We offer private, 1 to 1 drum tuition to players of all levels designed to develop students into professional musicians. We give you the skills you need. Every lesson and every exercise is crafted to suit the students individual needs. And with over 30 years combined teaching experience you can rest assured we know our onions!

Who Are We

Andy EdwardsAt the age of 11 Andy, after listening to rock bands the likes of AC/DC, Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple, decided to pick up the sticks and learn to play the drums. His father, also a drummer in his youth, showed him the basics and from there on he was hooked. In 1988 Andy started gigging in an Oasis Covers band. He soon became interested in Jazz and Fusion and formed his own band Sinister Footwear. In the early 90s he played in Bhangra bands and began to tutor at various colleges in the area. In the late 90s Andy formed a new band, the Wikkamen, releasing a number of records on Island Records and Warner Bros by remixing artists like Red Dragon, Kelly Price and Amar. Come 1999 Andy had joined forces ex Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant and good friend Kevyn Gammond to form the Priory of Brion. The band toured Europe for two years, playing alongside countless musical legends including BB King and Van Morrison. At this time he also began giving drum clinics with and in 2001 was voted one of the UK's leading clinicians by Rhythm Magazine. In 2002 Andy joined the Ian Parker Band recording two widely acclaimed albums for Ruf Records and toured with Thin Lizzy, Walter Trout and Eric Clapton. Taking a break from touring in 2004, Andy set up his own drum school offering private tuition to players all over the Midlands. In 2005 Andy joined the UK prog rock band IQ as a full-time member and toured all over Europe for many years until leaving in early 2009.In 2006 he joined Frost*, a Neo-Progressive Rock group alongside acclaimed songwriter and producer Jem Godfrey and released two albums under the Inside-Out label. Andy left the band in early 2009 and is currently teaching Music at Kidderminster College and offering private drum tuition at the Midland Academy of Drumming. Dave MasonDave Mason is a Midland based specialist drum tutor and performer. He has extensively toured the UK gig circuit for years and performed to crowds over ten-thousand strong. Starting at the age of 12 he showed real promise for the instrument from the get go. Within a mere 3 years of playing, he took and passed Grade 8. It was from this point that he undertook lessons with local drum tutor Andy Edwards. By the age of 16 Dave was tutoring locally, boosting his local profile. Midas, a local charting Indie/Rock band picked up on this profile and soon offered an audition. Within a week of joining the band Dave went on an extensive UK tour covering areas all the way from Bristol to Manchester soon followed by a string of University gigs and festivals. Currently only 19 years of age Dave is tutoring with the Midland Academy of Drumming and performing with Midas. He is also collaborating with German Songwriter and producer Gunter Schlopenhauer.

What Do We Offer

The Student MAD offers private, one on one drum tuition to players of all levels designed to develop students into professional musicians. It's our job to make you a better player and a better musician. We don't just teach you to play the drums, we teach you to play WELL. Whether you're looking to progress into the music industry or simply to get better at your hobby we give you the skills you need. Unlike most traditional instrumental lessons we don't follow a course or curriculum. Every lesson and every exercise is crafted to suit the student's individual needs. Our methods are very unique in their ways and have delivered great results all round time and time again. Advancements in cognitive science have also improved our understanding of the way we learn to play the drums. We take this into account with every student and design exercises to aid the development of muscle memory, giving you the tools you need to express yourself at the drumset. And with over 30 years combined teaching experience you can rest assured we know our onions! In fact we're so confident about our methods that we can positively guarantee to get anybody, regardless of ability, playing the drums. We also aim to make your lesson experience as pleasant and as enjoyable as possible. With this in mind, the teaching room has been equipped with top of the range equipment for the student, a sofa for any attendees and free drinks & confectionery. Students arriving early or awaiting a lift from others are also welcome to make use of our waiting room, complete with comfy sofas, TV, Playstation 2 and DVDs. Unfortunately due to licensing issues we don't offer terrestrial television. The Parents Here at M.A.D we don't just take the student's needs into account. We strive to make the experience pleasant and enjoyable for everybody. With that in mind, any parents wishing to sit in on lessons are welcome to have a seat in the teaching room on our comfortable sofa and be treated to free tea & coffee, sweets and biscuits. Ear plugs are also available to rescue your hearing from the noise! Parents arriving early or wishing to escape the noise are also welcome to have a seat in our heated waiting room, complete with sofas, TV, Playstation 2 and DVDs. Unfortunately due to licensing issues we don't offer terrestrial television. The Studio The MAD Studio is located on an industrial estate on the outskirts of Cradely, bordering Lye. With ample parking and situated just 1 mile from the local train station and a few minutes walk from a number of local bus stops transport shouldn't be an issue. Inside the studio itself great care has been taken to make your surroundings as clean, pleasant and inviting as possible. We have 3 main rooms, the teaching room, the waiting room and the recording room. Each has been newly decorated and furnished. The first room is the teaching room. Eqipped with two Tama Starclassic drum kits, you can feel at home using top of the range equipment. This also means that, unlike most other drum tuition, you won't have to keep standing up and moving so that the tutor can demonstrate. The room also has a PA system which means lessons can be augmented with backing tracks and samples. For any parents or other attendees not wishing to make use of our waiting room, there is also a sofa so you can sit and watch the lesson in action. Parents and students arriving early are more than welcome to make full use of our waiting room. The room includes a sofa, a practice drum kit, practice pads, a TV, a PS2, games, DVDs, books, magazines and free drinks & confectionary. Please note that unfortunately, due to licensing issues we are unable to offer terrestrial television. The third room is our recording room. This room contains a beast of a drum kit; another Tama Starclassic. This is fully miced and hooked up to a 16 track mixer. The Price Lesson prices vary according to the tutor. Tutor: Andy Edwards Student Level: Advanced to Professional* 30 Minute Lesson: £15 45 Minute Lesson: £28 60 Minute Lesson: £35 90 Minute Lesson: £50 Home Visits: Not Offered *Andy also teaches beginners but please be aware that places are very limited. Tutor: Dave Mason Student Level: Beginner to Intermediate 30 Minute Lesson: £12 45 Minute Lesson: £16 60 Minute Lesson: £20 90 Minute Lesson: £30 Home Visits: Prices vary* *Please note that although home visits are occasionally considered, circumstances must be suitable (ie equipment, distance etc). Please also note that due to the nature of home visits, lesson prices are considerably more.