Learn the drums from a drummer with over 25 years playing and 15 years teaching experience. I am also a current Blue Card holder.
Steve Powell - Drummer and Educator
Bachelor of Music (Jazz Performance), Advanced Diploma of Music, Graduate Diploma of Multi Instrumental Music Pedagogy
My name is Steve Powell and I’m a drummer and teacher living in Brisbane. I have over 25 years playing experience and have taught drums to adults and children for over 15 years. Because I love many styles of music, I aim to give my students experience in and appreciation of these styles as well as teaching them correct drumming technique.
Guess our Beat of the Week! Hints: it's a 12 bar blues, it was Motown's first hit single and the Beatles covered it. Well done Liam getting it together in 5 mins and recording in 1 take! *Headphones or speaker recommended
I had some help from Archie on bass for this week's Beat of the Week "Young Folks". *Headphones or speaker recommended. Original track: https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=tUsH87zLvAg&si=drY5RQb52OyamSej
Guess our Beat of the Week! (I forgot I have a big screen now so don't look ha!) Students learn how a drum beat and bass line fit together and then lock it in! I asked Jared to learn this in the last 5 minutes of his lesson and then we hit record:) *Headphones/speaker recommended
"Ballroom Blitz"... I've been looking forward to recording a student playing this song and Liam smashed it! Dynamics, technique, energy and 3 pages of sheet music memorised. Well done mate!
Check out Xavier playing "Semi Charmed Life" by Third Eye Blind.
Nice to have more 90s music back in the studio these days!
This one takes a bit more patience....students are learning to play a 12 bar blues by understanding the chord progression rather than counting bars. They have to wait until the 12th bar to play the good old "Pat Boone Debbie Boone" fill to signal the top of the form. I start to improvise with the drum beat on the second round but fill remains the same.
Students are working on phrasing for drum fills this week and I love using the song "Vultures" by John Mayer to play along to. The drummer Steve Jordan actually doesn't play any fills throughout (well maybe one!), which I think works for this song so well but also makes it a great track to practice our 4 bar fill phrases along to.
Congratulations Ezekiel on recording your first studio drum cover! From beginning reading drum notation last year to performing a 3 pager without compromising that great feel is outstanding!
Guess the Beat of the Week time again! At the start I play a simplified version and then go into the actual beat from the recording.
23/12/2025
I'm a simple man and my idea of fun (and freedom) in Japan is probably very different to most Aussies! Spent the day in Tosu with the goal of finding the jazz cafe called Coltrane Coltrane (if you're a Coltrane fan you've gotta go!) Started with lunch of grilled fish, rice and beer underneath a maple tree watching the leaves fall and reading Murakami. Then spent 2 hours talking to the owners of the jazz cafe who told me they're closing early next year after over 40 years. So grateful that places like this exist in Japan!