There was a buzz of excitement building in the Lerwick Town Hall on Sunday evening, as Shetlands drummers, young and not so young, greeted Jo Jo Mayer. The Swiss born New Yorker was playing his first clinic in Scotland, and indeed the first of what will be a busy 7 dates taking in Edinburgh, Newcastle, Manchester, Doncaster, Birmingham and London.

Mayer opened with a couple of play along tracks, featuring his band "Nerve". The style of these was very much in the drum and bass genre, with elements of funk thrown in. The second track "Syncopath" was extremely dynamic, with Jazz influences evident from his earlier days as a drummer. Indeed he went on to talk at length about various jazz musicians, stating this was his first love of music, and where it had all begun.

After answering a question on foot technique, he was then asked, "Who is your favourite drummer, and what has influenced you musically". What followed was a comprehensive, if not encyclopaedic breakdown of all the drummers that have influenced him, who in turn inspired them, and where that initial ground breaking invention evolved from. The 30-minute answer was so concise and passionate that the audience laughed when he finally said "and to answer your question"; such was the detail of the answer. He cited Tony Williams, Billy Cobham, Buddy Rich and Ringo as big influences, but stressed that all styles of music have inspired him at different stages of his career.

Two more tracks followed, and again the standard of playing was incredible. He was quick to point out that drumming has to have feel rather than speed, but I cannot recall seeing a drummer playing at such a pace, but with so much musicality.

The clinic concluded with Mike Dolbear thanking the Shetland public for supporting another successful clinic, paying special praise to any parents who had attended with their kids. He also thanked the drumjamm team of Murray, Jack, Finlay and Chris for making the event possible, as well as YMI for the funding assistance.

Jojo Mayer Drum Clinic - Lerwick Town Hall, Sunday 31st August

New York drummer, Jojo Mayer, is due to play the first date of his European Tour in the Shetland Isles later this month. The Swiss born musician, now residing in the States, is best known for his work with the band "Nerve".

At the age of eighteen he joined Monty Alexander's group, touring extensively and playing all the major European Jazz festivals. He supported acts such as Dizzy Gillespie and Nina Simone, leading to bigger international gigs.

Mayer engages in numerous musical activities including live and studio work. His international touring schedule has taken him all over Europe, South America, the Far East, Australia and Africa. Besides his work as a drummer, he is also a writer and producer.

Jojo has built up a reputation as a skilled and creative solo performer/clinician. He has performed at the Modern Drummer Festival (USA), Ultimate Drummers Weekend (AUS), as well as being a hit at this years Drummer live (UK). His most recent release has been the DVD "Secret Weapons for the modern drummer" which has been the number selling drum DVD in Europe since its release in 2007.

Drumjamm are hosting the clinic in collaboration with the Scottish Arts Councils Youth Music Initiative. The event will take place at the Lerwick Town Hall on Sunday 31st August at 6pm. More information can be obtained at www.drumjamm.com, or by phoning 07907316938

Jim McDermott Masterclass

Glaswegian drummer Jim McDermott, visited drumjamm in the Shetland Islands to perform a class to an enthusiastic group of young drummers. This was Jim’s first visit to Shetland, following in the footsteps of drummers such as Steve White, Billy Ward, Thomas Lang and Stanton Moore, who have recently performed in the Isles.

Jim talked to the drummers about what is required to make it as a drummer today, passing on good advice, and throwing in some comical tales. He played along to several tracks, displaying his excellent timekeeping and feel. It’s not hard to see why he’s played with such great bands as Simple Minds, Deacon Blue and Del Amitri.

He also gave young drummers the chance to play to him, accompanying him on Stevie Wonder's Superstition

There was a short Q&A, where he had to divulge his age, favourite band, favourite fill, and most embarrassing moment on tour. Jim stated his willingness to return to Shetland, hopefully as part of the “drumathon 2009” festival that is currently being organised. Head of Drumjamm, Russell Gair, thanked Jim for taking the time out of a hectic touring schedule to visit.

April Course & exams

Drumjamm will return in April with another 6 week course. The highlight of the summer term will be another visit from Mike Dolbear, who is looking forward to working with the young drummers of Shetland.

Well done to the 25 drummers who sat Rock School exams in March, we look forward to hearing the results soon. Any drummer wishing to sit an exam in June is advised to have their entry in by 31st March, as this is the cut off date for the summer period.

We at drumjamm would like to thank Jack Morton and Finlay Keiller for their continued good work at the club on Saturdays. Many parents and students have asked to pass on their thanks as well, cheers guys!

