Who am I?

Hi everyone! My name is James Kitchin and I’ve been drumming since the age of 10.

All the content you see on this website comes from my professional experience as a working drummer.

Since starting out playing on cushions with my first pair of drumsticks, drumming has become my greatest passion.

My goal is to share as much of that passion with you as possible.

As a reader of this blog, I hope you’ll you’ll feel comfortable reaching out to me if you have any questions about lessons and how to get started playing the drums.

So, a little about what I’ve been up to as a drummer…

My drumming journey

Aged 10: I took up the drums. My first drum kit was the three-piece sofa cushion set-up. Was lucky enough to stumble upon a great local teacher (back when I didn’t know how to search for one).

Aged 11: I got my first drum kit, a Yamaha electronic drum kit. Lucky it was so quiet for my parents, or it might have driven them mad!

Aged 14: Passed my Grade 8 Drum Kit exam with distinction. Very nerve-racking…

Aged 16: Studied at the Academy of Contemporary Music and graduated my diploma with distinction.

Rocking out with fellow students in the Tickled Ivory

After graduating, I started my professional work in London’s theatre scene. The booths were so small, that every photo ended up looking like this:

Squeezing into the pit for my first professional theatre show

Since then, I’ve been fortunate enough to study under some of the world’s best drum teachers and sit in with world-class professionals doing what they do best.

Their credits feature hundreds of platinum-selling artists, including Stevie Wonder, James Brown and Mick Jagger.

Behind the scenes in London’s West End -Beatsure — Behind the scenes in London’s West End

As I continue to build my career in London, I feel absolutely privileged to continue to play and teach drums for a living.

Most importantly, I hope that more than a little of that joy and excitement of what it means to play the drums rubs off on you too.

If you’d like to study with me…

Whether you want to study drums to simply have the most fun possible or are looking to get serious with your playing, I’d be happy to help.

You can either take lessons 1-1 online with me (currently taking on adult students – the first lesson is free) or I’d be happy to give my advice to you about the teachers and drum courses that I trust most.

To read more about my teaching and what I can help you with, click here.

If you’re ready to get in contact, I’d love to hear from you. Simply click here for my details. I very much look forward to hearing from you!