Drum Lessons in Montana

How drum learning works in Montana

How does drum fit school music in Montana?

School access to drums in Montana depends on the district, because districts set their own music curriculum. Missoula County Public Schools has beginning band in its fifth-grade instrumental program, and Bozeman School District #7 teaches band and orchestra during the school day starting in fifth grade; Kalispell Public School District 5 starts middle school band in sixth grade. At Loy Elementary in Great Falls, fifth- and sixth-graders can choose instrumental band as an elective. These are band pathways, not a promise of a separate drum class, so private lessons can build percussion skills alongside school playing.

Who runs what for Montana drummers?

Montana has two distinct student routes: the Montana High School Association (MHSA) runs school music festivals and the All-State Band, while the Montana State Music Teachers Association (MSMTA) offers a separate competition open to percussion students. MHSA’s spring district festivals lead to state solo and ensemble festivals, then eligible high-school students can audition for All-State Band. MSMTA’s Fall Festival is a non-advancing solo competition, so it offers a state-level performance goal without the same school-festival progression. The Montana Music Educators Association (MMEA) supports music educators rather than running a student audition route.

Auditions and events in Montana

How does a drummer reach Montana's top student honors?

Montana’s school honors route for a percussionist begins with an MHSA district music festival in spring. A qualifying student can then enter State Solo & Ensemble through the school, with the state form submitted after the district festival and postmarked by the following Tuesday. Eligible high-school students in school ensembles can audition for All-State Band; recordings are due in June, and the festival is held in mid-October. A separate Montana State Music Teachers Association Fall Festival offers percussion students a state-level solo competition, but it does not advance to another round.

What do auditions ask you to prepare?

Montana’s All-State Band percussion audition centers on placement etudes for middle- and high-school players, so preparation should focus on the material for the student’s level rather than on a general drum solo. A teacher can help refine rhythm, stick control, and a steady performance. State Solo & Ensemble is another school-connected opportunity for percussion, with its own entry route. In weekly lessons, plan on three to six months to learn and polish a piece for an event; that gives you or your child time to build accuracy before performing.

What else is there to enter?

Students who want to perform without following a school festival route can set a goal of playing for family, school, or community audiences. That experience helps a young drummer learn to stay steady in front of listeners, while school-connected solo events suit students who want a more formal performance setting. For a student looking for a contest beyond the main school route, the state association’s fall competition is an option; it does not lead to another round.

Homeschool and private school students

Montana law allows qualifying homeschool and nonpublic-school students to join extracurricular activities at a school in their resident district, subject to the same participation standards and interscholastic rules as full-time students. For MHSA music opportunities, school membership and ensemble eligibility matter, so a family should ask the resident district about participation before planning an All-State audition. The MSMTA Fall Festival is a separate route open to percussion students and does not depend on advancing through school festivals.

Starting at any age

Starting a child on drum

A child can start drums when they can follow a steady pulse and coordinate simple patterns; lessons need not wait for school band. That can give a young player time to build stick control and reading before fifth-grade band in Missoula County Public Schools and Bozeman School District #7, or sixth-grade middle school band in Kalispell Public School District 5. Private lessons give your child focused time on percussion basics, which matters because a school band has many players sharing a rehearsal. A teacher can also help connect those skills to school music as it begins.

A teen in Montana

For a Montana teen, school band offers a route toward district festivals, state solo and ensemble, and the All-State Band audition. The school route is tied to an eligible school ensemble, with limited exceptions requiring school administrator approval, so a private-study player should ask the school about eligibility early. A private teacher can help a teenager keep a weekly practice plan alongside classes and rehearsals, then shift lesson time toward the student's current ensemble goals. Students who want an independent solo goal have the MSMTA Fall Festival route as well.

Starting or coming back as an adult

It is not too late to learn drums as an adult in Montana, even if you have never played or are returning after a long break. In Missoula, the weekly jazz jam at The Old Post invites musicians to bring an instrument and play with the band; in Ronan, the Western Montana Musicians Co-operative lists a monthly drum circle. Those are direct ways to play with others, while a teacher can meet you at your current level and build the timing, reading, or confidence you want before you join in.

Finding the right teacher

What should a good drum teacher do?

A good drum teacher gives a student clear feedback on pulse, coordination, sound, and how to practice a part accurately, then adjusts the work to the student's age and goals. That matters in Montana because a fifth-grade beginner and a high-school percussionist preparing for All-State need different support, and some adults want a relaxed return to playing rather than an audition goal. Lesson With You teachers all hold at least a bachelor's degree in percussion, but fit matters too: you can choose a teacher yourself or ask us to recommend one who suits your level and learning style.

