Fun Fact: Andrew’s first name is Thomas. Every first born in his family gets the privilege of having that as their first name. He is the 8th generation of Thomas Barlow in his family.
“Andrew Barlow pushed me from day 1 at audition camps at Spirit of Atlanta for the 2015 season. He thought I was solid but that I could also progress more than I thought. The staff selected me to lead the battery. From there began a fully trustworthy relationship. I trusted his process and he trusted me to get the battery on board. Throughout the season he taught me many life skills such as pushing past your limit, whether that be physical or mental to perfect your craft and that hard work beats talent any day. When I joined to Army in 2018, Andrew Barlow’s words of advice rang in my head. I never stopped working in basic training and the drill sergeants noticed and put me in a leadership position and I even won a few awards. In AIT I remembered his words of “hard work beats talent” and I physically strained myself, and received another leadership position. I scored the highest PT score in the company and I received a Certificate of Achievement from the Batallion Commander. When I arrived at my unit, I felt prepared to prove myself yet again. Not only did I score one of the highest PT scores in my new company, but I memorized the Creed of the Non-Commissioned Officer as a Private First Class. My 1st SGT then promoted me to Specialist before everyone that had been there before me. Without the mentality that Andrew Barlow instilled in me when he was my instructor, I wouldn’t have come as far as I have in such a short amount of time, and I wouldn’t be the person I am today. I am truly thankful for the opportunity I had to be his student.”
Specialist Kevin J. Pope of the 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade
HHC FORSCOM
U.S. Army
At Zildjian, we strive to make the best cymbals in the world. That’s why we choose to work with the best artists and educators in music. Andrew Barlow lives up to this expectation that we value so much. From his creativity and musicianship, to his excellence as an educator, Zildjian is proud to have Andrew as part of our family of artists.
Brian Stockard, Artist Relations Manager
Zildjian Cymbals
“I believe it takes a village to raise a child. The stars aligned in our favor and Andrew Barlow was in our village and working in our school district during my son Alejandro’s high school years. With absolutely no musical talent, my husband and I emotionally supported Alejandro’s percussion pursuits but there was little we could do beyond that. Mr. Barlow filled the void! His instruction was top notch and that would have been enough for us. That was not enough for Mr. Barlow; he always went the extra mile with advice and guidance which helped Alejandro select the college music program that was a perfect fit for him. Alejandro is now earning a master’s degree in music. I know he has relied on, and will continue to rely on, the percussion skills he learned from Mr. Barlow as he makes his way in the world of music. If the stars align for you, or your child, do not miss the opportunity to learn from a world-class percussionist, and a genuinely nice guy!
Mary Lynn Alvarino, Parent of Student
Pennsylvania
Barlow Percussion 