Where are you based?

Drum lessons are based in Castledawson, Magherafelt (Northern Ireland). 

The central location makes it pretty easy to get to from anywhere in N.I.

 

I have had students from all 6 counties and as far as Donegal travel to take lessons.

 

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Do your all your students live nearby or do they travel far for lessons?

Over the years I've had a variety of drum students aged 11-60 years old from all over Northern Ireland:

Complete beginners and experienced Rock and Metal drummers have travelled to me for drum lessons from:

Belfast, Magherafelt, Cookstown, Armagh, Derry/Londonderry, Fermanagh, Donegal, Ballymoney, Ballymena, Antrim, Armagh, Portadown, Crumlin, Newtownabbey, Newry and Annalong to name a few.

Most of the ones who travel further tend to do double lessons every other week but I've had students travel from the likes of Belfast to do double lessons every week.

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Do I have to commit to lessons long-term?

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No.  You can book a single 1-hour lessons to try it out first.

Then if you wish to continue you can pay for a block of 4 x 45min lessons and just commit for 4 lessons at a time.

Most of my regular students do this on an ongoing basis.

Some take 1 lesson every week and some who live further away, take a double lesson every 2 weeks.

Others who even more dedicated take a double lesson every week.

One-off single 1 and 2-hour sessions are also available.

Feel free to get in touch to discuss your options.


 

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How long do I need to take lessons to get really good?

 

It all depends on you, how good of a drummer you want to be and how much you are willing to practice.

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The students (no matter what age) who are the most COMMITTED and willing to practice consistently get the best results!

Some of my regular students have been taking lessons with me for 5-6 years, some 2-3 years.

Others have taken lessons for a few months or up to a year and some have literally just done a few 1 or 2-hour sessions and got what they needed to level up (usually more experienced drummers).

 

Some people learn quicker than others but sometimes those are the ones who quit easily as soon as they get furstrated.

I've also seen some students progress really slow at first but stick at it, stay consistent and end up making amazing progress.

The more they progressed, the more motivated they became and therefore started practicing more and more.

The most important thing is consistency.

The main reason that stops most people becoming as good as they can be, is that they give up too easily.

Drumming is an artform.

It's a skill that requires patience and dedication to learn.



Bottom line, the more lessons you take and the more you practice, the more progress you'll make but it's always your choice.

You get out what you put in.

Someone who practices 2 hours a day for a year will obviously progress much faster than someone who practices 1 hour a week for a year.

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At the end of the day it's up to you.

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What's your approach?  What's do lessons involve?

Lessons take place in a calm, friendly and positive environment.

I see myself as more of a drum coach than a just a plain drum teacher.

I do my best to coach students through the struggle and frustration, understanding the process of learning the skill of drumming (which applies to learning ANY skill in life) and developing the mindset they need to keep progressing and be the best they can be.

I strongly believe you can overcome any struggle you face and learn or achieve anything you put your mind to.

 

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I take the same general approach with everyone at first but I adapt the lessons and personalise it to each individual student as everyone learns differently.

It's my job to find out what works best for you.

My aim is to be the drum teacher/coach that I wish I had when I was learning to play drums and to bring the best out of everyone  while making lessons engaging and fun.

I honestly believe if I had a coach like myself back when I was starting to play, I could have learnt in 5 years what took me 15 years to learn by myself!


For someone who just wants to play drums for fun but not take it too serious, my approach would be very different to someone who wants to go all out, be pushed to the limit and be the absolute best they can be.

For those who want to get REALLY good as soon as possible, there will be a lot more atttention to detail, I will push them harder so lessons will be more intense and they will need to practice a lot more than most.

If you're a complete beginner I start off by showing some basic beats and fills, break everything down, explain it and demonstrate it for you and aim to get you playing along with a basic Rock or Metal song that you like as soon as possible.

The idea is for you to practice as much as you can between lessons and we keep progressing every week at a pace that suits you.

If you're an experienced drummer who wants to improve your overall playing, I will take you back to the very same basics to see what you're timing is like and assess your playing with the aim being to increase your self awareness, attention to detail behind the kit and how to play them more like a pro.

