James Sedge

Director & Drum Tutor

Biography

James is a qualified teacher who has worked for the University of Kent, specialising in drums, music history and rehearsal skills. He co-wrote a music degree with Julie Parker, the ‘BA Hons in Popular Music Performance’. The degree was an enormous success, with a very high percentage of First Class Honours students. Most of the graduates have gone on to work in the music industry and music education. He has also run Further Education courses in Popular Music since 1999.
James has been teaching drums and percussion in London and Kent since 1991 and has trained many of the drum teachers currently working in the Southeast. He is regarded as one of the leading drum teachers in the area and is happy to teach from beginners up to professional drummers who want to expand their vocabulary or work on technique.
In 2015 he wrote the syllabus and led the teaching team for the Trinity Education Zone at the London Drum Show.
James has worked as a lead consultant for the new Trinity Rock & Pop graded drum exam syllabus that was published in September 2018.
Selected highlights:
https://jamessedge.wixsite.com/drumsessions

Here is a playlist that features some of James’ work as a drummer.

KillerStar Project
KillerStar is the eponymous debut album led by Rob Fleming (Vocals/Guitar/Synths) &James Sedge (Drums) with a band comprising David Bowie band alumni and long time collaborators.

Listen to the debut by KillerStar and you hear a rock album with its own distinct character. Rob Fleming’s voice is entirely his own: a delivery filled with drama and conviction. His songs, some written with the help of his collaborator and drummer James Sedge and on which Fleming plays synths and guitar, fuse the scale of classic rock with with sophisticated harmonies and elements of art rock.. Amid all this, however, you may well hear some familiar touches.

There is a reason for this. KillerStar features Mike Garson on piano, Earl Slick on guitar, Gail Ann Dorsey and Tim Lefebvre on bass, Emm Gryner on backing vocals, Donny MacCaslin on saxophone, Mark Plati on supplemental guitar… alumni of David Bowie’s band, each and every one of them.

All drums recorded/ engineered by James Sedge at MusicStation.
https://youtu.be/F44VltrS9CE

<a href="https://milkbonemusic.bandcamp.com/album/milkbone">MILKBONE by MILKBONE – Phil Scragg – Matt Berry – James Sedge</a>

Online Lessons Now Available

James has had a great deal of success teaching the trinity Rock & Pop syllabus.

James Eaton Grade 8 Distinction (lessons with James Sedge and Luke Horton)

This video shows MusicStation drum student Gabriel having a mock exam for his Grade 8. Gabriel went on the get a 98% distinction and a commendation from Trinity College.

James will share his expertise from 25 years of teaching, playing, touring, recording etc.
James is a Vic Firth endorser.

Soda Prism Band
Silly Putty – Stanley Clarke (Steve Gadd) drum cover Trinity Grade 8 song.
https://youtu.be/aVvH8-shOYU

Chuck E’s in Love – Ricki Lee Jones (Steve Gadd) drum cover

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James plays drums for Matt Berry and the Maypoles. Matt Berry is actor/ comedian who has starred in shows such as the BAFTA winning ‘Toast of London’ ‘The Mighty Boosh’, ‘Garth Marenghi’s Dark Place’, ‘The IT Crowd’, and Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer’s latest sitcom ‘House of Fools’. James has regularly toured with Matt Berry to support albums such as ‘Opium’, ‘Witchazel’, ‘Kill The Wolf’ and ‘The Small Hours’. In 2015 they supported prog legend Steven Wilson at the Royal Albert Hall.

James has played drums on the Acid Jazz albums ‘Kill The Wolf’, ‘Matt Berry & the Maypoles Live’ , ‘The Small Hours’ the ‘Television Themes album (2018) and the ‘Gather Up’ box set
Television Themes Cover

The album went straight into the UK top 40 albums chart 🙂
Television Themes Chart Placing

Mojo Magazine gave it a short but sweet review:
TV Themes Mojo Review
Theme from ‘Are You Being Served’.

The theme from ‘Blankety Blank’:

The theme from ‘World in Action’

The theme from ‘Rainbow’. The drums were recorded in the MusicStation studio.

‘Night Terrors’ from ‘The Small Hours’

James appeared live on Channel 4 to play the theme to ‘Toast of London’ with Matt Berry and contributed drums to the program’s soundtrack.

James playing the James Bond theme with Bond composer David Arnold and Matt Berry at the Forum in Kentish Town.

Take My Hand from the Albert Hall show.

Silver Sun – Matt Berry

The Pheasant – Matt Berry

MMS Funky Organ Trio with Paul Malsom on guitar and Ben Morris on Keys.

The following tracks were all recorded at MusicStation.
Get Carter/ Ipcress File Theme

The theme from The Professionals

Theme from Starsky and Hutch

David Migden & the Twisted Roots.
Albums

‘Second Hand Tattoo’ (2007)
‘Killing It’ (2012)
‘Animal & Man’ (2014)
Gigs
The Jazz Cafe, Dean Street Pizza Express, Ronnie Scott’s, the Borderline, the American Embassy.
The Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival in Canada 2013.
The band have received awards from Blues Matters magazine, Best Band and Best Newcomers’. In April 2014 they represented the UK at The European Blues Challenge in Riga, Latvia.

Videos

James has played drums in the innovative National Theatre show ‘The Drowned Man’.

Jamming in the studio with other MusicStation tutors

Goldie Reed‘s album ‘As I Am’ and the EP

James also plays in a New Orleans style funk band called the ‘Big Easy Band’ with many of the other MusicStation tutors.

James also played drums for the amazing Lillian Boutte on her visit to the UK in 2011

‘Red House’ Jimi Hendrix cover – Stone Free with Sam Woods on guitar and Pete Bennie bass.

‘The Official Tribute to the Blues Brothers’. The touring 1995 West End production.

It was a British and European tour for one year including many major venues.

Freelance live and studio work with many London based original bands. He also started playing in some of London’s top function bands, appearing regularly at venues such as the Savoy, the Ritz, the Grosvenor House Hotel etc.
‘Amsterdam’, (playing percussion and acting) starring Peter Straker at the Bridewell Theatre in Fleet Street. It was a show dedicated to the life and music of Jacques Brel. It was well received getting many good reviews in The Stage and The Evening Standard. The show was so successful it transferred to the Pleasance Theatre at the Edinburgh Festival (1999). The show was re-written and directed by the filmmaker and comedian Mel Smith.
The Honeyriders band.

The band also featured Joe Gibson and Alex Hutchings on guitar. The Honeyriders band appeared at Ronnie Scott’s, the 606 Club, and the Cannes Film Festival. Terry Wogan championed the band and played their first single ‘Colour’ regularly on his radio show. The band won the best newcomer award at the Marlborough Jazz Festival, and their debut album ‘Honeyriders’ (Universal Jazz) was produced by the award winning Ian Shaw.

Live At Ronnie Scott’s

Live at the Scoop Festival, London 2005

TV Advert for the album.

Some testimonials for James:

“I covered many genres with James ranging all the way from punk and reggae right the way through to progressive rock and the music of New Orleans. I feel my drumming ability and technique improved dramatically when James taught me. I was provided with interesting and challenging material to learn which was always taught to the highest standards.”
Lewis Catt

‘James’ infectious enthusiasm for teaching and performing music helped me get the best degree result I could, and has inspired me to continue studying at the postgraduate level.’
Alex McElhinney
‘An impeccable standard of teaching; which has played an integral part in my musical development’
Neil Cornwell