Drum Lessons: Piet Collins
School in Frankston

PIET COLLINS PERFORMER/TEACHER OF DRUMS & PERCUSSION. Piet also oversees Show Band/Stage Band/Drumline/Concert Orchestra/Symphonic Band and has lead ensembles at the Kew Festival/Anzac Day march and a long list of inter-school concerts. He is registered with the Victorian Institute of Teachers and is currently the Head of the Percussion faculty at The Peninsula School where he leads four percussion ensembles conducts a Middle School Concert Band and teaches students from Years Three to Twelve. He is proficient in all areas of percussion teaching, mallet and orchestral instruments as well as drum kit studies and in 2008 he taught over fifty students and lead percussion ensembles at Toorak College and Haileybury College. Piet’s original band (The Sandpebbles) recently released its fourth album “Atlantis Regrets Nothing”- its last album (Ghost Transmissions) received rave reviews in The New York Times and London’s Sunday Times. He has also performed with Tina Arena, Scott Carne (Kids in the Kitchen) Michael Spiby (The Badloves) Alyce Platt and U.K pop megastars A.B.C In 2004 he was part of the house band for “The Sapphires” - a soul review show at the Melbourne Theatre Company, Dale Ryder (Boom Crash Opera) James Freud (The Models), Sean Kelly (The Models), Shane Howard, Chris Wilson, John Paul Young, Grace Knight, Paul Norton, Scott Owen (The Living End) Brian Mannix (Uncanny X Men), Fiona Horne (Def FX), Nichaud Fitzgibbon, starring Rachel Maza and Deborah Mailman. Since The Sharp, MLC, Toorak College, Haileybury College, Mornington Secondary College, Piet has continued teaching (Caulfield Music Centre, The Peninsula School). A sponsorship deal with D.W drums was struck and during this time Piet gained valuable recording experience under such producers as Peter Farnan (Boom Crash Opera, The Triffids) and Rick Will (Jimmy Barnes, Tall Tales and True, Def FX, Nick Mainsbridge (Rat Cat, Malthouse Theatre), MTC, Diesel and Ziggy Marley). The Sharp went on to release three albums through Warner Music (debut achieved Gold) and he toured nationally and internationally for four years. His tight musical playing and vocal skills became an intrinsic part of this well known and loved band. Soon after arriving in Melbourne he was selected as drummer for The Sharp. Before leaving Adelaide in 1991 he was a member of the house band for the ABC’s “The Big Gig” comedy show, playing to packed houses at the Festival Theatre six shows a week. After completing his formal education, Piet performed with Adelaide’s best bands and musicians, including guest spots with Normie Rowe and U.S soul legends The Crystals. During this time Piet taught at various private music schools around Adelaide. All aspects of music were covered, from jazz to funk to classical and mallet percussion as well as drum kit and snare drum studies. He started playing professionally at fifteen with respected blues and jazz musicians around Adelaide and went on to complete the Associate Diploma of Jazz Studies at the Adelaide College of Advanced Education. Advanced Diploma of Music Performance – Victoria University Diploma of Professional Writing and Editing – Chisholm Institute Trinity Guildhall U.K Orchestral Percussion - Grade Eight Performing - 29 years Teaching – 7 years Piet began studying drums and percussion at the age of twelve with world renowned jazz drummer/marimba player/educator Jim Bailey. (more).