SEATTle drum school of music
Family-owned Seattle Drum School of Music (SDSM)
is a cornerstone of musical education in the region, fostering creativity and skill development for students of all ages and abilities for nearly 40 years.
Introduction
Seattle Drum School was launched in 1986 when Steve Smith began teaching drums from a small room in a multiplex in North Seattle. Together, Steve and his wife Kristy Smith (singer-songwriter & guitarist) expanded the school to the entire building and cultivated it into a comprehensive music education hub, renaming it Seattle Drum School of Music.
SDSM thrived in its original location for nearly 30 years, and opened its South Seattle / Georgetown location in 2007 to serve the South Seattle community. Then in 2016, the school was displaced from the North Seattle location, and relocated to our current Lake City facility.
Seattle Drum School of Music remains a family-owned beacon for music education. With over 40 professional musician instructors across its two Seattle locations, SDSM offers a broad range of music lessons for all ages and skill levels, in instruments like guitar, bass, piano, and drums; as well as music production and audio engineering. SDSM has instructed 16,000+ students over its history. SDSM also supports live music and cultural events at our Georgetown venue, The LAB@1010.
A nurturing environment for students of any age
We are dedicated to creating a nurturing environment where students (currently aged from 3 to 84 years old) can grow and flourish with the wisdom and guidance of professional musicians. The school’s welcoming atmosphere celebrates students as human beings and fellow artists, a philosophy that has guided its growth for nearly 40 years.
Community engagement
A cornerstone of our philosophy is a strong commitment to community engagement.
SDSM has served as the first place where young musicians have performed, launching hundreds of bands and thousands of friendships. In addition to providing the first performance opportunity for young musicians in our own venue, we also collaborate with community organizations to provide them an opportunity to perform at public events such as the NW Folklife, Lake City Summer Fest, Georgetown Carnival, and Sustainable Ballard.
In 2024 the school became a fiscally sponsored project of the Allied Arts Foundation. Under their nonprofit umbrella, SDSM benefits from a supportive framework that enhances our mission to provide top-tier musical education to aspiring musicians, as well as an accessible event space for diverse community needs.
Please visit Community-Centered Music on our website, and learn how to support our efforts.
