First Class Drums was founded in 2010 by Sam Lumsden.
Introducing Your Tutor
My name is Sam Lumsden and I've been a professional drummer since 2005.
My day to day work as a drummer includes performing, recording, notating, tutoring and coordinating music education projects for schools and organisations.
Over the years, my drumming work has featured on international television, radio and press.
Highlights Include:
- 1st place in the UK section of the Shure International Drum
Mastery Competition.
- Recording music for the hit US Cartoon Network series "Stoked".
- Being hired to transcribe drum charts for Michael Bolton's TV
show in Singapore.
- Being featured on MTV in South America and Japan.
- Meeting, recording and working with some of the best
songwriters and musicians in the world.
I proudly endorse Beier Drums (www.beierdrums.com) and Porter & Davies BC2 (www.porteranddavies.co.uk)
MAJOR TIMELINE RESUME
These are the highlights so far...
Session Drummer - Gavin Sutherland - A Traveller's Tales
2019
It was a pleasure and an honour to record drums for Gavin Sutherland's (The Sutherland Brothers) album - A Traveller's Tales.
Featured Artist - Porter & Davies
I am honoured to be added to the artist roster for Porter & Davies, a UK based company who make the BC2, BC2rm, Gigster, BC-X, TT6 Equipped Thrones and KT Platforms patented tactile monitoring systems.
I added the BC2 to my set-up in January 2019, and I can honestly say that this product is unbelievable!
SESSION DRUMMER - PAULINA HONIG - THE SAIL LOFT WALTZ
2018
I provided drums for my friend Paulina Honig's soon to be released song - The Sail Loft Waltz. We were joined by an abundance of talented local musicians, including Jim Paterson from Dexy's Midnight Runners on trombone.
DRUMMER - ERNEST RAMBLES
2017 - present
I joined the band Ernest Rambles in 2017. In addition to several major festival appearances, the band is regularly featured on BBC Radio, and have released an EP entitled The Torridon Sessions, which was Album Of The Week on BBC Radio Scotland.
DRUMMER - FINALIST - SKY ARTS -
TONY VISCONTI'S A LIFE IN MUSIC
2017
I was selected as a finalist to appear on the Sky Arts television show "Tony Visconti's A Life In Music".
FREELANCE DEP DRUMMER
2016 - present
Keeping it fairly local, I stand in at usually the last minute as drummer for multiple solo artists and bands.
SESSION DRUMMER - SHARKY SHARKY
2014-2016
Initially brought in as session drummer to record drums for the album "Super Awesome Mega Rock", I ended up doing a lot of live shows with this band - dressed as a shark! Talk about fun jobs.
FREELANCE EDUCATION PROJECT COORDINATOR
2012 - present
I was hired to coordinate the following education projects for Youth Music Initiative/Aberdeenshire Council/Creative Scotland:
2012 - Making Music In Rural Areas Using The Internet
2013 - Band Workshop - Mintlaw Academy
2014 - Remote Audio Engineering - Auchterellon Primary School.
- Creative Edge - Phase 2 - Composing Music to Accompany Visual Art
2014/2015/2016/2017/2018/2019/2020 - YMI Audio Engineering Project
SESSION DRUMMER - NANCY K DILLON & GAVIN SUTHERLAND
Recorded 2012 - Released 2018
I played drums on the single "Poor Man's Lullaby", which is a duet by Gavin Sutherland and Nancy K Dillon. The track features on the 2018 Nancy K Dillon record "A Game of Swans".
FEATURED ARTIST - BEIER DRUMS
Since 2012 I have played the best snare drums in the world - Beier Drums, made by Jim Beier. Pretty much all of my recording and live work features these snare drums. Jim is a fountain of support to me and it still blows my mind when he puts a feature on my work up on his website alongside drumming legends like Andy Parker of UFO, Todd Sucherman of Styx and countless other drum world heroes. Go to to find out more about these awesome drums.
2012 - Present
INTERNATIONAL SHURE DRUM MASTERY COMPETITION - 1ST PLACE IN UK SECTION
2011
Thanks to some phenomenal support, I was voted 1st in the UK Section of the Shure International Drum Mastery Competition.
OWNER - FIRST CLASS DRUMS
2010 - present
I started my own teaching business "First Class Drums" back in 2010. Starting solely in Macduff, I expanded to Inverness in 2014.
DRUMMER - FABIOLA GATTI/FABS/DREAM TRIBES
2005 - 2009
Releasing several records internationally, Fabs had some strong but short lived success. The band received international feature in magazines, newspapers, radio and television. Most notably contributing music to the hit US Cartoon Network series "Stoked" and appearing on MTV around the world.
HND MUSIC PERFORMANCE - PERTH COLLEGE
2003 - 2005
I started studying music properly at 18 years old. Two years into my college degree, I was signed to Over 18s Records to play drums for Uruguayan pop star Fabiola Gatti.
DRUM TUTOR - RWJ DRUMS PERTH
2004 - 2007
My professional teaching career started when owner of RWJ Drums Perth, Kevin Smith asked me to teach drums for his drum shop.
SESSION DRUMMER - GAVIN SUTHERLAND
2011 - present
Gavin Sutherland of The Sutherland Brothers (they wrote the song "Sailing" that Rod Stewart sings) asked me to record drums for an international recording project he was doing - The Big World Dance Band.
Notation Consultant - Michael Bolton - Asian Dream Reality TV Show
2019
I was hired to transcribe and notate all the drum parts that were to be performed on "Michael Bolton's Asian Dream" reality TV show, which was filmed in Singapore.
Notation Consultant - Rock The Halls - Dundee Production
2020
I was hired to transcribe and notate drum parts for the Whitehall Theatre, Dundee production of Rock The Halls.