PreSonus Blog

Professional drummer, producer, and New Orleans native talks about taking the leap.

A life in music requires passion, creativity, and dedication – and for many creators, their trajectory can be traced back to a defining moment that changed everything: the moment they took the leap.

Taylor Gordon, aka The Pocket Queen, is an American drummer and producer born and raised in New Orleans. The rising star has a flourishing fanbase on Instagram, and her uniquely groove-oriented fusion of jazz, funk, and pop has seen her perform with some of the biggest stars in music (Beyonce, Stevie Wonder, Willow, Michelle Williams, Robert Glasper, and more).

Watch as Taylor performs her new instrumental track “Cloud 9” through the all-new PreSonus Quantum HD 8 audio interface, and shares her story of New Orleans roots, attending the Berklee College of Music, and taking a leap of faith to pursue music professionally in Los Angeles.

Though she currently resides in Los Angeles, Taylor isn’t shy when it comes to talking about her hometown: “I don’t claim to be from any other city I’ve lived but my birthplace: New Orleans, Louisiana. I don’t go home often, but whenever I do, I get a better understanding of myself. It’s like I pick up wherever I left off. My accent starts to come back a little. I look around and the people look like me, act like me.”

Founded on the banks of the Mississippi River more than 300 years ago, New Orleans is a city rich in history and existing in a near-constant state of flux. “A lot of restaurants and places I used to go are no longer there: Destroyed by Katrina, or went out of business. Chefs left, recipes changed. Even my childhood schools are gone and the neighborhoods are still in ruins. So I try my best to hold on to the memories. The Southern hospitality and culture. I take them with me wherever I go.”

Despite her current and burgeoning success, Taylor’s came from very humble beginnings: “I’m from this music city, but I grew up very sheltered. So I found my groundings in church. The choir director and his son were incredible drummers and I would sit there and watch him in awe every week. Becoming a drummer seemed like this daunting, impossible, unattainable thing.” But Taylor saw herself being able to attain that level in her own way, and it inspired her to find her own voice: “One day I took a leap of faith, mustered up the nerve to play for a church service. That’s where I found my footing and learned that music is about serving something greater than myself.”

Emboldened by her experiences, Taylor took another leap of faith and applied to Berklee College of Music where she studied new genres, gained live performance experience, and learned how to produce, compose, and program music. Then, In July 2013, she took the ultimate leap and bought a one way ticket to Los Angeles, California. “I had no job offers; I didn’t even have a drum kit; I just knew that God promised he would take care of me if I took a leap of faith. So I did.”

The last decade has seen Taylor’s career blossom with an ever-expanding roster of increasingly high-profile performances even as she continues to produce her own music – and all of this success is ultimately derived from her love of drumming: “For me, ‘pocket’ is more about the spaces of silence between the notes. It’s about being in the right place at the right time. And that philosophy applies to my life, and my music. There have been a lot of leaps, detours and dead ends, and there will probably be more on this journey – but while the route may change, the destination stays the same.”

PreSonus products used: PreSonus Quantum HD 8 USB-C Audio Interface.
Meet the all-new family of Quantum USB-C Recording Audio Interfaces, and get in-depth information about the entire product line here.