Skip to content ↓

Nick Jones – Drums

Nick started playing at the age of 12 when he began lessons at school.  He had two fantastic teachers in Christine Barron and Mike Tustin, who recognized, even at that formative stage Nick’s determination and desire to one day become a professional drummer.  Nick was playing his first concerts at the age of 14 with a band formed at school.  At 16 Nick played his first paid gig with a Soul function band.

At 18 Nick began studying with Victor Guillamon, a highly regarded Leamington drum teacher, and continued to do so for the next four years.  In that time he also started a three year course of private lessons at Drumtech in West London with Francis Serieu, the Director of the school, in those three years Nick worked incredibly hard to attain the skill level required to become a session drummer.  The next eight years were spent touring and recording with his signed band.

In 2002 Nick was offered his first bit of teaching locally.  As a left handed and left footed drummer though, this meant he had to teach himself how to play right handed and footed set up, which he did successfully.  Then in 2008 he began teaching at Charles Laird Drums in Warwick, where he continues to do so.

In 2009 Nick began studying with Andy Leask, one of the two leading instructors in Britain for the Moeller Hand Technique Method, who had himself studied with Jim Chapin, one of the World’s most renowned drum instructors.

A year later in 2010, Nick also then studied with one of Britain’s busiest top level session drummers, Donovan Hepburn who regularly tours with Take That, Gary Barlow, Alisha Dixon, Olly Murs and now ELO.

Nick has always been and continues to be a very busy performing and recording artist.

He has been teaching at King’s High since January 2011, and has always been very passionate and committed to raising the profile of Drum Lessons at the school through Year 7 demonstrations, having pupils playing in the various ensembles and bands, and of course playing himself in numerous concerts and school productions.

Nick now also leads and mentors King’s High’s first ever pop band MAC3, who are now in their third year!  They compose their own songs, which they have performed at numerous school concerts.  Nick offers all his years of experience playing in bands himself to the girls, supporting them in any way he can.  In July he arranged and took them to a professional recording studio so they could experience that process for the first time.