@mgsarutgers Percussion Instructor Plays in Spielberg’s @westsidestorymovie Remake 🎥⬇️ Javier Diaz was initially selected to play rehearsals for one of the most memorable scenes in Steven Spielberg's beautiful West Side Story remake. Catching the attention of Spielberg, he was asked to record the soundtrack with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra and play the role of a drummer because his playing was vital to the scene's authenticity. Diaz worked on Broadway's @ainttooproudmusical, recorded Lin-Manuel Miranda's @intheheightsmovie soundtrack, and taught at Mason Gross while performing in West Side Story rehearsals for eight hours a day, six days a week for three months. Diaz shared his experiences on site with his students throughout the process. “I want my students to be better than me and dream of opportunities I never dreamed,” he said. “What I tried to communicate to them about this experience is the passion I was putting into my rehearsals. The oomph I was bringing to the proc...