I left high school to become a symphonic
timpanist.
The first female percussionist to graduate from the Curtis Institute of Music in 1954, Watts performed with the New Orleans Symphony and Delaware Symphony, before returning to the Philadelphia area to build a sixty - year career as an instructor, klezmer
timpanist, and classical drummer.
Jason Haaheim is principal
timpanist with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra.
His three best gigs were as percussionist with the Boston Pops for 10 years, and as
timpanist for the Honolulu Symphony for 15 years.