Joe Manning

Joe fell in love with drumming at an early age – when he went to a party aged 3 and had the opportunity to play on a snare drum. From this point on, he was determined that he wanted to learn to play the drums as soon as he was old enough to have lessons. When he started junior school, he grabbed the opportunity to start learning and has continued ever since. He received a drum kit for his 8th birthday and started practising hard. He enjoys all forms of playing and took every available chance to develop his skills by attending all forms of workshops and performance opportunities. He has played with a variety of bands – playing both the drum kit and marching snare which has diversified his abilities and enables him to hone his technique in a variety of genres.

Playing with a selection of contemporary bands has increased Joe’s confidence to perform, and he is proficient at both reading drum tab and improvising to write original compositions. He takes a senior role within the band he currently plays with and is happy to contribute thoughts and ideas to support the development of their music and style.

Joe currently plays with an ‘American Style Marching Band’ which compete in the UK and the band won the Championship Class National finals of the British Youth Band Association competitions. He has taken the lead in the drum section and is there to encourage and assist younger members with their performance. He recently won the ‘Drum Member of the Year 2022’ award for his commitment to the band and his dedication to learning the music.

As Joe wishes to pursue a career in the music industry, he is studying music technology and composition at school, learning about the different genres and how to produce and record music using technology. His voluntary work for his Duke of Edinburgh award was also based around music production and has required him to work on the sound desk at a local church – ensuring that the band, the congregation and those listening online have a good audible mix of sounds.

All of these skills and experiences have helped Joe to develop as a musician and to have a greater appreciation of the different skills needed to excel at his chosen career.

Joe has now progressed past grade 8 with his Trinity Rock and Pop awards for drum kit – where he received a merit. He continues to learn, practice and progress. Taking grades with Trinity has underpinned Joe’s self-confidence in his abilities and given him the assurance he has needed to pursue a variety of musical opportunities and to make the most of performance events – both as a front of house performer and behind the scenes. The awards have strengthened his passion and commitment to his playing by validating his progress and encouraging his focus and have contributed greatly to the talented musician he has become.