Academy of Drums & Guitar ... Drum Lessons Guitar Lessons ... Drum & Guitar Equipment ... Toms River, NJ.

Neil Garthly started his music career in 1982 near Philadelphia, PA. His first instructor was Don McCroskey, a local drum teacher and music storeowner. In 1984, Neil studied from Dennis Barth. 1991 was a turning point for Neil when he received an Associate in Arts degree in music from Bucks County College in Pennsylvania. Searching for more drumming knowledge, Neil moved to the New Jersey shore and started taking lessons from Joe Nevolo of Neptune, NJ. Joe was so impressed that he offered a substitute teaching position to Neil. That was the start of his teaching career. Neil enjoyed teaching so much that he also started teaching at the Musician's Studio in Red Bank. He has developed a unique teaching style that is designed to help the student, whether they are a beginner, intermediate, or

advanced, achieve their goals at their own pace. Neil has expanded his teaching by having three instructional articles published. They can be found worldwide in Creative Drummer Magazine. Neil has also studied with Tony Vigilante, Ray Dealy, Dom Famularo, and has taken lessons with Al Miller, Bernard Purdie, and Gene Lake. His playing can be heard on Diamond Child's self titled CD and The Sauce's "Gymungus Groove" CD. Neil has also performed with Gypsy Sun, Forte, and is a percussionist with the Ocean County Orchestra. When Neil is not teaching or taking lessons, he does studio recordings and fill in gigs for local bands. In 1998, Neil opened The Academy of Drums, New Jersey’s premier drum school. Neil always offers the highest quality education for his students. One way he continues to do this is by hosting a cable access TV show called Drumology that reaches over 400,000 viewers in New Jersey. Drumology is an educational show featuring lessons, special guests, and drumming events. He is also an international clinician performing clinics around the USA and Canada. Recently, Neil taught and performed to a packed house at KoSA Workshops, The Greater Milwaukee Drum Expo, The Cape Breton Drum Fest, and The Collective in NYC. Neil is a member of the International Percussive Arts Society (PAS) and the National Association of Musical Merchants (NAMM). Neil is endorsed by Sabian Cymbals, Remo Drumheads, Vic Firth Sticks, LP Percussion, and Audix Microphones. Neil can be contacted at 732-270-8680 or neil@academyofdrums.com.