Driessen Takes Valencia Post

Casey Driessen ’00 has been named as the director of the master’s degree program in contemporary performance with production concentration at the Valencia campus. Driessen has gained renown playing five-string fiddle on tours by Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, Tim O’Brien, and Darrell Scott. He’s also worked with T Bone Burnett, Bootsy Collins, Jerry Douglas, Steve Earle, John Mayer, and Tony Trischka, to name a few.

Driessen graduated from Berklee with a degree in music production and engineering and launched his career in Nashville. He has released three solo albums to date. On his latest, The Singularity, Driessen created all the sounds on the album with his voice and by producing loops with his fiddle. Sounds and textures made through looping have become a big part of Driessen’s music signature.

Previous to his appointment in Valencia, Driessen taught for more than 15 years and learned that there is no single approach that will work for all students. Regarding the performance program he currently helms, he says, “It’s designed to be flexible to the individual needs of musicians originating from a wide range of instrumental and genre backgrounds while encouraging and developing their individual artistry. It caters to those who respect where they come from yet desire to push their traditions forward into uncharted and exciting new territory."