tutors

Drum Tutors

Meet the Drum Tutors who teach on our drum courses: Mike Sturgis, Pete Riley, Jon Duff, Graham Fox, Stuart Roberts, Alun Rees-Harries, Paul Elliott, Nik Preston, Richard Brook, Joe Yoshida, Toby Drummond, Windsor McGilvray and Petar Curic. Learn from the best by joining the ACM Drum School.

Mike Sturgis – Drum School Manager

Recognised as one of the UK's most experienced and respected drum tutors and performers, Mike is a graduate of the University of Miami School of Music. His early works includes playing with the Concert Jazz Band, jazz artists Paquito D'Rivera, Randy Brecker and Bob Mintzer, and the band of legendary jazz keyboardist Bob James. His versatility as a player has enabled him to have performed on tours and recordings with international artists in the world of pop, rock and jazz, including Steve Winwood, 21 Guns, Psychomotel, A-Ha, Asia and Wishbone Ash. His playing was memorably heard worldwide on the theme song to the James Bond movie ‘The Living Daylights’ and 1997 remake of Lou Reed’s ‘Perfect Day’. Mike is a monthly columnist for Rhythm and endorses Yamaha drums and Zildjian cymbals. Join the ACM Drum School and come and meet Mike.

Pete is a technically outstanding drummer with a huge amount of live and studio experience across an incredible array of styles. Pete has an impressive list of TV, radio and session credits culminating in his work with Top 40 act Republica. Pete has also worked with guitarist Phil Hilborne, is writing a series of instructional columns for Rhythm magazine, holds regular clinics demonstrating Premier drums and plays in Guthrie Govan’s noisy fusion band ‘Erotic Cakes’. As a drum tutor at ACM's Drum School Pete offers students his vast experience and knowledge.

ACM's drum tutor Toby Drummond is a UK drummer born in Vancouver, Canada. Toby studied with Bob Armstrong at Masterclass Studios, and with Dom Famularo and Jim Chapin in Long Island, New York.

His theatre credits include National Tours; The Rocky Horror Show, Dancing in the Streets, Grease, Cats, Whistle Down the Wind and The Witches of Eastwick (Depping). West End credits include; The Rocky Horror Show (Victoria Palace, London), Dancing in the Streets (Cambridge Theatre, London) and Wicked (Apollo Theatre) – depping for Guy Richman.

Pop credits include; Toby has worked with Shaun Ryder, Russell Watson and Seahorses and various television and live performances.

Joe Yoshida - Drum Tutor

Joe is a drum course graduate of ACM's Drum School, where in 2004 he gained qualifications for Higher Diploma in Drums and a Degree in Contemporary Popular Music in 2006.

For six years Joe worked with The Black Water Jacks / Gold Heart Assembly, performing countless high profile gigs across the country, including a residency at The Rock Garden, Covent Garden. They have produced several recordings in renowned studios such as Abbey Road; Toerag Studios, Hackney; and The Dairy, Brixton. In past years Joe has worked with a diverse range of producers such as Brio Taliaferro (Sophie Ellis-Bextor; Sugababes; James Blunt); and Rob Granville; artists and musicians including Luciana (Bodyrox.); Simon Merry (George Michael; Natalie Imbruglia); Andy Nunn (Morcheeba); and 70s Liverpool rock legends Marseille. Joe is currently working with artist Natascha Sohl. In addition, Joe now also offers his experiences as an ACM drum tutor.

After joining Sikth in 2001 Dan toured the UK, Japan and France supporting bands such as Machine Head, Anthrax and The Dillinger Escape Plan. He recorded two live sessions with the band for the BBC in the legendry Maida Vale studios. After his first album ‘The trees are dead and dried out..’ was released in 2003, the interviews with Drummer magazine and Rhythm magazine led him to opening the first ever Drummer Live in 2004. A week later he also appeared at the Birmingham Drumfest. After recording his second album ‘Death of a Dead Day’ in Florida in 2006 the band continued its busy touring schedule. The first track of the album ‘Bland Street Bloom’ got Dan voted 86th in the top beats of all time in Rhythm magazine. Since early 2007 Dan has been playing masterclasses up and down the country including most recently, the Rhythm Week in Bath and can be found as a drum tutor on ACM's drum courses.

Formerly Head of Drums at DrumTech in London, Paul Elliott is a highly respected player, clinician and drum tutor.

His playing and recording credits include Shaun Baxter, Frank Gambale, Stu Hamm, John Wheatcroft, Jont and Richard Niles. As a clinician, Paul has performed extensively throughout the UK and Europe, and has shared the stage alongside Steve Smith, Manu Katche, Richard Bailey, Akira Jimbo, Mark Mondesir, Gary Husband and Erik Smith.

Paul’s highly acclaimed double DVD, Technically Speaking, was released in 2000, and his teaching methods as a drum tutor have inspired countless professional drummers, including Phil Selway, Dominic Greensmith, Jason Cooper, Ashley Soan, Tom Meadows, Simon Edgoose, Mark Heaney, Laurie Jenkins, Carlos Hercules, Luke Bullen, Julian Brown, Nathan Curran and Steve Kemp.

