of birth missing (living people) {{US-drummer-stub