I first got into teaching but for all the wrong reasons.

I first got into teaching for all the wrong reasons, and sadly I’m not the only one.

Initially, I saw teaching drums as a way of making a quick amount of cash without any real effort whilst I waited for my big break as a famous drummer touring with a famous band. That break never came because I didn’t put any real effort in to both my teaching and my playing.

I called myself a pro drummer but I hadn’t actually worked as a professional. This lack of experience and knowledge really showed and on more than one occasion cost me the gig.

My lessons were recycled and stolen from other teachers often featuring false information with bad explanations as I didn’t really understand or believe what I was teaching.

I led students on by promising that if they kept coming back for lessons I’d eventually show them how to turn “pro” but seeing as I had no idea myself this was a lie designed to just keep milking them for money.

Unfortunately I see this exact approach practiced today by other so called “professionals” all over the internet.

My lessons changed as soon as I took responsibility for my own learning and realised that tuition needed to be taken seriously.

The real turning point came when I met and had lessons with an industry drummer, Ryan Martin, who really challenged my mistakes.

When I decided to study at BIMM London, it was a good idea to watch professional musicians teach while still being active in the music world.

Over three summers, I taught special needs schools in Thailand, focusing on communication, lesson planning, improvisation and getting students excited.

My teaching got better, and the students did well. I also got more clients and really enjoyed it.

In late 2022, I changed direction to get more professional gig experience, which I could then use in my lessons.

In January 2023, I started working on cruise ships, where I learned a lot about playing and being professional.

Now, my lessons are all about combining everything I’ve learned.

I’ve always been looking for challenging experiences, which is different from other teachers.

I believe its important to never to stop improving and that only occurs by continuing to learn through a wide variety of situations.

Without realising it at the time my pursuit to improve myself and my teaching began a series of events that have led to my lessons being full of valuable information based on real world experiences not just from my own experiences but from other professionals as well.