Drummers in India, an incredible opportunity to swiftly enhance your skills has finally come knocking. Here’s introducing Drum House, a five-day immersive experience dedicated to solely practising and learning the drums in peaceful locations away from the city.
A first of its kind in India, Drum House is an initiative by Karun Kannampilly, an established drummer and music educator in the country. He currently plays drums for The Koniac Net, percussion for Mukti Funk and collaborates with prominent artists like Raghav Meattle, Kamakshi Khanna and Bhrigu Sahni. Karun was part of the core teaching faculty at The True School of Music for four years and has now decided to pursue his own educational practice.
How Drum House came into existence
In 2011, Karun attended a drum camp in California, hosted by one of his idols, Mike Johnston. The camp gave him a whole new perspective on the instrument and right then, he knew that he had to bring that experience to India.
Drum House began in 2017. While teaching at the True School, Karun wanted to build a dedicated practise program that focused on the key aspects of drumming – time, independence, improvisation and groove – “I asked a few drummer friends if they wanted to collaborate on the concept and we packed our kits, drove to my house in Goa and Drum House 1.0 was born.” Their first public camp for beginners was held in December 2018 in Lavasa and the second one in Karjat at The Brook at Khanna’s farm, with Dhir Mody, an exceptional drummer, educator and long-time friend joining him as his business partner.
What each day entails
Day one is setup and orientation. The next four days have structured sessions, with days four and five also including lessons on recording. The day starts with a healthy breakfast at 9am, followed by two group sessions focused on specific aspects of drumming. After a quick lunch break, there’s another group session centered around learning well-known and challenging grooves across different styles. The last session of the day is a mix of Q&A and discussions based on a special interest topic picked by the instructor. After all the sessions end, campers
spend the evening enjoying the beautiful surroundings of the carefully curated locations at which the camps are hosted.
Who’s eligible and what campers can expect
If you can play an elementary groove and can play a song from start to end you’re eligible! Campers get a welcome kit which includes a printed schedule, a syllabus book, camp ID tags, a practise pad and a pair of earplugs. They have access to high end gear, from leading drum companies like Sonor, Gretch, Mapex, Zildjian, Meinl and Dream. “Our aim is to assemble a drum paradise where campers are free to experiment with different setups and sounds,” said Karun.
What campers have to say
Rohan Joshi, one of the campers from the first public Drum House said, “Drum House was the perfect mix of challenging and relaxing. There were times when that drum kit was my worst enemy, but then after hours of trying to nail down one basic thing, there’d be that breakthrough and that made it worth it. The drum kit was my friend again.”
Pranay Chowdhary, another attendee said, “It was definitely more than I expected it to be, I was very impressed with the structure and professionalism with which Karun conducted it. We have all upgraded our skill level by a few notches for sure. I can’t wait to go back!”
While currently the camps are for beginners and lower intermediate students, Drum house eventually plans to cater to students at all levels. “We are working on collaborations with prominent international teachers and looking to tie up with brands such as Harman and Bajaao to give our campers the best experience,” said Karun.
If you’re a drummer, you do not want to miss this! Keep a look out for their upcoming camps.
