Why I Teach Drums, Who I Teach, and How I Learned the Hard Way

A Drummer by Accident…

Believe it or not,

I never actually set out to be a drummer.

Or even a musician for that matter.

Although…

Growing up, I was always surrounded by music.

Not only is my dad a professional musician, saxophone player, and music educator, but many of my closest friends growing up had dads who were also musicians, teachers, songwriters—you name it.

Looking back, I guess it was only a matter of time. 🤷🏼‍♂️

Our home was always filled with music, whether it be jazz, gospel, R&B or more jazz… 🙂 or whatever else my dad had on that day.

Most mornings, on the way to school, he’d have 91.1 Jazz FM playing, and he’d quiz my brother and I.

"What kind of saxophone is that?"

"What decade do you think this was recorded in?"

At the time, I never thought much of it, but it wasn’t until recently that I realized what was going on,

My ear was being trained in a way most kids don’t experience.

Naturally, I tried a few instruments. I had a saxophone, then later a guitar (Thanks Santa….)

I was first put into piano lessons for a couple of years and won first place at a Kiwanis competition.

Music had always been fun, but nothing had ever seemed to stick.

And if my memory serves me correctly….randomly one day, when I was 13 or 14, a buddy of mine changed that.

While hanging out at my place, he noticed an old drum kit sitting in the basement….one that my dad had bought off a former student.

A few days later, he called me up, "Set up those drums," he said. "We’re gonna jam."

So I did.

I don’t remember much about that first jam, and I promise you, I had no idea what I was doing…

But I loved it.

We kept playing, and for whatever reason….

This time, it stuck.

Honestly, I didn’t really know what I was doing at first.

Since my dad was a music educator (high school Instrumental music teacher), and I grew up around professional musicians, I must have learned the basics somewhere along the way.

I probably already knew how to keep time, play a simple beat, and count the 2 & 4 before I ever sat behind a kit.

(Well… I hope so 😅)

But whatever I was doing back then…

It seemed to work.

Probably…. because I had spent my whole life absorbing music.

I guess I could feel when something was off, even if I didn’t fully understand why.

And you know what….  I clearly enjoyed playing the drums enough to want to get better…

And at first, I probably did what a lot of other drummers do.

Mindless & unguided practice for no other reason than the joy of playing the drums.

I know I turned to YouTube at some point, but this was still the early days of YouTube, and while I used it a lot, my dad knew I needed more than just random videos.

He gave me some time to make sure this instrument was going to stick this time, and when it was clear that the drums weren’t going anywhere….

He got me private drum lessons with a few professional drummers he was good friends with.

• My first teacher helped with technique, control, and independence—laying the foundation.
• My second teacher almost solely focused on limb independence. This was a game-changer.
• My third teacher introduced me to ghost notes—completely blowing my mind and unlocking a whole new level of drumming for me at the time.

Those lessons made all the difference.

Each teacher refined different aspects of my playing according to my level at the time.

And during these same years of my early teenage life…

I was playing in bands, church worship teams, and even corporate jazz gigs with my dad.

I remember my dad would look back at me during jazz gigs he’d thrown me into & quickly say something like, “Swing!” or “Bossa Nova!” then count the song in and off we went..  😂

I was learning on the kit, in real-time, with real musicians.

That shaped my playing more than any book or YouTube video ever could.

And that’s when I realized…

There wasn’t one single moment when everything suddenly made sense.

There were many little moments—those times when something small just seemed to “click”.

It was a process.

Playing with other musicians was one of the most important lessons I could have had.

Instead of just focusing on my own playing, I had to listen to the other musicians, find the pocket and lock in with the band.

And over time, things started getting easier.

I didn’t just learn how to play drums—I learned what it actually takes to improve.

And that’s what I teach now.

At the time, I didn’t understand how or why I was improving,

But looking back now, I’ve learned that most drummers don’t struggle because they lack talent.

They struggle because they don’t see a clear path forward.

I started teaching because I know what it feels like to love the drums… but feel stuck.

And I know that most online drum lessons don’t help with that.

They throw a bunch of content at you but don’t tell you what you actually need to work on.

They don’t help you build confidence behind the kit. They don’t prepare you for real playing situations.

That’s why I created SteveDrumLessons.com.

If you’re serious about improving but don’t know the next step, 
I know I can help you.

Get a structured, proven plan to build confidence behind the kit.