The Contemporary Drumming School

An Online School for the Post-Genre Drummer

The Contemporary Drumming School is an open-enrollment 12 month online program for drummers who want to move beyond stylistic categories and develop fluency across rhythm, sound, technology, and contemporary creative practice.

The school is offered across three tiers, each providing a different level of access and engagement — from structured group learning, to individualized feedback, to full mentorship and private instruction.

Led by Steve Lyman, the program focuses on integration: between acoustic and electronic drumming, rhythm and texture, performance and production, tradition and innovation.

This is not a library of videos. It’s a guided system for serious artists, with optional layers of feedback and mentorship depending on your chosen tier.

Why This School Exists

The modern drummer is no longer just a timekeeper.

Today’s creative world asks drummers to:

  • Collaborate across genres and disciplines

  • Have a unique sound and style in the post-genre era

  • Work in hybrid roles and cross-disciplinary mediums

  • Interface with electronics, software, and media

  • Think compositionally and architecturally

  • Contribute to sound design, production, and artistic direction

The Contemporary Drumming School exists to support that expanded role—without abandoning the deep traditions that brought us here.

The Curriculum (12-Month Overview)

Phase I — Foundations & Fluency
Drum set fundamentals for contemporary performance

Phase II — Rhythmic Understanding & Stylistic Integration
Developing adaptable rhythmic language beyond genre

Phase III — Extended Techniques & Hybrid Drumming
Expanding the instrument through sound, style, texture, and technology

Phase IV — Production, Technology & Creative Integration
Positioning the drummer inside electronic, multimedia, future-facing art worlds and hybrid musical environments

Each phase builds on the last, allowing concepts to evolve naturally over time. Regardless of when you enroll in the year your 12 month access will cover all core topics.

Who This Is For

  • Forward-thinking students.

  • Artists working across jazz, rock, electronic, experimental, and multimedia contexts

  • Drummers interested in hybrid setups, production, and contemporary aesthetics

  • Educators and composers seeking broader integration

This program is designed for artists committed to long-term growth.

Investment

Tier 1: Annual Program — $400

Your Year Includes:

3 Live Masterclasses / Month
Learn contemporary drumming techniques, concepts, and real-world applications. Access recordings anytime.

Exclusive Community Access
Connect, collaborate, and get ongoing support from like-minded drummers and instructors.

Practice Materials & Resources
Sheet music, exercises, and play-alongs to accelerate your growth.

All this for $400/year (~$33.33/month)

Tier 2: Annual Program — $750

Your Year Includes:

  • 3 Live Masterclasses / Month
    Learn contemporary drumming techniques, concepts, and real-world applications. Access recordings anytime.

  • 1 Personalized One-on-One Feedback Session / Month
    Monthly reviews of your submitted work and Steve provides detailed feedback, suggestion and critique.

  • Exclusive Community Access
    Connect, collaborate, and get ongoing support from like-minded drummers and instructors.

  • Guest Artist Sessions
    Special access sessions with top contemporary drummers and musicians for inspiration and insight.

  • Practice Materials & Resources
    Sheet music, exercises, and play-alongs to accelerate your growth.

All this for $750/year (~$62.50/month)
Premium mentorship, masterclasses, and community — a complete year of contemporary drumming growth.

Tier 3: Studio Mentorship Track — $1,500

Your Year Includes:

Everything in Tier 2, plus:

12 One-on-One Instruction Sessions (Online)
Monthly 60-minute private sessions focused on instruction, not just feedback.
These sessions are used to teach concepts, demonstrate approaches, troubleshoot obstacles, and guide your development in real time.

Individual Conceptual Arc
Work with Steve to define a clear conceptual throughline for your year — integrating technique, rhythm, sound, technology, and creative direction into a cohesive personal practice.

Annual Artistic Game Plan
A customized long-term plan for your work, tailored to your goals as a drummer, artist, collaborator, or educator. This includes practice focus, creative priorities, and integration strategies beyond the drum set.

Project-Based Mentorship
Develop one primary project over the course of the year — performance system, hybrid setup, compositional framework, recording concept, or artistic direction — with ongoing guidance and refinement.

Studio Access & Creative Resources
Access to studio-based tools, workflows, and approaches used within Steve’s own creative practice, including insights into hybrid setups, production thinking, and contemporary working methods.

Priority Assignment Review
Your monthly submissions receive priority review and deeper engagement, allowing feedback to connect directly to your broader artistic trajectory.

Exclusive Community & Guest Sessions
Full access to the Contemporary Drumming School community, guest artist sessions, and archive — with added context and integration through your mentorship track.

All this for $1,500/year (~$125/month)

A focused mentorship environment for artists seeking direct instruction, long-term clarity, and deeper integration of their creative work.

  • Registration is for a 12 month access regardless of when you register.

The Approach

This school is not about trends or shortcuts.
It’s about developing the tools, awareness, and adaptability needed to function creatively in the present—and into the future.

If you feel that pull toward deeper integration…
toward expanding what the drum set can be…
toward shaping rather than following.

Welcome to the Contemporary Drumming School. Registration link below.

Tier 1
Tier 2
Tier 3