ABOUT NATE
A working drummer. A student of the craft.
A teacher.
Nate Smeding is a working professional drummer, teacher, and lifelong student of the instrument. He opened The Drum Community to build the kind of place he wished existed when he was young.
WHY THE DRUM COMMUNITY EXISTS
Why I opened this place.
"There's something that happens when you're in a room with other people working on the same hard thing. You realize you're not the only one struggling with this instrument. There's complete acceptance and appreciation for everyone's skill at any level.
I opened The Drum Community because I want kids to find out this instrument is fun. It doesn't have to be hard and scary. That's what I remember being afraid of, and it's the thing I most want to take off the table for them."
— Nate Smeding
ON STAGE AND IN THE STUDIO
Nate has spent his career performing and recording with GENTRI, Matt and Savanna Shaw, Emma Nissen, and Ryan Shupe and the RubberBand, along with his own project, Allbrook Station.
He has played across country, bluegrass, rock, pop, symphonic stages, Broadway-style productions, and jazz.
That range matters. Every drummer's path looks different, and he wants students to see how many places this instrument can take them.
Listen to Nate on Spotify
"I have no doubt Nate will become one of the best drum teachers in the country, and anyone who gets the chance to learn from him is in very good hands."
— Casey Elliot, GENTRI"Nate has that rare combination of not only incredible technical ability, but also musical instinct. And he's just a good dude. Always reliable, prepared, easy to work with, fun energy."
— Mat Shaw, Mat & Savanna Shaw"Whether it's as a teacher, a performer, or a friend, any position Nate could assume is one you would be grateful he took up. He is encouraging, wicked smart, and gentle and joyful."
— Emma Nissen, recording artist"Even with all the obvious talent and skill Nate possesses, he has never stopped learning. He could have stopped a long time ago and remained overqualified, but has never been one to settle for less."
— Stephen Nelson, GENTRI
MY STORY
At age 10, I watched That Thing You Do and felt something wake up in me. I went home and drummed on pots and pans with chopsticks. I did that for two years before my parents finally bought me a drum set.
That was the beginning of everything.
It started with a movie
1. Support that made it possible
My parents weren't musicians, but they showed up. They came to my shows and gave me room to become a drummer.
2. Anxiety hit like a wall
At 34, anxiety became a day-and-night struggle for nearly two years. Therapy and hard internal work helped me find solid ground again.
3. My dad, then losing him
As I started to feel like myself again, my dad was nearing the end of a 20-year battle with cancer. The tools I'd built gave me the footing to be present for him.
4. Four months later, another blow
Four months after my dad passed, I was diagnosed with blood cancer. Eight months of chemotherapy and immunotherapy followed.
5. Drums never left me
Through all of it, playing gave me somewhere solid to stand. Sometimes alone in my drum room. Sometimes on a stage, wondering how I got there.
6. On the other side came clarity
I came through with a deeper sense of gratitude, forgiveness, and clarity about what matters. And a vision for what I wanted to build next.
Reserve your drummer’s spot
Reserving costs nothing today. You're charged when classes begin.