Drumjamm Sessions 2008

Drumjamm returns with a six-week course on Saturday 19th January. There will be the usual times for the groups, along with a stronger focus on Jazz in the senior group.

We'd like to congratulate all the dj members who successfully passed there grades in December. All pupils achieved scores of 80% or higher, with Rock School stating that these were some of the highest results seen in Britain in 2007! The next round of exams will be early March, so good luck to everyone partaking then.

Drummer Live Visit

The photos below show the drumjamm team meeting Iron Maidens "Niko McBrain" at drummerlive this year. Murray, JP, Jack and Finlay had a great time, with Niko, Steve White, Ronald Bruner Jr and Thomas Lang the big hits. Many thanks to Mike Dolbear for letting us annoy him all weekend!

Rockschool Exams - Saturday 1st December

The Rockschool exams will take place in Hut 15, on Saturday 1st December.
All pupils will be notified of their time this week, and we wish you all good luck for the big day.
Please remember to take your sticks and book with you to your exam.

Funky drummer entertains at the Garrison

American drummer, Stanton Moore, performed a clinic in the Garrison Theatre last Saturday, with a healthy turnout of drummers attending. His style of drumming has been described as "Jazz meets John Bonham", and I’m sure on this performance the late Led Zeppelin drummer would agree.

His opening number was a track taken from the current Galactic album, yet to be released in the UK. His funk roots were evident here, showing not only his fantastic technique and feel, but showmanship too. He produced an enormous sound from a relatively small kit, and had the air vents in the Garrison rumbling in time.

Teaching is his other passion, having released books and DVD’s on New Orleans drumming. He talked at length about the various nuances that make his style of drumming so unique, showing the difference between straight and swung, and playing between the cracks. He also talked about drummers who have influenced him, with the Meters drummer Joseph "Zigaboo" Modeliste, and his teacher Johnny Vidacovich being the main two. Crowd participation is also something Stanton is big on, and he had the audience tapping along to various grooves throughout the show.

To close, we were treated to a track by his band the "Dirty Dozed Brass Band". Here he played along to some of the grooves displayed earlier, incorporating Afro Cuban rhythms with his feet to give the song a carnival feel. His control over all four limbs, whilst playing different rhythms, was incredible to watch, and I for one would have enjoyed hearing some more.

At the end of the show, promoter Mike Dolbear thanked the audience and DrumJamm for their hospitality. With the success of this show, and the previous Billy Ward and Thomas Lang clinics, he has promised to return in 2008 with another big name drummer.

Drumjamm returns on 1st September.

The Saturday sessions are back on at drumjamm, with the times and groups the same as last year.

• 12 noon till 1pm - Seniors
• 1.10pm till 1.50pm - Juniors
• 2.00pm till 2.50pm - Grade 2 and 3 pupils
• 3.00pm till 3.50pm - Grade 4 pupils

We're looking forward to another busy year, and thank all the members who have returned sponsor money. Anyone with sponsor money still outstanding are reminded to return it as soon as possible.

New Orleans drummer to perform clinic in Isles

The acclaimed American drummer Stanton Moore, is to appear in Shetland at the end of next month. Moore, who was voted by Rhythm magazine as the funkiest drummer of 2006, will play the opening date of his European solo clinic tour in Shetland on the last Saturday in September. The tour then takes in Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham, London and numerous continental shows.

Stanton Moore was voted best newcomer and best clinician by American magazine Modern Drummer, and he stole the show at last year's drummerlive event in London. He is best known for his work with New Orleans jazz/funk outfit Galactic, who have a huge following world-wide.

In spite of the his busy schedule, promoter Mike Dolbear was desperate to get him to the UK, and especially to Shetland. Mr Dolbear said: "Both Billy Ward and Thomas Lang enjoyed the Shetland dates most on their tours, so we had to include the isles again for this tour".

The event, being organised by drumjamm, takes place at 1pm on Saturday 29th September and tickets are available from ShetlandDrums priced at £9 for adults and £7 for concessions.

Report on DrumJamm 24 / Drumathon 2007

Drumjamm attempted their most ambitious feat to date last week, keeping a beat going non stop for 24 hours. The group made up of nearly 100 youngsters aged between 6 and 18 started the groove at noon on Friday, and were still going strong at noon Saturday. The event was organised to bring together drummers from all over Shetland, sharing grooves and fills with each other.

