Andrew Turpening
Andrew Turpening is a Minnesota-based musician, composer, music producer, and photographer.
His primary instruments are drums, percussion, and piano. He specializes in rhythms from Cuba and Brazil and studied in Cuba and Spain with some of the world's best Latin percussionists.
Andrew composes primarily in two original styles: 'Pop-umentary', which blends pop music with documentary-style interviews, and 'Baroque Breakbeat', which blends modern rhythms with Baroque-styled string arrangements.
His project "The Land of 10,000 Homeless" documented the lives of the homeless in Minnesota. Songs from the project were featured on National Public Radio and are used in classes addressing poverty (visit www.voicesofthestreets.org to see the project).
Andrew has received grants and fellowships for his compositions from several foundations and organizations. Andrew received a B.A. in Sociology from the University of Chicago and currently studies piano, music theory and percussion.
Andrew's second career as a social worker informs and inspires his art.