About

Photo Credit: Jaren Kerr

Alexandra (Zanny) Geffel started taking drums lessons under the mentorship of Jeff Cumpston at a young age and, after 10 years of tap dancing, decided to move ahead musically. Zanny has studied with local performers such as: Thara Memory, Alan Jones, Mel Brown and Tom Sessa, as well as studied Latin Percussion with Alex Acuña in Los Angeles, and plays an Allegra drum set, classical percussion, marimba, malletkat, cajon and various Latin and African percussion instruments; specializing in classical, rock, jazz, and musical theater.
​
Zanny has a B.A. in Music from Biola University (La Mirada, CA), and studied with Cliff Hulling and performed in the Biola Symphony Orchestra, Symphonic Winds (Principle Percussionist), Percussion Ensemble, New Music Ensemble and Jazz Ensembles. Along with their band, The Cabin Project, Zanny currently performs with Far Out West and continues to perform and record for various other bands, music projects and theatre companies throughout Portland. In 2018 Zanny received the Portland Area Music Theatre Award for Outstanding Pit Musician, and in 2019 received an award for Outstanding Pit Orchestra. Some favorite shows performed have been West Side Story, Gypsy, Pete the Cat and Hedwig and the Angry Inch. As well as teaching music privately, Zanny works at PHAME, a fine and performing arts academy serving adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and has been an instructor with Girls Build, a non-profit organization that strives to inspire curiosity and confidence in girls through the world of building. Having worked with the I/DD community for many years, Zanny is thankful for the experience of fusing a love for music and performance with accessibility and representation in the arts.