Friday evening involved workshops for senior members, performed by local drummers Douglas Johnstone, Gwyn Davies, Russell Gair and Murray Arthur. They covered topics as diverse as Jazz, Funk, Scottish and even playing in musicals. Drumjamm leader Lizzie Nicolson, said a thankyou to Gwyn and Douglas for the new skills they demonstrated, and looked forward to seeing them at future events.

Saturday morning followed a similar pattern, with another 50 of drumjamms younger members participating in workshops and keeping the drum circle going. At noon the beat finally came to an end, with seven members playing for the full 24 hours. Drumjamm would like to thank all the members and parents for their help and support thoughout the event. Early indications show that a figure in the region of £2500 has been raised through sponsorship and the raffle, which will go towards hosting more events thoughout the year, starting with a clinic with American drummer Stanton Moore in the Garrison at the end of September.

Drumjamm would like to thank the following companies and people for helping sponsor our hugely successful "drumjamm 24" event.

G + S FLOORING
NO CATCH
PREMIER
SABIAN
EVANS
SOAR VALLEY MUSIC
TRUELINE DRUMSTICKS
ZILDJIAN
LERWICK BUILDING CENTRE
TOP GAIR CONSTRUCTION
ALLIED TAXIS
GARRY SANDISON
THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND
MIKE DOLBEAR
STEVE WHITE
THOMAS LANG
THE GARRET
DOUGLAS JOHNSTONE
GYWN MORGAN DAVIES
ROCKSCHOOL
BILLY FOX
FINLAY KEILLER
JACK MORTON
LIZZIE NICOLSON
JP PARSONS

Dear members and parents

The big day is now nearly here, the venue is booked and drummers are ready. The beat will begin at noon on Friday and hopefully still be going at the same time on Saturday. We've decided to split the event in two, so that the younger and older members get more out of it.

SENIORS - We decided to invite all members playing at grade 4 standard and higher to the Friday events. The reason for this split is to have more manageable numbers, and for everyone to get a go. The workshops will take place between 6 and 9, and all those wishing to stay on later will need to bring a note from their parents/guardians.

JUNIORS - Those of you playing at grade 3 standard and below will be invited to attend between 9am and noon on Saturday. The first workshop will be at 10, with lots more to follow.

FUNDRAISING - Please do not bring your sponsor money on the day, we will collect this before the holidays. You can pass this on to any of the drumjamm leaders, and would all members please make every effort to collect in the sponsors as best they can. A list of prizes is on the back of this sheet. We are also very grateful to our company sponsors, whose names will be dispayed on the back of the "drumjamm 24" t-shirts.

T-SHIRTS and RAFFLE - We will have shirts on sale priced £10, and are also running a raffle with a 1st prize of a £300 Premier snare drum. There will also be sticks, earplugs and a variety of drumming equipment available.

WHAT YOU NEED - A pair of sticks, and ear plugs if you don't already have them. We will have some available to buy if you forget.

SUMMARY - Older kids on Friday, younger kids on Saturday. The times are just guides, and remember to get permission if you intend to stay late on Friday.

Stanton Moore Drum Clinic - Saturday 29th September

Drumathon! Summer Course! Hall of Fame! Photos!

Drumathon date set.
We're gonna drum for 24 hours on the 16th June. Yes folks, the "drumjamm 24" event will be longer than in previous years, and we're hoping to make it a day to remember. More details to follow soon.

Summer course about to begin.
The six week summer course will start on Saturday 5th May, and run for six weeks. The only exception will be Saturday the 9th of June, which will be Rockschool exams, and the final Saturday will be our "Drumjamm 24" event.

March 2007 Hall of Fame update
The hall of fame has been updated with the March 2007 exam results.

Mike Dolbear Photos.
Photos from Mike Dolbear's visit to Shetland in March are now available in the gallery.

Mike Dolbear Master Class

We at drumjamm are delighted to welcome Mike back to Shetland for some more drumming. He's visiting on Friday 16th and Saturday 17th March, with some classes and lessons. The focus will be on grooving and technique, and he's looking forward to helping the young drummers of Shetland improve their skills.

The senior group will have their class on Friday, with an Adult class in the evening. The times of the Saturday groups will be decided when we have a better idea of numbers, but they will be sometime between 10am and 3pm.

For more info visit Shetland Drums, or email russell@drumjamm.com we look forward to seeing you.

The Hall of Fame has been updated with June 2006 results.

January 2007 - new class

We're starting our next 6 week course beginning the 20th of January.
"Shuffle, Blues n Bop", will concentrate on exactly that, and we'll hopefully give you a better knowledge of these 3 styles.

