Students
Dominic Calzetti
Young Drummer of the Year (top 10) 2012
Young Drummer of the Year (top 40), 2011
2012 Report
Being a finalist in the Young drummer of the year competition, is definitely my biggest achievement so far. My hands were shaking when Mike Dolbear introduced himself to me over the phone, and told me I’d made the finals. I was ecstatic.
For the period preceding the finals, I was playing drums at least a couple of hours a day and having lessons about four times a week. We (Rossini and I) would focus on a different aspect of the final each lesson e.g. playing tracks I’d never heard before and constructing my drum solo. I wanted to be as mentally and physically prepared as I could.
The layout on the day couldn’t have been more professional. The venue itself was impressive, the drums and equipment were top of the range and the crew was extremely friendly. Our order of play was selected at random, and I happened to be last. We then met the musicians and they played us the second track 3 times. After that, we each had our individual sound checks: setting up our kits in the preferred positions and adjusting the sound levels.
The sound check was probably the most stressful part for me. The atmosphere backstage with the other drummers was simply fantastic. Everybody was so supportive of one another, so friendly; we had nearly forgotten that we were competitors. ‘Winning’ was at the back of all of our minds on the day of the finals, however, delivering my best on stage that evening was enough of a success for me.
View a video of Dominic's final performance here.
My name is Dominic Calzetti, I am 15 years old. I have been playing drums for 3 and a half years and I am currently doing my rockschool grade 8. I love playing drums; it’s by far my greatest hobby. When I was younger, I loved the sound of drums. I became fascinated with drumming and started playing on old paint pots and buckets in the garage! Then my mum found Rossini. I was so excited for my first drum lesson; I was filmed on the very first day. After that first lesson, I knew drumming was for me.
To this day I am just as excited as I was back then; because in every lesson there’s something new to be learned. The most inspiring rhythms to me right now are Latin ones. I enjoy playing salsa and samba and other South American rhythms. My favourite drummers are Thomas Lang, Neil Peart, Tony Royster Jr, and Akira Jimbo. These drummers each have their own unique style and have inspired me to create my own.
At school, I play in a band and in an orchestra. My band consists of two good friends of mine; a guitarist and a pianist. They are both very talented musicians and good fun to play with. Ironically, all three of us have very different music tastes! Last year I took part in the young drummer of the year competition and got into the top 40. I was very pleased with this and am looking forward to participating again this year.
Aside from drums, I am learning to play the alto saxophone. I am a member of a tennis club and swimming club. Both sports I started when I was very young and I enjoy a lot, along with skiing. After I leave school I would like to go to Edinburgh University, and study financing with languages. Then I would like to pursue a career in international banking.
Drumming has changed my life in many aspects, I feel that whatever my career path, drumming will play a major part in it. It has massively boosted my confidence, whether it is to voice my opinion, or walk on stage and perform or give a presentation to a large audience. When I play drums, I feel relaxed and at peace; it lets me forget all my worries for a while. It is an excellent method of escaping the world for a moment, no matter how bad my day was. The thought of stopping drums for whatever reason has never crossed my mind and I hope never will.
