Black Swamp Percussion

Black Swamp Percussion is a manufacturer of orchestral percussion instruments and mallets based in Zeeland, Michigan. Black Swamp sells instruments through music dealers in the US and overseas. Black Swamp Percussion instruments are used by top players and orchestras around the world.
Founded by percussionist Eric Sooy in 1994, the company manufactures snare drums with ply maple, solid steambent, carbon fiber, and titanium shells. They also manufacture field drums, standalone snare units, tambourines, triangles, castanets, wood blocks, temple blocks, log drums, tone blocks, timpani, and tam-tam mallets, and instrument cases and cabinets. The business grew out of Sooy's hobby of making musical instruments. He first operated out of his basement in Bowling Green, Ohio, then moved to Adrian, Michigan for two years before relocating the business to Holland, Michigan in 1997. As of 2006 Black Swamp operated out of an manufacturing and warehouse facility and employs a staff of 11 people.
In September 2005 Black Swamp launched a sister company, Drum Foundry. Drum Foundry supplies drum shells, drum hardware, drum coverings, and special tools for pro and amateur drum builders. Drum Foundry also customizes marching drum lines for all brands. These customizations often include school or team colors and thematic color schemes. Drum Foundry provides OEM manufacturing services for other drum companies.
In April 2010, Dynamicx Drums USA was created as another division of Black Swamp/Drum Foundry. Dynamicx Drums USA focuses on manufacturing snare drums with titanium, stainless steel, exotic veneered wood, and wood segment shells for the drumset market.
Sooy is also a percussionist with the Grand Rapids Symphony. He graduated from Bowling Green State University in 1994 with a masters degree in ethnomusicology. He has traveled to Bali and Java, Indonesia to study gamelan instruments and music, and to Ghana to study Ewe drumming and culture. His masters thesis, "Gamelan Instruments in Bali: Their History, Makers, and Creation," is published by the American Gamelan Institute.

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