On 'Letterman' tonight: Zach Nicita '10

Zach Nicita ’10 will be on drums tonight when MS MR, which has been described as “New York’s hottest pop export,” performs on The Late Show with David Letterman.

Living in New York since graduating from Skidmore, Nicita has been doing production work for a number of artists, including 2009 American Idol winner Kris Allen, French singer Juliette Katz, and Skidmore graduate Missy Modell. He recently teamed up with London-born singer Lizzy Paplinger and producer Max Hershenow, the core of MS MR, which has just come out with their first album, Second Hand Rapture.

In a recent interview, Hershenow described Nicita as “truly one of the most talented percussionists we’ve ever met.”

Nicita discovered his love of music at 13, when he got his first drum set. At Skidmore, he majored in music, attended the Skidmore Jazz Institute, and performed in small jazz ensembles, with the Jazz Band, and with several informal student bands, some of which performed in Beatlemore Skidmania.

“He loves drumming,” said Gordon Thompson, professor of music and himself a drummer. “He has a great sense of timing and a deep dedication to his art.”