I started with drums at age 14. My first teacher was Franz Dumkius from a local music store. In the 80s there was a lot of percussion in salsa and funk so I started playing percussion (conga, bongos, timbales) and made some lessons by Nippy Noya and Mustappha Teddy Adi. During university I learned drumming seriously with the Dante Agostini Methode at the Music Academy of Muenster. My teacher was Wolfgang Ekholt, a great jazz drummer. I played in several bands and projects. Actually I play in a jazz combo and make my own projects - Thomas Steffen, ctraltu, Hotel Metropol and repair cafe on my own nachtfahrer label.