There's no shame in going back to basics.  It's what you need to level up.

You'd be surprised how many experienced, gigging drummers struggle to play simple beats and fills with solid timing and flow.

I've seen this approach help numerous drummers over the years and if you do the same it will work for you too.

Going back and working on and REALLY improving the basics like timing, the weak hand or foot and the Single Stroke roll took my own drumming to a whole new level after years of frustration and feeling stuck.

The best at any instrument or skill in the world always focus on mastering the basics that most people won't.
 

 

 

 

 

Can I take drum lessons to learn or work on something specific?

Yes of course.  It's up to you.

I've had experienced drummers and drum teachers come to me to learn how to play or improve double-bass

Some people want develop more speed with their hands.

Whatever it is you want to learn feel free to get in touch and we can discuss how I can help you.

 

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I want to go all-in, be pushed to the limit and learn to play drums as fast as possible.  Do you do intensive courses?

 

Yes though availability is extremely limited for this option.

I offer an accelerated, intensive, 'bootcamp' style course aimed at high-achieving professionals, entrepreneurs and those who are highly driven and love a challenge.

The commitment: 4 double lessons per week (24 hours of intensive coaching), typically Mon-Thurs 11am to 12.30

Skip 6 months of slow progress.

 

We will build your co-ordination, develop solid timing and give you an aggressive, high-energy physical outlet in just 4 weeks.

This will challenge you mentally and physically, a chance to escape normality and is a hell of a way to blow off stress.

Plus you'll have a shit-ton of fun doing it!

There are no short-cuts to mastering a skill like drumming but this will dramatically speed up the process!

 

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What hours are lessons available?

Mon-Fri:  9am-9pm

Sat:  9am-6pm

*Subject to availability - waiting list option if fully booked.

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If you live further away you don't have to book in every week. 

There are various options available.Some of my students do a single or double lesson every week. 

Some do a double lesson every 2 weeks, some do a double lesson or single 1-hour session once a month.

And for those who want to go all in and progress much faster, lessons can be done multiple days per week at a discounted price.

 

Subject to availability of course.

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Single 1 and 2-hour sessions are also available.
 

 

Why take drum lessons, can I not just learn by myself?

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Of course you can, but you'll learn A LOT FASTER with the help of a seasoned Rock and Metal drummer with over 20 years of experience.

I genuinely believe if had've taken drum lessons when I started, I would've learned more in 1 year than I did in my first 5 years teaching myself.

Online lessons and videos can be great too but NOTHING compares to working with an experienced coach in person.

The problem is that there's so many videos and SO much information online that it can be overwhelming and leave you feeling confused and not knowing where to start.

They can't give you instant feedback, correct your technique, posture or give you the personalised experience a coach can.

There's a reason that the top footballers, fighters, athletes, musicians and business people in the world have coaches - they are committed to learning, growing and constantly improving as quick as possible.

I will help you avoid the mistakes that I made over the years and share my years of experience of learning, playing, gigging, writing, recording and overcoming injury and health problems and help you to become the best that you can be and progress A LOT quicker than you would be learning by yourself.

There are lots of great online lessons but they can't tell you where you're going wrong!

Knowing you have to see your coach face-to-face will also motivate you to practice more as he will be assessing your progress and keeping you accountable!

Lessons are tailored specifically for each student as not everyone learns in the same way.
 

Do I need to practice at home?

To get the most of these lessons, yes.
 

I recommend you practice AT LEAST 15 mins per day or 1.5 hours per week.

However, if you have very little free time and this is just for a bit of fun, it's up to you.

If you don't practice at home you will still learn but it will take you a lot longer to make progress.

Ideally, the lessons are for me to coach you, analyse your playing and give you feedback and the things you need to work on for the next lesson so you can keep progressing.

The more you practice drumming at home the more value you will get from lesson.

And I want you to get as much value as possible from the lessons whether you're with me short-term or long-term, and that means YOU putting the work in at home.

 

What if I don't have a kit right now?

I understand that if you're a complete beginner, you might want to try out some lessons to see if drumming is for you before investing in a kit.

