At fifteen George Marsh became a professional drummer in Belleville, Illinois. His early experiences included work with Sam Andria, Jimmy Williams, and Barbara Streisand (before she became a super star). He studied percussion with Tom Siwe and Jack McKenzie at Champagne-Urbana, and later played with the Lyric Opera, The Chicago Contemporary Chamber Players and many great Chicago jazz musicians. Since 1968, he has lived in the San Francisco area where he has performed and recorded with musicians such as: David Grisman Quintet/Sextet, Jerry Garcia, John Abercrombie, Mose Allison, Joe Henderson, Harold Land, Denny Zeitlin, Terry Riley, William Allaudin Mathieu, Pauline Oliveros, Kronos Quartet, Mel Martin, etc. If you were around in 1970, perhaps you caught him with Chuck Berry, Loading Zone or The Jerry Hahn Brotherhood at the Fillmore West and East.
Composer, Instructor, Author…
George has written percussion music for such films as Never Cry Wolf and The Black Stallion. He premiered a suite of his pieces for chamber ensemble in the fall of 2002 at the Lincoln Center in New York which featured Rich Fudoli (reeds), David Wessel (interactive electroacoustics), and Mel Graves, bass. And he also performed on this same concert with Timeless Pulse featuring Pauline Oliveros (just intonation accordion), Thomas Buckner (vocals), Jennifer Wilsey (percussion), and David Wessel (interactive electroacoustics). He is currently playing and composing for the David Grisman Quintet and Timeless Pulse. He is currently touring with the David Grisman Quintet.

George has taught drumming and rhythm theory at the University of California at Santa Cruz since 1982 and also teaches at Sonoma State University and at his private studio in Santa Rosa California. Inner Drumming is Marsh’s first drum instruction book, a highly praised and unique manual for drummers.