Steve Mansfield 1978-1983
Steve attended Villa Maria in Grades 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7. Following his years at Villa, he transferred to Holy Spirit School in Stamford for 8th grade.
He then attended Trinity Catholic High School, University of Bridgeport, The Drummers Collective in NYC, and New York University. He has a BM in Jazz Performance and a minor in Music Business. Steve is married and lives with his wife in White Plains, New York. He is a self-employed drummer/percussionist and music educator.
In 2001, Steve published “1001 Drum Groves” containing rock and funk grooves, blues and jazz grooves, ethnic grooves, Afro-Cuban and Caribbean grooves, and much more. With drum set beats played in a variety of musical styles, past and present, it’s ideal for beginners seeking a well-organized, easy-to-follow encyclopedia of drum grooves, as well as consummate professionals who want to bring their knowledge of various drum styles to new heights.
The things Steve remembers most about Villa Maria are the small classes and the amount of attention each student received from the teachers. What he learned here and continues to teach his students is how to break information down into smaller units in order to fully understand it. Also he learned how to concentrate and focus on a subject.
Things he likes to do for fun are hike, plant and tree identification, work on and maintain the property his wife and he have in the Catskill Mountains, and observe animals in nature.
Hopefully sometime in the near future Steve would love to visit Villa and do a demonstration for the students.
JJ Rocks Article # 249: From New York, USA: Steve Mansfield
From St. Croix Musix Magazine, Issue # 50, November, 2010
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I have always loved a drummer that plays with a great combination of styles and techniques. It’s that well rounded display of expertise that always gets my attention and respect. And Steve Mansfield from White Plains, New York has all the right ingredients to play anything that comes his way. To a real player, chops are one thing, but having the ability to bring out the finest tones from your instrument is one of the real signs of a true professional. With that said, I want to move on to styles or “genres” as they call it in a musical world that has become diluted every day.
As I listened to Steve play, I get the sense of total adaptability in any musical situation. Each tune ventured into a different genre that seemed to span the globe. I really liked “Ze Oh Wa”with its Afro influenced groove and arrangements. And also enjoyed “Lemonade” with the cool female vocals Rhei C. Actually, as a musician, I liked everything he played. But for now, as a writer, I’m only going to choose those two songs, or else this article will wind up being too long. I tend to go on and on when I find a true master of his craft.
By reading the itinerary of his kit, it’s seems like he’s been through every possible combination of drums and cymbals on the market until he found just the set up that suits him. The word perfectionist is an understatement. So after mentioning chops and tone, it’s time for my favorite subject, grooves!
Steve Mansfield plays with such feel and emotion that I would bet that he could make any style (even the ones that I haven’t heard him play yet) groove you right against the wall. Either way, this “bad on the skins” drummer (as they would call him in the 40’s) is worth every moment of your listening time. And if you are a student drummer, you should contact him for either lessons, or just to say “man, you’re great!”
JJ Rocks – The Spotlight Zone