Having an acoustic or electric kit at home is ideal but I can show you how to practice the techniques I show you, at home with no kit (yes really!).

You'll obviously benefit more if you DO get yourself an acoustic or electric drumkkit (you can get great deals on 2nd hand kits! so you don't need to spend a fortune!)


 

Do I have to commit to lessons long-term?

No, one-off 1-hour and 2-hour lessons are available but most of my students choose the block of 4 x 45min lessons which can be used as 4 single or 2 double lessons.

 

You can also do multiple lessons per week short or long-term so there are multiple options available.

It's up to you how long you commit overall.

My regular students get priority over casual students and most have their own weekly or bi-weekly slots.
 

 

If you're unsure, get in touch and we can discuss what will work best for you.





What kind of drum kit are lessons taught on?

Lessons are given on the high quality pro-level ALESIS STRATA CORE electric drum kit.

 

 

Am I too old to learn drums?

Absolutely not.

 

You are NEVER too old to learn or get back to drumming.

 

I have had students ranging from 11 to 60 years old and happy to teach anyone older.

 

Despite what most people believe, we are capable of learning and growing until the day we die and we feel better and more accomplished when we learn new things and make progress.

It has been proving that drumming is actually really good for your brain and can help improve your co-ordination and fitness.

So, as well as being fun learning your favourite songs or coming up with your own ideas, it's good for your physical AND mental health.

It's also a great stress reliever.

 

If you have any doubts feel free to get in touch and I'll have a chat with you.
 

 

Will my health or injuries stop me from learning/playing?

It all depends on what your issues are. Will it stop you forever?

 

No, not if you're determined to recover and do whatever it takes to get your health back.

 

I broke my back and badly broke my left arm and wrist back in 2000 and became a much better drummer with an even better attitude after that!

 

Then years later, chronic knee pain forced me to quit drumming and playing music in 2013 for about 5 years but I completely changed my mindset and my lifestyle, became fitter and healthier than ever, played a reunion gig with my old band in 2018, started teaching drums and created the BORN 2 BLEED brand in 2019!

Nothing is impossible and I'm passionate about this so if you're have any doubts please get in touch and I'm happy to have a chat with you to see if I can help.

 

 

Do you cover other styles of music apart from rock and metal?

No.

 

If it's not some form of Rock, Metal or Hardcore you want to learn then I am not the right drum teacher or coach for you. If you're unsure though feel free to get in touch and ask.

 

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Do you cover drum theory and grading?

No.

 

My focus is all on getting you playing what YOU want to play as soon as possible, building the confidence, self-discipline and mindset to help you become the best drummer you can be.

I personally, have learned numerous Rock, Punk and Metal songs as well as co-write songs with my old bands (2 Ep's and 2 albums, and taught drummers from all over Northern Ireland without learning drum theory.

Despite what a lot of people say you do not NEED to learn drum theory and how to read music to be a great drummer.

There's nothing wrong with learning it and there are some advantages to it, but I do not cover it here.

If you're committed, I can help you learn from scratch and take your drumming to a really high standard with better timing than most.

 

 

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Is learning to drum difficult?

Learning to drum is not easy but nothing worth doing is.

Any drummer you see live or on video playing amazing and making it look easy has spend A LOT of time and effort to get to that level.

The best drummers out there have been practicing hours a day, every week for YEARS!

 

However, you really can learn anything you put your mind to and every beat, fill or song you learn will seem difficult at first but as you keep practicing, you get better and better and eventually it will feel easy.​
 

Drumming is an artform and a skill that takes time and dedication to learn but it's also a lot of fun and well worth the effort if you stick at it.

 

Some of the best times of my life I owe to drumming and playing heavy music!

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It's really fun and satisfying when you learn to do/play things you never thought you'd be capable of.

 

Good music, learning new things, pushing and challenging yourself and making progress is what life is all about!

 

 

Until you try you best you'll never know how good you could be.

So why not give it a shot?


YOU HAVEN'T EVEN SCRATCHED THE SURFACE OF WHAT YOU'RE CAPABLE OF!

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