Subscribe this Saturday at normal drumjamm, or email russell@drumjamm.com to show your interest. There are up to 10 places available in each of the 4 groups, and we anticipate filling all of these. Last time we ran out of space in two of the groups so try to be quick.

RG and MA

Thomas Lang dazzles Drumjamm

Hall of Fame Update

A full house at the Garrison greeted Thomas Lang on the first date of his European Clinic Tour. World-renowned drummer and clinician, Lang was in town to perform tracks from his forthcoming release. This was the third in a series of clinics that Drumjamm has hosted, with Steve White (Paul Weller, Oasis and The Who) and Billy Ward (BB King) performing earlier in the year.

The clinic itself almost didn't happen, with fog on Friday threatening the arrival of Thomas. The audience on Saturday were treated to an awesome performance, with his power and precision evident right from the off. He had already performed three new songs when he started his 30-minute drum solo, beginning with just the cymbals, and proceeding to play every part of his 34-piece kit. His independence between hands and feet was shown with an exercise that displayed his hands getting faster while his feet got slower, and vice versa, and all this while playing doubles. A standing ovation in the middle of a show is not very common in Shetland; such was the reaction of the crowd.

Thomas also took time to answer questions on technique, influences, and the many artists he has played with. The younger members of the audience were allowed to see his foot technique up close, and clear acrylic kit made the clinic a more visual spectacle. There was time for two more songs, again demonstrating his strong grasp on polyrhythms. Thomas thanked the audience and organizers for making the event so much fun, and was hugely impressed with the reaction he received.

After a short prize giving and signing session, Thomas set off for the next date at Glasgow's "Scottish Drum Day" He has two more months of the World tour to go, culminating at a performance at the Percussive Arts International Convention. Spokesman for Drumjamm, Russell Gair, said he was delighted that a drummer of Thomas's standing had included Shetland in his tour, and hoped that with the success of the event, we may get to see him again in the future. Anyone with any photos or comments on the clinic can email them to russell@drumjamm.com

Worlds top drummer to perform in Shetland - Sat 2nd Sept (1.30pm) - Garrison Theatre .

The Shetland Isles is a surprise date on the forthcoming Thomas Lang drum clinic tour. Internationally acclaimed drummer/producer/composer, Thomas Lang, will visit Shetland as part of his World tour, which sees him playing in Australia, Japan, Europe, and culminating as headline act at the prestigious "Modern Drummer Festival" in New Jersey, USA. As there are only eleven dates in Europe, Drumjamm are delighted to be one of them.

Thomas Lang is widely regarded as the best drummer in the world at the moment, an honour bestowed upon him by readers of British and American drumming magazines. His talents have seen him perform with Kylie Minogue, Robbie Williams, Ozzy Osborne, The Clash, Boyzone to name but a few. He has just finished a tour with the Sugarbabes, and is now concentrating on his Clinic Tour.

The event will be run in conjunction with mikedolbear.com, who has been very impressed with the interest and standard of drumming in the Shetland Isles. After the recent Billy Ward Clinic, Billy himself stated that Shetland was his favourite show of the tour, and is looking forward to return visits in the near future.

The clinic will show off Thomas's incredible skills behind the kit, with insights on how to improve your own drumming. He will also be answering questions, with a signing session at the end. The show takes place at the Garrison Theatre on Saturday the 2nd September, at 1.30pm. This early show is to enable Thomas's kit to get to Glasgow for a show the next day. You can purchase tickets from Ninian, priced £9 full and £7 concession.

If you enjoyed Steve White and Billy Ward, you don't want to miss this.

Billy Ward Clinic - 11th May 2006 - Garrison Theatre - Lerwick

Billy Ward and Mike Dolbear made their first visit to the Shetland Isles to perform the "Big Time Clinic" Thankfully the fog had disappeared, and the flight made it on time. Both the drummers were feeling the cold, but drumjamm toories came to the rescue, thankfully the guide had a good head of hair!, and a quick sightseeing tour of the South Mainland was much appreciated by both.

The clinic was another huge success, with over 200 drummers and music enthusiasts packing the Garrison Theatre in anticipation. This clinic was different from the previous Steve White one, with Billy demonstrating his timekeeping and feel by playing along to a host of songs, all with their own style. What struck me the most was Billy's incredible timekeeping, which he is renowned for the world over. He also has the knack of making the most of his kit, displaying various techniques for getting different tones and colours from every part of his equipment. Billy has many creations, including brushes, shakers and weird metal concoctions, very innovative thinking, adding to the overall sound.

