Harry Still
Freelance Session Drummer & Tutor
About Me
I've been in love with drumming since I was 11 years old (after seeing a pair of flaming drumsticks in a restaurant and wanting them), and since then, I have been privileged enough to perform and work with some of the North-East's most talented musicians and producers.
I moved to Newcastle to study Contemporary and Popular Music in 2015 and over the course of my time here, I've honed my performance craft and my teaching technique to be able to offer my services as both a session drummer and a drum tutor at a professional level.
As a performer, I've played gigs up and down the UK, from Kent to Aberdeen and everywhere inbetween, and into Europe, world-renowned festivals attended by up to 10,000 people, and award-winning theatre productions. My studio work is extensive, playing on many popular recordings receiving a cumulative total of over a million streams.
As a tutor, I have taught dozens of students both privately and through secondary schools, having a sharp focus on what the student wants to learn, and trying my hardest not to make it boring.
Still Playing
As you can see from these pictures, I've been lucky to play some pretty awesome gigs, not least with The Kopycat Killers. As the UK's most in demand tribute to The Killers, we've headlined the world's biggest and best tribute festivals, including Tribfest, and The Big Tribute Festival, and played at renowned venues such as King Tut's, The Garage, Riverside, and Ampere.
I am a part of the Evolution Productions family, performing with their award-winning production of Cinderella at the Sheffield Lyceum theatre, for which we won the 'Best Music' award at the GB Pantomime Awards, and most recently for the critically acclaimed production of Sleeping Beauty.
With Ellen & The Funktones, I have enjoyed some memorable function gigs and wedding receptions in and around the North-East, playing (in my opinion) the most fun setlist of any band.
I've played and recorded with alt-indie outfit Lux Lisbon (featuring a headline show at Bush Hall and their latest single Hot Mess), their sister project Hamburg156, high-energy alt-rock band Creegan, and folk-pop duo Tall Shaves, in addition to over 30 other artists up and down the country.
Still Teaching
I have developed my teaching technique since leaving university, and have worked hard to ensure that everything I've learnt over the course of my career so far is delivered to students in a way that is fun, useful, and most of all not boring.
The direction of my teaching is entirely dictated by the student and what they want to do, be it learning a specific song, exploring a certain genre, or general technique and musicianship. My aim is to equip my students with the tools they need to play whatever they want to play, and be able to play it confidently and well. I create tailored materials for each field of study, and if a student wants to learn something outside of that field, I'll make sure materials are made to accommodate that. Nothing is off limits.
My experience in teaching privately and in schools has allowed me to help identify when focusing on something gets stale or if a certain approach to a field isn't working, and adjust to make sure interest is mantained and the time we spend together in lessons is as efficient as possible. Get in touch for further details.
Testimonials
James Harrison
Award-winning Musical Director, Cinderella, Evolution Productions
"Working with Harry on ANY project is always an absolute pleasure. He is extremely versatile, can play any style at the drop of a hat, can follow on-the-fly direction without a second thought, and sense exactly what is needed based on the current situation and adapt in a second. His ability to play with real musical feel and groove to a click track is also very impressive. His positive energy he brings to a performance is very important. Highly recommended; a happy, musically sophisticated drummer."