Scott Merkel is a 35+ year veteran of the rock and roll scene. A multi-instrumentalist who plays guitar, bass, drums, auxiliary percussion, and more, Scott understands the interplay between instruments, whether they’re rhythm-based or melody-based. Scott’s specialty is showing his students how to find the “sweet spot,” or what’s known as “the pocket,” that place between being ahead of the rhythm of a song, and behind it. Playing in the sweet spot is the difference between being a good drummer and a GREAT drummer.

“I’ve always loved showing new players how to find their own groove, create their own fills, and really use their own personal style to make each song their own, all the while carrying the rhythm and groove so the other players can do the same thing. That’s how you take an existing song and make it something completely new and interesting… and hopefully make it sound good, too.”

While Scott’s primary focus is rock drumming, he excels at rock-based rhythm standards, and rudiments like paradiddles, basic stick technique, and multi-limb rhythm exercises to make each foot and hand equally strong. By teaching the basics and making them second nature, drummers are able to excel at more complicated techniques required for hard rock, metal, jazz, fusion, and more complex genre-based sounds.