Introducing the Faculty
Our Tutors are skilled and seasoned players, and they all started as students at JtDⓈ with head tutor John. Some have gone on to further musical studies, and have come back to be part of the team here. They bring a huge range of styles and influences musically. We have had an exceptional pass rate with regard to Grade exams and whoever teaches you, you can be confident in their ability to help you on your drumming journey.
John Graham
(John the Drum )
HEAD OF FACULTY
Passionate about drums for as long as he can remember, John feels he was born with drummer’s bones. This took on a more formal situation when family friend , entertainer Roy Castle, saw potential and started him on lessons aged 11 with the jazz legend, Tony Oxley (house drummer at Ronnie Scott’s Club ). When Tony moved on he studied with Joe Hodson, a well respected West End drummer.
A seven year stint with the band Beehive meant he toured the country and various parts of Europe, clocking up to 150 gigs a year.
In 1995 they teamed up with producer Steve Levine ( Culture Club ) who recorded and produced a single, Presence of Your Love. This lifted the band profile getting airplay on major radio stations both in the U.K. and abroad. In 1997 they won a M.O.B.O. ( Music of Black Origin) award for Best Gospel Act, which led to T.V. and radio sessions for the BBC, MTV and others. As well as headlining their own gigs, they supported Mica Paris, theJames Taylor Quartet, Courtney Pine, and Alexander O’Neal. They were also well known on the Gospel and CCM circuit playing at festivals such as Soul Survivor and Greenbelt,
He has also done sessions for the likes of the BBC, Matt Redman, and Sal Solo ( Classix Nouveax).
John has been teaching drums for most of his adult life - a while now! What started as some regular income for a struggling musician blossomed into something rather bigger, leading to the present day JtDⓈ.
Katherine Graham
ADMINISTRATOR
Katherine is a partner in the business, and is the only non-drummer at JtDⓈ. She is however a musician in her own right. Your first port of call for all your queries, Katherine is the linchpin of JtDⓈ and holds all the diaries for the tutors together. She has been part of the team for ten years and has brought all her organisational skills to the table, so that the daily and weekly running of the school is a smooth as possible.
Liam Burgoyne
FACULTY TUTOR
As well as teaching here, Liam is forging his way into the world of Pro playing. He passed Grade 8 at 16 and has not ceased in his thirst for new things in the world of drums. It is knowledge that he is ready and eager to pass on to students. Liam currently plays for the touring theatre Musical, Bye,Bye,Baby and for the band As Everything Unfolds. He is equally happy playing killer kick grooves of Metal as he is swinging away to Big Band jazz.
Harry Wiseman
STUDENT TUTOR
Our newest recruit to the JtDⓈ team, Harry joined us in September 2023. He is a top class drummer and despite his years, and has a wealth of skills to share . He comes in as Student Tutor, and is your guy if you are a beginner and your budget is a little tight .
Dominique Puddephatt
FACULTY TUTOR
Dominique has brought her unique skills to the faculty here. Gaining a Diploma in Music Performance at Bucks College, Dommy has now been with us for 7 years in a teaching capacity. Her teaching time has gradually increased, as she proves to be a popular choice for many of our students. Dominique also finds time to play for various local theatre productions, keeping her hand in as a performer as well as a tutor.
Cover Tutors.
Our “go to’s” for when one of the tutors is away with a gig. Not second best in any shape or form, as all have taught with us before, but for one reason and another, are unable to do a regular slot. They know their stuff, and are able to slide on to any of our drum stools as they are completely at home with the way we do things here.
Sam Morris
Sam has been associated with JtDⓈ for two decades now. He has been a student and part of the regular tutor team. Whilst gaining a BMus at B.I.M.M. Brighton, he formed the band Fickle Friends with fellow students, who currently have had 60 million streams on Spotify alone. They have also graced the stages of Reading and Leeds festivals, as well as sell out tours of their own. He also sessions for various artists from his studio in South Bucks.
Danny Newell
Danny is the multi-instrumentalist technician of the team.He started teaching here whilst studying at Drumtech (now B.I.M.M. London). With tutoring posts in several local schools, Danny is a busy player currently playing in the popular touring show of We Will Rock You all over Europe, he has also toured with the official Evita production in the far East and Strictly Come Dancing Live tour, and Bye Bye Baby in the UK, as well as being number one dep for numerous top theatre drummers.
Pete Morrisby
SENIOR FACULTY TUTOR
After doing a Maths degree, Pete saw the light, and changed tack completely by studying drums at the Institute of Contemporary Music. He has been with JtDⓈ in a teaching capacity since 2012. He has a calm approach to passing on his passion to others. In the past decade Pete has become a really valued and knowledgable part of the team. Not content with this, he has also launched a website of downloadable drum charts.
