As the showman-turned-tutor who guided many of Britian's top drummers through their first tentative flailings, Bob Armstrong is a top-grade drum teacher. And who better to interview him about his life's work than one of his own former pupils, steve white.



"Bob Armstrong, what a great name for a drum teacher", quipped Phil Gould, just one of a who's who of drummers who have made the district line pilgrimage to Hornchurch to study, sweat, absorb and dedicate themselves to the art of drumming under the watchful eye of one of the most highly regarded drum teachers this country has ever produced.



I've always been used to listening in Bob's company, desperate to soak up the linear phrasing, the Latin drum set applications, the Zen-like musicality of the Jim Blackley book and the subtle nuances of the up, down and Moeller technique. Now it was my turn to talk. I wanted to get to know the man who has given so much to the British drum community.



It was fascinating listening to the man I'm so used to listening to as he said his piece. Bob was my Angelo Dundee, in my corner always, through endless hours of practice and personal rejection after my gig with the Style Council went wrong; telling me to keep going, filling my head with positive thoughts and knowledge. The period I was immersing myself in Bob's teaching was one of the happiest times of my life. On a broader level, Bob Armstrong is a quiet, reflective, modest British drum treasure.



Five Facts You did not known about Bob Armstrong:



One.

Bob was born in the heart of London's East End. On his mother's side both his grandparents were music hall artists. He had 11 uncles who were all professional musicians, and a mother who was a singer, but out of the 22 grandchildren Bob was the only one to take up music



Two.

Bob's first function band, which also contained his dad and two other family members, was called 'The Armstrong Band' (laughs). Because it had Bob Armstrong written on the bass drum.



Three.

Being a drum 'n' bass fan, Bob started writing a book on the techniques of jungle drumming and spent a lot of time transcribing the beats. 'I was going to call it The Jungle Book. I wrote off to Disney to ask about using the title and of course they said no way, so I put it back in the drawer'.



Four.

Bob currently has 81 students, and another 25 on the waiting list. And he doesn't even advertise.



Five.

As well as Steve and Alan White, Andy Gangadeen and Darrin Mooney, Bob's roster of students has included Gary O'Toole, Pete Riley, Chris Dagley, Andrew Small, Guy Richmond, Tonna Punn, Darren Williams, Damian Fisher, Neal Wilkinson and Phil Gould.