Drums & Percussion

Jazz Workshop Australia offers drummers access to the teachers, skills, and knowledge essential for excelling in jazz, contemporary, and improvised music. Becoming good at playing drums in an ensemble, HSC music, tertiary auditions, or as a soloist needs a strong foundation in technique combined with practical, real-world musicianship. Our drum department provides a clear, mentor-led pathway from beginner through to first-call professional.

• Experienced Teachers – Instruction is led by active professional performers (B.Mus to PhD) who balance technical rigour with creative mentorship.

• Developing Touch & Tone – Students learn on high-quality acoustic drum kits to develop the genuine touch, tonal control, and dynamic range required for jazz performance.

• Purpose-Built Teaching Studios – Lessons take place in soundproof studios designed to minimise distraction and focus on musical detail.

• Performance-Informed Study – Technical study is framed through the lens of real-world performance, developing the creative independence required to perform confidently in ensembles, including our jazz combos program and professional groups beyond JWA, as well as for high-level HSC solo performance.

• Pathways to Achievement – Students develop the musical independence required to pursue a range of goals, including playing in bands, HSC performance work, tertiary auditions, and professional opportunities.

Tell us a little about your experience and goals, and we’ll match you with the right teacher and lesson time:

JWA drum teachers

Our drum teachers are Dr Alexander Inman-Hislop (PhD, B.Mus), Ryu Kodama (B.Mus. hons) and Alex Tucker (B.Mus.). They are skilful and experienced teachers who get outstanding results. Education is a priority for them and they want you/your child to succeed. Like every teacher at Jazz Workshop Australia, Ryu and Alex are supported by a strong and successful academy program that offers their students many great opportunities to gain performing experience and to be extend as musicians.

Alexander Inman-Hislop, PhD, B.Mus.

Dr Alexander Inman-Hislop is one of Australia’s foremost improvised music artists and jazz drummers. He is a lecturer at Sydney Conservatorium of music in jazz performance and has a doctorate from the University of Sydney. Alex is an international-level performing artist and also a very successful teacher with a strong track record of success. Despite his high credentials & standing, he is happy to teach beginners and is a kind, patient and encouraging teacher who gets results. He also started out with a keen interest in metal drumming – he is versatile!

Ryu Kodama, B.Mus.

Ryu Kodama is a drummer performing with a wide range of projects locally, nationally and internationally. He is a graduate of Sydney Conservatorium of music with an honours degree in jazz performance. Born in Tokyo, Japan, raised in Auckland, New Zealand, Ryu studied under the legendary jazz drummer Frank Gibson Jr. In his teens he won multiple awards for most outstanding musician at the Tauranga National Youth Jazz Competition and was drummer for the New Zealand Youth Jazz Orchestra and toured with New York jazz great Dick Oats.

Ryu currently works with a range of local and national groups and artists, such as Jiem, Kosher Groove, Prog Dylan, and Anoesis, He is also an in-demand freelance drummer. His teaching experience encompasses children, teens, and adults at all levels up to advanced. He has also presented masterclasses at tertiary level, most notably at Australian National University in Canberra.

Alex Tucker, B.Mus.

Alex Tucker is an experienced teacher who is constantly refining his approach based on his own first-hand experience of the Australian master drummers he has studied under. His expertise includes jazz, improvised music, rock, and contemporary styles. Alex is currently in his final year studying Drum Set Performance at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

As a teacher, Alex is interested in exploring the fundamentals of the drumstick, the hand and the movement of the body, to lower tension and maximise efficiency on the instrument. The drum set is a physically demanding instrument which benefits from focusing on mechanics and technique.

Alex welcomes all ages, any experience level, and encourages all musical interests.

Alex Tucker’s current musical pursuits and projects include:

• Gabriella Hill Band (Gabriella Hill, Jacques Emery)
• Bad Photography (Jim Denley, Uma Volkmer)
• The Splinter Orchestra
• Amorphos (Drum Set trio)
• Calque – improvised music & soundscapes quartet
• Development on rhythmic shapes and drum language that can be utilised for improvisation and the creation of music for the drum set.  

Arrange a trial drum lesson or enrol now

To arrange a one-off trial lesson or begin regular tuition, contact us and we’ll organise a suitable time.
Jazz Workshop Australia offers drum lessons in St Leonards, convenient for students across Sydney’s North Shore.