He has played with some of the biggest names in rock 'n' roll. But this month, drummer Jason Sutter performed for a considerably smaller crowd at Syracuse University, where he spoke to students about the business of professional music. Theo Cateforis, associate professor and chair of art & music histories in the College of Arts and Sciences, led a spirited Q&A with the drummer, spanning topics from business contracts to getting along on the tour bus.

Afterward, Carolyn Saxton ’18 and Lyndsey Jimenez ‘16 met up with Sutter, a native of Potsdam, N.Y., and asked him to reflect on the current state of modern music.

While a graduate student at the University of Miami, Sutter got his big break, touring with Juliana Hatfield. He went on to record and tour with dozens of other artists, including Smash Mouth, Marilyn Manson, Foreigner, Chris Cornell, the Rembrandts, and the New York Dolls. Sutter was also an original cast member of and musician for the hit Broadway musical Rock of Ages, which he helped develop.