SEATTle drum school of music
Family owned since 1986, the Seattle Drum School of Music (SDSM) is a cornerstone of musical education in the Seattle region, fostering creativity and skill development for students of all ages and abilities for nearly 40 years.
School History
Seattle Drum School was launched in 1986 when Steve Smith began teaching drums from a small booth that originally served as a parking attendant office. Since then, Steve and his wife Kristy Smith (singer-songwriter & guitarist) grew this family-owned institution into a comprehensive music education hub, and renamed it Seattle Drum School of Music.
SDSM thrived in its original North Seattle location for nearly 30 years, and opened its South Seattle / Georgetown location in 2008 to serve the South Seattle community. Then in 2016, the school was displaced from the North Seattle location so relocated to our current Lake City location.
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 also supports live music and cultural events at our Georgetown venue, The LAB@1010.
A nurturing environment for students of any age
We at SDSM feel there is no substitute for the care and personalized attention available through one on one instruction. In no other way can one’s individual strengths, needs, or particular goals be so effectively addressed. We pride ourselves on our phenomenal music educators, who, outside of their roles at SDSM, are all working professionals in the music industry.
We are dedicated to creating a nurturing environment where students can learn their instrument craft from 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.
With students ranging from 3 to 84 years old, SDSM prides itself on being a fun and inspiring place for musical exploration and growth.
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.
