Multi-Percussionist, Musician, Teacher

Passionate performer and devoted teacher Hoagy Wing specializes in Middle Eastern Percussion, Popular Percussion and Rudimental Drumming on Dumbek, Snare Drum, Drum Kit as well as playing and teaching Banjo. Hoagy has more than three decades’ experience as Teacher/Artist in Residence/Visiting Artist to schools, camps and private students in Philadelphia, surrounding counties and beyond.


Hoagy Wing founded the fun and funky, folky educational kids’ band Better’n Recess, in which he plays percussion, banjo and writes original music. He produced the Better’n Recess EP, which receives airplay on WXPN’s Kids’ Corner. Better’n Recess appeared at the 2014 & 2015 Philadelphia Folk Festivals.

Hoagy has appeared on 30+ recordings; toured 20+ states with various artists; opened for Hall and Oates, Elton John, Maceo Parker; played major venues including Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center and Spectrum, NYC’s Bitter End and Cathedral of St. John the Divine; played festivals including SXSW, MusikFest, Philadelphia Folk Festival, Great Blue Heron and Ithaca’s GrassRoots Festival of Music and Dance. He has appeared on NBC Today Show, FOX Good Morning Philadelphia, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and the soundtrack of PBS/WNET special Remembering Slavery.

Hoagy has had the honor of studying with some wonderful teachers including William H. Reamer, Mark Beecher, Joseph Tayoun and Layne Redmond.

Hoagy has played on stages with some top national acts including: Moloko PLUS opening for Elton John, The 2H Club opening for Barry Manilow, as well as CORY opening for Bela Fleck & the Flecktones and The Dave Matthews Band at the Sony Entertainment Center in Camden. Hoagy with Slo-Mo has opened for Maceo Parker at the TLA in Philly, as well as Robert Randolph & the Family Band in Atlantic City, NJ and for Cyro Baptiste (Trey Anastasio) and his “Beat The Donkey” ensemble at the Rittenhouse Square Concert series (Summer 2003). With Butch Ross, Hoagy had the privilege to open for Moxy Fruvous and play to a sold out Trocadaro Theater.

He has appeared on NBC's Today Show with the Colonial Phila. Fife & Drum Companie, and on Wheel Of Fortune (2016) with The Philadelphia Fife & Drum,on the LIVE broadcast of the Opie & Anthony Show from the TLA, on Fox’s Good Morning Philadelphia with Slo-Mo (2010) and The Roddenberries in 2016. Playing with the Steve Pepper Band, Hoagy appeared on the Tim Qualls Show on Delaware’s Channel 28; with the 28th PA Civil War reenactment group Hoagy arranged authentic drum music, trained musicians and performed for the PBS WNET special Remembering Slavery.

Hoagy played at the Spectrum in Phila. with Moloko PLUS as well as Ointment. With the Lauren Hart Band, Hoagy got to open for Philadelphia's own Hall & Oates during Monday Night Football's Eagles / 49ers game in 1997. Hoagy got to “drum in” the colors while representing Philadelphia at the opening ceremonies of the Republican National Convention in the summer of 2000 with the Phila. Fife & Drum. During the Convention, they were also featured in a segment on Philadelphia’s Historic sites on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

Hoagy has traveled to 19 states touring with the duo Mia Johnson & Hoagy (MJ&H) and additionally to Missouri, Kansas & California with Julia Othmer. In February of 2002, Hoagy took part in a two-week dance accompaniment residency with the world-renowned Jawaahir dance troupe in Minneapolis, MN. Hoagy played Middle Eastern & North African percussion with the group Gypsophilia for the residency that was funded by the National Endowment for the Arts as well as a grant from the Minnesota legislature. The group played Eastern European, Klezmer, Middle Eastern, Russian & Balkan Gypsy styles for the dancers. In June of 2003, with Julia Othmer, Hoagy had the distinction of playing at Philadelphia’s prestigious Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts.

On July 7th, 2003 Hoagy appeared in the Time magazine feature “Being Ben Franklin."