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For the past 12 years, Randall Harris ’09 MFA ’11, drummer for NEEDTOBREATHE, has been on the road touring, in the recording studio and honing his craft as part of the Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum rock band. This lifestyle was nothing new to Harris, as he spent his fair share of time in the recording studio as a student at �����Ƶapp studying music.

Earlier this spring, Harris and his family made a trip back to Cullowhee to visit WCU and reminisce about where it all began. It had been more than a decade since the last time Harris was on campus, but all the memories came flooding back. “Driving through Catamount Gap, my two sons were yelling they were so excited to see where I went to school,” Harris said. “It has been so cool coming back to where it all started. My wife has been with me throughout this journey so it is kind of a homecoming for her and me. But for our kids, this is a brand-new experience for them.” Walking into the recording studio at the Bardo Arts Center more than a decade later, Harris recalled many memories of days and nights spent with friends honing their craft and learning the ins and outs of commercial electronic music. “I remember in high school thinking, ‘Wow, I don't know what I want to do, but I've always done drums and they say there's this awesome marching band up at Western,’” Harris said.

“Because I lived in Marion and it wasn't that far away, I looked into WCU and that was it.” Always having a love of music and knowing that was what he wanted to pursue when he enrolled at WCU, Harris, who ended up focusing on studying music instead of joining the Pride of the Mountains Marching Band, got his first taste of the recording studio in a music appreciation course. “When I got here, POTM was of course very competitive and I did not know just how seriously competitive the marching band was,” Harris said. “That was my prime goal for coming to Western but I realized, it was going to be a minute before I was good enough to be on a marching band the way I wanted to be. In the meantime, I sunk my teeth into getting a music degree and thought I would figure things out.

Just one year into school, Harris knew what he wanted to do. “Music found me more than I found it,” Harris said. “I wanted to just march in the band, but it led me to the School of Music, which then led me to the recording studio. That was it, a rather natural, little kind of thing.” Harris then stepped into the recording studio for the first time. “My entire freshman year I didn’t know this room existed and I looked around and I am the only one geeking out about all the cool equipment in the studio,” Harris said. “I had my hand up the entire class asking questions and I remember Dr. (Bruce) Frazier saying, ‘Just give it a second to soak in.’ I remember asking, ‘How do I get in this room?’ Dr. Frazier was like, ‘Well, you have to do another year or two of music before you work in here.’ I couldn’t wait to get in the studio.” When thinking about his time at WCU, Harris breaks it into three phases.

The first phase was his first two years of undergraduate studies. “My first two years, it was just music,” Harris said. “It was really hard at first because when I came here, I had been playing drums for a while, but the program was way more focused on getting you musically trained and I didn't understand what that meant at first. I did two straight years of working with Dr. (Mario) Gaetano on percussion and music theory. I had to be very disciplined with my studies those first two years of undergrad.” Anxious to get to the recording studio, Harris moved into what he considers phase two of his time at WCU. “I got through those first two years, then I started studying under Dr. Frazier,” Harris said. “Those next two years were such a fun time because it was me and nine of my friends in the same program, living in the recording studio, learning to use the equipment. Even in the evenings, we didn’t go out, we just hung out in there.” Harris credits Frazier, who passed away in 2023, as being a strong influence in his life.

“Dr. Frazier, more than anyone else, influenced and mentored me,” Harris said. “He was there for me the whole time — from day one until he shook my hand at commencement and even until he passed away. Dr. Gaetano taught me the discipline of reading music and studying and analyzing music and knowing how to be rehearsed and stay on top of deadlines, so I am very appreciative to him as well.” During his college years, Harris found himself in various side music groups and playing different music such as bossa nova, jazz and simple to advanced level music. “I got used to doing all these different, drum-related things in and out of the classroom,” Harris said. “But throughout undergraduate and graduate, I had amazing professors that at their core were musicians themselves and I learned a lot about theory and basic skills that laid the foundation for me.” Phase three was during Harris’ time earning his master of fine arts in music. “To really make things harder on myself, I decided to stay and get my MFA,” Harris said with a laugh. “The next two years is what I would say, in retrospect, was the best time at school," he said. "Because I started to teach some of these classes as a graduate assistant.”

Harris had to do some reflecting and check his understanding of the material before teaching it to students who were once in his shoes. “Helping teach the students was the most rewarding part because by the time I felt like I could teach it to someone or explain it, I was like ‘I get it now’ and getting this stuff was the biggest part. Because now someone else is wanting to know it and I'm able to explain what these buttons do and what an equalizer does. Somewhere out there, hopefully there is a student who knows what an EQ is because of that class day when Dr. Frazier was out and I helped with the lesson.” In addition to the impact his time at WCU had on him and his career, one of the things Harris misses the most about WCU is the people. “There was a group of about 20 of us professionals and students trying to hone our respective craft for a few years,” Harris said. “That’s what I miss most about it, us all working together on our music.”

As a student, Harris spent his summers as a sound engineer for the live music acts at Ridgecrest Conference Center in Black Mountain. “I remember thinking I'd really like to work in a place like this, so after two years of going to school at WCU, I applied for a summer sound engineer position and was hired,” Harris said. “I got to apply all of these skills I was learning in school in a real-world setting.” One of the bands that came through during Harris’ time in Black Mountain was NEEDTOBREATHE. “I would know a few weeks in advance what bands were coming through next and when I saw them on the lineup, I was excited because I had a great appreciation for the band and their music,” Harris said. “I have great memories of that first night just working with them and helping them get set up and broken down after the show was done.” At the end of the show, the band was looking for a place to grab a bite to eat.

“They wanted to know where to go and I knew a few places that were still open. So we went to Denny's, and that's how I got to know them,” Harris said. “I helped them do their show, then we hung out and about a million other things happened after that to get me where I am today and it was all because of a job I got as a student at Western.” Harris has been involved with NEEDTOBREATHE since 2012, starting off working in the studio with them for two years and then touring with them as a guitar tech. Since joining the band, Harris has become an integral part of their success. Harris’ powerful drumming and energetic stage presence have added a new dimension to their music, resonating with fans and critics alike. “I wasn’t looking to be a drummer, I was a studio engineer, but after a while you build a personal relationship with the band. After a series of personal, band and random circumstances, I was asked to join the band as drummer before their 2012 fall tour and I instantly found myself on stage every night in front of thousands of people,” Harris said. “I had helped them record some of their albums and so I knew the songs already. So, it was a natural thing when they were like, ‘hey, could you play drums for a little bit, fill in on this tour?’ and I’ve been drumming with NEEDTOBREATHE ever since.”

As NEEDTOBREATHE continues to tour and produce new music, Harris remains a pivotal force behind their evolving sound. His journey to international stages underscores the impact of dedication, passion and the solid educational foundation he gained at WCU. NEEDTOBREATHE kicked off their “Caves” world tour in Charlotte in April. Fans from all over the world pack arenas and amphitheaters to see the band, who will be on tour through fall 2024. Some of those fans at the kickoff show knew Harris when he was a student. “It makes me cheer that much louder knowing that a fellow Catamount is up there keeping time for an arena full of people,” said Thomas Jones ’09 MPA ’11. Much to the audience’s delight, Harris showed off his vocal chops when he sang lead on one of the songs, something he has done several times on tour. For students dreaming big, Harris is proof that those dreams are within reach, echoing the rhythm of possibility with every beat of his drum.