Welcome back to the SDS monthly blog. This is the first Blog since the Summer as I was busy with various projects including the Summer Drum Club 2018 which I have featured in this Blog.

Summer Drum Club 2018

The Summer Drum Club ran over the 3 weeks of the school Summer holidays and was a great success. Students of all ages were involved from as young as 7 years up to adults. I grouped the sessions into 4 main categories absolute beginner, beginner, intermediate and advanced. The advanced session was tailored to the student’s interests and needs and the other sessions had a general theme running. Typical themes included…

Prepare for the gig

This included all the key elements involved in preparing for a gig. Students learnt how to set up a drum kit from scratch, adjust the kit according to their comfort and check that all parts are functioning properly in advance of the gig. They also learnt how to learn a song (requested by a client), prepare a set, research songs and drummers.

On the gig

This involved how to set up for a gig including learning about sound checks and typical scenarios that can happen on a gig. We looked at reading drum charts and how to replace a snare drum head that has split on a gig.

Advanced Level

Topics on the advanced level were tailored to the student’s interests and areas of development. Topics included:

• Tuning a drum kit
• Setting up a snare drum including adjusting snares
• Recording drums
• Preparing a recording a song
• Advanced groove study
• Advanced exam study

Overall the Summer Drum Club 2018 was an absolute blast and I would like to thank everyone involved for their hard work and fun approach. Below is a short video I compiled of some of the footage from the SDC, hope you enjoy!

So I hope you have enjoyed this month’s Blog. Look out for next month’s feature.

Have a great time drumming!

Billy