Paul is endorsed by Yamaha, Zildjian, Pro-Mark, Sennheiser and Protection Racket.

Mike started his career with rap/hip-hop pioneers Ruthless Rap Assasins and went on to work with a range of artists including M.C. Mello, Baby Fox, Billie Ray Martin and DJ Blame. He has more recently recorded with Kumo and Irwin Schmidt. Mike has over 10 years experience as a drum tutor at places such as City Lit, Cologne Music School and Planet Drum.

Stu Roberts - Drum Tutor

Drummer Stu Roberts has played live and recorded for The Dhol Foundation, Talvin Singh, Pete Appleyard, Dame Evelyn Glennie, Bryan Adams and many more adding up to over 1100 professional gigs since 1998. A highly versatile drummer, his professional work has ranged from festivals to cruise ships to the West End theatre. Highlights include the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne and tours of Australia, Brazil and the WOMAD festivals in the UK, Singapore and Australia.

Stu endorses Sonor drums and has recently released a solo EP; “Beats and Breaks”. Stu has undertaken private studies with Dave Hassell, Terl Bryant and Steve Washington. He was awarded a BA Hon’s in Contemporary Popular Music and received tuition from Bill Bruford and Mike Sturgis. Stu has been broadcast with Bloco Electro live from Glastonbury for Radio 1 and is currently looking forward to the release of the 1 Beat Album “Spirit” in July 2009. Stu is also a drum tutor on ACM's drum courses.

Richard has played at venues and festivals all over the world. He has worked with artists such as: Go West, Peter Cox, Roger Daltry, Tony Hadley, Victoria Beckham, Alex Parks and Martin Fry (ABC) to name but a few; and has played alongside artists like Leo Sayer and Girls Aloud and Ozzy Osbourne. Richard continues to freelance and also play in his own band, Headspace. Richard can also be found on ACM's drum courses as one of our drum tutors.

Jon is a vastly experienced player and contributes to Rhythm magazine. He specialises in developing time keeping, groove playing and his proven techniques generate quick progress. As a drum tutor Jon is involved in Live Performance Workshops, taking drum students through the full time drum course repertoire, developing skills such as playing to a click and tone production.

Alun Rees-Harries - Drum Tutor

Alun is a session musician, clinician, drum tutor, backing vocalist and musical director. He has worked with the Bee Gees, Tori Amos, Shelby Lynne, Sara Jory, Brit Pops Orchestra, NTJO and Randy Bachman. His recording work includes two albums with the BBC Welsh Symphony Orchestra, The Fast Show Farewell DVD, Series 4 and 5 of BBC Drama – My Hero, final Big Breakfast, 4 tracks for the West End Show ‘Jail House Rock’. He also endorses Pearl Drums, Zildjian cymbals, Regal Tip and Protection Racket Cases.

Graham Fox - Drum Tutor

As well as being a drum tutor on ACM's Drum School, the majority of Graham’s work comes as a jazz drummer working with the likes of Stan Sulzmann and pianist Marc Copeland. Graham’s more commercial ventures include drum and bass project ‘Three Kingz’, as well as having played in Pressure Rise (Aspect Records), a nine piece live drum and bass project who played in the UK and around Europe.

Windsor McGilvray - Drum Tutor

Since graduating from ACM's Drum School as ‘Outstanding Drum Student of the Year’, Windsor has gained musical performance experience with a variety of artists including; Hugh Cornwell (ex-The Stranglers), Fish (ex-Marillion), and B.J. Cole (Elton John, Sting, Bjork, etc) amongst others and has participated in numerous international tours, including a support slot to Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Famers, Blondie.

To date, Windsor’s recording experience includes; work with Tony Visconti (David Bowie, T-Rex), Brian Tench (Kate Bush, Tina Turner), Danny Kadar (Miles Davis, Stevie Ray Vaughan) and Andy Todd (Republica, S-Club).

His contributions to music education include; drum tutor at the ACM (from the part-time drum school right through to drum course degree level) and the Bath Rhythm Course, as well as providing written content for the ACM drum courses and Rhythm magazine. Windsor also endorses Zildjian cymbals.

Croatian native, Petar has performed/recorded with guitarist Sharon Isbin (Grammy Award Winner), trombonist Mark Nightingale (James Morrison, Sting), trombonist Michael Davis (Bob Dylan, Rolling Stones), Steve Forman & Tambourine Studio in Venice Beach, California, Bob Singleton & Singleton Productions in Dallas, Texas, and as a drum tutor has taught at World Music in Los Angeles, alongside Jennifer Batten (Michael Jackson, Jeff Beck). As a specialist in Jazz, Rock, Funk, R&B and Pop, Petar won the 2008 Vic Firth–Megamuzika Award for ‘Excellence in Music Education’ as Director of East Meets West - GROZNJAN International Percussion Summer Courses.

Finalist of Yamaha UK Young Percussionist of the Year at the RCM in London, and Winner of Truscott Prize for all around achievement at Huddersfield University, Petar studied for his Masters in Drum Kit at North Texas under mentorship of Ed Soph, and at Surrey with Trevor Tomkins.