Craig Sepala

I was the cliché kid pulling the pots and pans out of the cupboards and thrashing on them until my parents couldn’t take it anymore! My dad eventually bought me an old jazz kit and my passion for drums grew and grew.

“Practice, practice, and practice. There’s no escaping that this is the only method to become better”

I was the cliché kid pulling the pots and pans out of the cupboards and thrashing on them until my parents couldn’t take it anymore! My dad eventually bought me an old jazz kit and my passion for drums grew and grew.

I began working towards my grades and playing through every Oasis track that was released, which is where my love for Rock music started. As to the why…I enjoyed the creativeness and generally, just the presence of drums and a solid beat in songs and to be honest the power when you play!

Which famous drummers do you admire?

Tony Royster Jr, Thomas Lang, Mike Mangini, and Dennis Chambers. All of these guys are top session players and have worked with the biggest artists and bands in the world. But as drummers, I admire their precision and the attention to detail in the placement of every beat.

But what I look up to most in all of these chaps, is their humility. They recognise that they’ll never stop learning and their overall passion for drumming is infectious. This drives me to become better every day.

Do you get nervous before performances?

Absolutely! I’d be lying if I said I didn’t! But that stems more from the excitement to play. And every time I feel the nerves creep in before a gig, it’s a gentle reminder that this is what I love doing.

What advice would you give to beginners?

Practice, practice, and practice. There’s no escaping that this is the only method to become better. Don’t become frustrated when you can’t execute even the most rudimental patterns. Come back to it in an hour or a day and you’ll find it becomes more natural. Find your own style and harness it!

How often and for how long do you practice?

It depends… sometimes I play for hours, sometimes ten minutes. But I try to play every day, even if it’s just on a practice pad. To build muscle memory, you have to play for long periods of time (30-45mins) on one pattern.