Funny the things you miss.

Why I Still Believe Drum Lessons Matter (After 20+ Years Behind the Kit)

When people ask how long I’ve been playing drums, the answer depends on how you count it.

After receiving my first drum kit in 1995, I got my first professional drum set in 1997 — a Pearl Masters kit my parents surprised me with after years of practicing on whatever drums I could find. That kit is still with me today.

Since then, drums have taken me through just about every version of a musician’s life.

For nearly a decade I taught drum lessons full time, working with 30–40 students a week while performing on weekends and recording albums with a singer-songwriter. Later I moved to Nashville to pursue music full time and spent a year immersed in one of the most competitive music scenes in the world.

Life eventually pulled me back home, but drums never left.

These days I still play regularly, and I’ve returned to teaching because I genuinely believe something simple:

Drum lessons still matter.

Not because every student will become a professional musician — most won’t — but because learning drums teaches things that go far beyond the instrument.

Drumming teaches independence

Drums are one of the only instruments where your body is doing four different things at once. At first it feels impossible.

Then one day it suddenly works.

That moment teaches students something powerful: complicated things can become manageable with patience and practice.

Drumming teaches listening

A great drummer isn’t the loudest player in the room — they’re the one who makes the band sound better.

Students learn to listen, adapt, and support the music around them. Those are skills that translate far beyond music.

Drumming builds confidence

There’s something special about sitting behind a drum set and locking into a groove. When a student finally plays along with a song they love, you can see the confidence click into place.

That feeling sticks with them.

Why I’m teaching again

After stepping away from teaching for a number of years, I realized something: the part of music I missed the most was watching students improve.

Seeing someone go from struggling with their first beat to playing their favorite songs is incredibly rewarding.

Teaching also keeps me learning. Every student approaches the instrument differently, and that constantly challenges me to become a better musician and teacher.

My approach to lessons

My goal as a teacher is simple:

Help students become musical, confident, and independent behind the drums.

Some students want to play in bands.

Some want to play in school programs.

Some just want to learn their favorite songs.

All of those goals are valid.

Lessons focus on fundamentals, coordination, groove, and musicality, while keeping things fun and practical. Progress should feel exciting, not overwhelming.

Music has been a constant in my life for over the years, and drums in particular have given me experiences I never would have had otherwise.

If learning drums is something you’ve been curious about — or if your child is interested in starting — lessons can be an incredible place to begin.

And who knows?

It might be the start of something that stays with you for the rest of your life.