The crowd all went home happy, and drumjamm would like to thank Mike Dolbear for giving us this opportunity to host the clinic. Mike is doing a fantastic job promoting drumming throughout the UK, tirelessly working on new ideas. We hope both of them can return to Shetland in the future, and look forward to the next clinic which we hope will take place in the Autumn.

Please email your reviews to us at drumjamm, and let us know what you have thought of our clinics so far. Contact us ar russell@drumjamm.com we look forward to hearing your thoughts.

April 2006 Hall of Fame update:

• G1 - Lawrie Revel - 93%
• G2 - Calum Pottinger - 86%
• G3 - Roy Wood - 95%
• G4 - Jack Jamieson - 85%
• G5 - Lauren Walterson - 85%

Roy Wood has recently won the junior Young Musician of the Year title:
He faced tough competition from eight other finalists, including drumjamm's Isaac Webb, who finished a close second. The adjudicator, Mr Eric Tebbit, described both players as tremendous young musicians, with talent far ahead of their years (both are only 11). This is the first time the honour has gone to a drummer, and further shows that drumming is ever improving in popularity. Steve White also passed on his congratulations to both drummers, but was not surprised, as he is so taken with the high standards of Shetland drummers.

Billy Ward Tickets now available:
Tickets are now available for the 11th May Billy Ward clinic from Ninian or from Drumjamm, we are looking forward to a great turnout for our last dj event of the School year.

Steve White photos:
Photos from Steve White's visit to Shetland now in the Gallery

Billy Ward to visit Shetland:
Billy Ward visits Shetland as part of his UK Clinic Tour. He is due to play at the Garrison Theatre on Thursday 11th May, with support from mikedolbear.com and drum workshop. Billy is a famous American drummer, residing in New York, and his knowledge of all this drumming is phenomenal. Drumjamm is delighted to have this event as the first clinic since the sold out Steve White performance. You can receive more information on this event and a whole lot more at both www.mikedolbear.com and www.billyward.com.
Tickets will go on sale in early April.

Review of Steve White clinic:
Steve White, acclaimed drummer from Paul Weller, visited Shetland this past weekend, performing a masterclass and clinic. This was his first appearance since the hugely popular "Replay" Tour of 2003. read more...

Robbie Williams collaborator Ralph Salmins is our new Drummer of the Month

Steve White will return to Shetland for a show on Sunday the 19th March. Steve White returns to Shetland for the first time since his hugely popular 2003 clinic. The performance will take place at the Lerwick Town Hall, on Sunday the 19th March, at 6pm, admission £7.00. Tickets are available from drumjamm at the AHS on Saturdays from 11am till 5pm.
The focus of this clinic will be technique, and a history of 20th century drummers. Steve White has been one of the most popular drummers in Britain for the past 20 years. His time in bands such as "The Style Council", "Paul Weller", "Oasis", and most recently "The Who" has seen him perform to millions, and he is one of the few musicians to have played at both "Live Aid" and "Live 8", a real achievement in such a notoriously hard business. Steve is regarded by many as one of the finest clinicians around, constantly in demand, with Chad Smith of the "Red Hot Chili Peppers" stating "He's one of the greatest drummers of our generation". Drumjamm are delighted to welcome him back, with what proves to be a real highlight in the musical year.

Photos from Drumathon 2005 have been added to the website!

February 2006

Photos from Drumathon 2005 have been added to the website!

Steve White will return to Shetland for a show on Sunday the 19th March. At this moment the event is still being planned, but it looks set to be held in Islesburgh community centre, and be an afternoon show. We are delighted to welcome Steve back after his enormously popular show in September 2003, and look forward to being entertained again by who many agree is Britains most popular drummer, (sorry Ringo....and Robbie Thomson!)

January 2006

Drum Jamm kicks off 2006 with new times for workshops. Would all pupils please note the changes in time and try to stick to them please.

The sound reducing booths are now in place at hut 15. These will significantly help the work we are doing at DJ, and hopefully enable all it's members to have a more pleasant environment to work in.

Entries are now in for the next round of Rockschool exams, with the provisional dates being Saturday and Sunday, 25th and 26th of March. We have around 20 members sitting exams in this period, and our good luck goes out to them as they prepare for their exam.

Our next "Drummer of the month" requires questions from you, so put your thinking caps on and consider what you would like to ask.

Dec 2005 - Review of Drumathon 2005!

This year's drumathon saw 75 members of drumjamm entertained by a host of top local and international drummers. The event ran for 8 hours with Workshops, clinics, groove work and the drum circle keeping everyone busy.

Full Story

Comments and Thoughts about Drumathon2005 from DJ members.