ADAM HAY - BIO

Born in 1976, Adam Hay is an active freelance drummer/drum teacher living in Canada, having played well over one thousand dates since the early/mid 1990s all over the US and Canada with Quintuple Platinum selling artist Chantal Kreviazuk (Sony/2x Juno Winner/3x Nominee), multiple Diamond (million) selling artist Raine Maida (Sony/Our Lady Peace/4x Juno Winner), Sarah Slean (Warner/Juno Nominee), Justin Rutledge (Six Shooter, Juno Nominee), Martina Sorbara (Mercury/Dragonette), Royal Wood (Dead Daisy/Six Shooter/ Juno Nominee), Patricia O'Callaghan (EMI), John Barrowman (Sony UK), Filipina diva Sharon Cuneta (Sony Philippines), KC Concepcion (Sony Philippines), Brownman (multiple award winner), Jeff Healey, Dr. Draw, Luisito Orbegoso (award winner), Five Star Trailer Park, Hilary Weaver, Cindy Gomez, Alexis Baro, Bartosz Hadala, among many, many others.

Adam Hay has appeared everywhere from live National TV in front of millions of people (MTV, CTV's Canada AM, City TV's Breakfast Television, CBC, Rogers TV, Mike Bullard on CTV, etc) and live Radio Shows, Awards Ceremonies, TV and Radio Commercials as a jingle artist, Sold Out Theaters and Festivals, Music Videos, National TV Season Launch Parties, countless full length Albums and EPs and Demos, record company Showcases in the USA and Canada, minuscule cafeterias, to downtown sidewalks as a busker earlier on.

Adam's session drumming has turned up on TV and Film Soundtracks including the Farrelly Brothers film 'Fever Pitch', the HBO series 'Regenesis', the CBC series 'This is Wonderland', the CTV movie 'Playing House', the film 'The End of Silence', the Warner Music Canada soundtrack to the Food Network's 'The Surreal Gourmet', 'Gray's Anatomy', the Shaw Festival, BBC's 'Being Human', and many more.

Some artists Adam has been billed alongside on tour throughout the U.S. and Canada include My Morning Jacket, Sarah Harmer, Hawksley Workman, The Proclaimers, Glenn Tilbrook (Squeeze), Dan Bern, Moxy Fruvous, Andy Stochansky (Ani DiFranco), Danny Michel, Starling, Dahmnait Doyle (Shaye), The Waifs, Pedestrian, Jeff Healey, Baaba Maal, Gord Downie, Matthew Good, Luke Doucet, Ron Hawkins, Ivana Santilli, Lindy, Melissa McClelland, Spirit of the West, and plenty others.

He's been a session/live freelance drummer in the Toronto scene since 1996 and is a sought after private drum teacher (by hundreds of students of all levels and all ages), having given over 5,000 private drum lessons since 1998, and loving every minute. At one point Adam was teaching over 50 students in one-on-one lessons over four days. He's currently teaching approximately 800 lessons from Sept. to June. You're never too young or too old to sign up.

ALL BEGINNERS ARE WELCOME !

His primary areas of expertise and study include the drumming fundamentals of: Reading, Dynamic Control, Independence, Stick Control, Tempo Control, Feel, Coordination, Rudiments, Soloing, Ear Training, and Technique. Adam is very well versed in traditional Afro-Cuban forms of Son, Mambo, Salsa, Guaguanco, etc (creating his own style of Rumba Funk) and their modern application on the kit; Rock, Traditional Funk, Metal (Double Bass Playing), Snare Studies (rudimentary drumming), Playing To Click (metronome), R&B / Hip Hop, DnB (Drum 'n' Bass/Jungle),Technique, Soloing (Ostinatos), Practicing, Creativity (developing your own voice), and Jazz.

Further areas of study include: Theory, Humber Auditions (though, no guaranteed entry!), Trading Fours, World Grooves, Chart Reading, Accompanying Songs, How to Learn Songs, Odd Times, Metric Modulation, Country, Jazz Brushes, Progressive Rock, 16th Feel Rock, Reggae, Fusion, Fills, Phrasing, Afro-Cuban Phrasing, Warming Up, Learning Methodology and more. Adam deeply believes in constructing a practice regimen with each student. And he encourages good studenthood!

Some people Adam has studied with: John Cheesman (Berklee College of Music), Jesse Capon (Berklee College of Music), David James (Humber), Daniel Barnes (Banff School of the Arts), Darren Sherer (The New Deal), Luis Orbegoso (winner of the Grand Prix de Jazz, Montreal Jazzfest), Blair Martin (Master of Cuban Percussion), Cam Warrack (Metal Drumming Master), David Wood (Crescent School), and Michael Beauclerc (Yamaha/Vic Firth/Sabian clinician, Champion Rudimentary Drummer).

Adam is a very enthusiastic teacher, completely dedicated to empowering students of drumming. He has a wealth of knowledge on multiple drumming styles and subjects, drumming heritage, and is all about the music. He has a positive attitude and loads of experience in the music business and is a good role model to those who are becoming more serious about their careers in music. His main goals are to continue his freelance live and session work with prominent artists, to teach drumming privately, and to teach drumming in clinics all over the world.

He's worked in Post Audio as an engineer (completing about 50 Radio and TV commercials, and a dozen demos and full length albums), a Production Assistant and Runner on Film sets, and a freelance editor. He's written four novels, has a degree in Philosophy and has traveled in England, Greece, Switzerland, Cuba, Peru, Brazil, Argentina, the US, and Ghana.

Adam Hay plays Vic Firth sticks exclusively and was accepted into Vic Firth's Education Program as an endorser in March 2009. He endorses Evans Drumheads and plays Yamaha Drums. He received a gold record in 2007 from the Chantal Kreviazuk camp for extensive work as her touring drummer. He was featured in The Black Page Magazine in September 2010 for the cover story.

Drum Lessons in Toronto.

Sabian

Yamaha

Evans

Vic Firth