How do live online drum lessons work?

A live Zoom drum lesson lets the teacher hear your timing and dynamics in real time and see your hands, sticks, and setup, so camera placement matters. A phone or computer aimed toward the kit or practice pad gives the teacher a useful view; the student can also position a second device for a close view when needed. The difference from a studio is that you play on your own instrument at home and skip the commute, while still getting direct feedback from one dedicated teacher each week. In Billings or Kalispell, you have the same choice of teacher and the same lesson.

What $35 a week gets you at Lesson With You

A teacher with a degree in percussionEvery Lesson With You drum teacher holds at least a bachelor's degree in percussion.

ColinBachelor’s in DrumsEricBachelor’s in Drums

Meet the teachers below

The same teacher every weekLive, one-on-one lessons with one teacher who knows your goals.

Practice goals every weekEach lesson ends with what to practice before the next one.

Switch or pause anytimeSwitch teachers at no cost, or pause with 24 hours' notice. There's no term to sign up for.

Drum in Montana

Where to hear drum

Montana offers several ways to hear percussion in live performance. In Butte, the Montana Folk Festival is a free outdoor event with multiple stages and roots and folk performances. In Missoula, the Missoula Symphony’s free Student Night dress rehearsals invite students and families before Masterworks Concerts. For a family in Billings, K–12 students can attend eligible Billings Symphony Classic Series and Sukin Series concerts free, subject to availability and ticket rules.

Where to play with others

Percussionists have a rehearsed ensemble option in Helena: Ironhorse Orchestral Winds and Percussion welcomes players of all ages and ability levels who are willing to practice and attend rehearsals. In Kalispell, the Flathead Valley Community Band welcomes musicians with satisfactory playing ability or potential, offering another community setting for a drummer ready to play with others. These groups give students and adults a chance to use their skills in ensemble music beyond individual practice.

Drum around Montana, area by area

Billings area

Billings families can explore the Billings Symphony Youth Chamber Project as a five-week opportunity for young musicians to make music together. For a percussion student, that offers a chance to experience ensemble playing alongside individual drum study. The group complements a student’s own practice by giving them a shared musical goal and a setting in which to listen and respond to other players.

Missoula area

In Missoula, Montana Youth Symphony Project offers young musicians weekly rehearsals, instruction, and performances, while Tangled Tones’ Playing With the Band is for intermediate-to-advanced musicians ages 12 and up. These are distinct ensemble options, with the latter suited to an older player ready for a more advanced setting. A family can consider which kind of group experience best complements a student’s drum lessons.

Bozeman area

Bozeman’s live music options include Montana State University’s School of Music, which presents many events free and open to the public. Montana Chamber Music’s Noon Notes offers free concerts on the first Monday of each month from October through May, except January. Hearing chamber performances can help a percussion student listen closely to how rhythm supports a group.

Great Falls area

Great Falls Youth Orchestra and Great Falls Sinfonia offer young musicians two ensemble options, with the Youth Orchestra for auditioned students in grades 9–12 and percussionists among its high-school players. The Great Falls Municipal Band gives free concerts for all ages at Gibson Park on Wednesday evenings from late June through mid-August, so families can hear community ensemble music as well as explore a youth group.

Helena area

Helena families can hear Symphony Under the Stars, a free outdoor concert at Carroll College, or take children ages 5 to 10 to the Helena Symphony’s free 35-minute Symphony Kids concerts. Both offer a welcoming way to hear live ensemble music. These performances can help a young listener decide what kinds of music they enjoy and whether they want to explore percussion.

Kalispell area

In the Kalispell area, Flathead Valley Youth Symphonies includes percussion players in its auditioned Symphony and Philharmonia groups. The auditioned ensemble setting gives a young percussionist a chance to make music as part of a larger group. Kalispell’s summer concerts offer another way for families to hear live music and for a student to listen for percussion within an ensemble.

A little drum history in Montana

Montana's drum traditions include Native community music as well as contemporary performance. Blackfeet songs were recorded in Montana in 1898, and the Library of Congress documents songs from Blackfeet, Crow, Flathead, and Northern Cheyenne communities. In Arlee, Drum Brothers Drums makes handcrafted instruments, while Blackfeet drum maker Zachary Lame Bear lives in Starr School. The Kyiyo Celebration in Missoula includes a drum and singing contest, and Montana State University's Spirit of the West Drumline performs at football games and exhibitions in Bozeman. For a student, that history shows drums serving both community traditions and ensemble performance.