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My father is a drummer, so I was around it from an early age.

I studied privately with a bunch of good teachers starting about age 8 or 9. reading, rudiments, technique; then about age 15 or 16 I started learning mallet keyboard instruments (reading melodic notes rather than just rhythms), and music theory. I never really studied specifically drumset all that much, and my opinion is that the best way to become a great drumset player is to get a solid foundation in snare drum and other percussion instruments, while also learning melodic notes, theory and reading; then to listen to great drumset players, figure out what they're doing and apply it to your own musical development. Having said that, there are basic drumset teaching/learning techniques which are valuable. I will be saying and offering more of that here on my site as time goes on.

I went to undergraduate school at The University of Miami, Bachelor's of Musical Arts degree. whoopee!

then I attended NYU for two semesters of graduate studies - didn't finish a degree.

other than that I continue to learn about music everyday - listening, transcribing, absorbing, experiencing.

these days I mostly study composition and arranging - doing things like transcribing Nelson Riddle arrangements.

I practice the drums a couple of days a week for a couple of hours, and I try to practice piano, guitar and singing on a fairly regular basis.


© Graham Hawthorne 2012