ABOUT US
BE THE BEST YOU CAN BE
WHERE MUSIC IS LEARNED
AS A SHARED EXPERIENCE
The International Drum Academy (IDA) is a creative and disciplined musical environment in which drum students of all experience levels study and develop their individual drumming skills. The IDA is a club of drummers who learn music as a shared experience. A training center, where ideas are exchanged, the IDA will teach new musical skills and have old skills refined. By stressing fundamentals, reading, rudiments, knowledge of the rhythms of the world (both contemporary and folkloric), and how they all fit into the big picture of musical performance, the IDA will foster discipline, creativity, and individuality. At the IDA, a historical perspective will be stressed at all times. The goal of the International Drum Academy is to teach drumming at the highest level of musicality in order that each student has the information and technical skills to develop his or her own unique musical voice. The IDA has classes for all students at all levels of skill and interest. The IDA offers both private and group instruction.
"The purpose of the International Drum Academy
is to offer quality drum set and hand drum instruction at affordable prices"
Michael
Lauren
Director Michael Lauren has been teaching music for over 50 years. Born in New York in 1950, Michael began drumming at the age of eight. His artistry fuses the boundaries of jazz, blues, funk, rock, and world music. Michael attended The Johns Hopkins University B.A., The Peabody Conservatory, and Berklee College of Music. He is a founding member of the world-renowned Drummers Collective NYC, where he taught for over twenty-five years.
Michael was the Professor of Drum Set Studies (2003-2020) and head of the Jazz Department (2005-2010 & 2015-2017) at the Escola Superior de Música, Artes e Espectáculo (ESMAE) Porto, Portugal. He is currently Professor of Drum Set Studies at Escuela Superior de Música Jam Session Barcelona, España and is the founder / artistic director of "The International Drum Academy" Lisboa, Portugal.
Michael has performed and/or recorded with Paul Anka, Chuck Berry, Charles Brown, Tom Jones, Darlene Love, Benny Golson, Tom Harrell, Bob Stewart, Dena DeRose, Bob Mintzer, Milt Hinton, Rick Margitza, Don Sebesky, Teo Macero, Jerry Jemmott, Kenny Davern, Bill Frisell, Mike Stern, Silje Nergaard, Ted Curson, Markus Burger, Martha Reeves, Robert Kraft, Cornelius Bumpus,The Drifters, The Coasters, Bobby Radcliff, Grant Green Jr., T.M. Stevens, Orquestra Jazz Matosinhos, Orquestra Jazz Algarve, Jorge Costa Pinto Big Band, Quinteto Mario Santos, The Postcard Brass Band, Hugo Alves Quartet, 2 Tubas & Friends, and many others.
He currently leads his new band The Michael Lauren Trio and has led or co-led the bands Bashier, Magister Ludi and The Michael Lauren All Stars, whose debut CD “Once Upon A Time In Portugal” (2016) and the follow up CD "Old School / Fresh Jazz" (2018) were not only highly praised by both Portuguese and International jazz critics but were chosen as one of the 10 best national albums (Portugal) of 2016 and 2018 respectively. Michael has worked in Broadway theatre productions, in the studios of New York recording albums, jingles, industrials and was a staff drummer for the music publishing company Famous Music.
Michael is the author of seven books: Welcome To Odd Times - An Approach To Mental and Manual Dexterity For The Drum Set, The Book of Silence, The Encyclopedia of Double Bass Drumming, Rudiments And Variations For Drummers, Understanding Rhythm - A Guide To Reading Music, Rhythmic Fundamentals, and Compreender Ritmo. An internationally recognized educator and clinician, Michael has written articles for Modern Drummer Magazine’s, The Percussive Arts Society’s magazine Percussive Notes and Score Magazine a subdivision of the PBS television series “Rock School”.
Michael endorses:
Yamaha drums
Zildjian cymbals and sticks
Remo drumheads
Diogo
Batalha
Diogo Batalha, born in Lisbon, began studying music at an early age, with piano being his first instrument before switching to drums.
He had finished his Master Degree in Jazz Performance at ESMAE in Porto, and studied drums principally with Manuel Costa Reis and also participated in various workshops in Portugal.
Diogo has had classes with Michael Lauren since Michael first came to Portugal in 1998. Because of their meeting, he began regularly to go to New York in order to study privately with drum teachers Bobby Sanabria, Frank Katz, Kim Plainfield, as well as Michael Lauren. In the summer of 2002 he decided to move to NY and there he studied intensively at the Drummers Collective. Funk, Jazz, Soul, R&B, Drum&Bass, Brazilian music and Afro-Cuban rhythms are Diogo’s inspiration and strongest influences.
Diogo Batalha has played, recorded and or participated in projects with Melo D, Sam, Aura, Furia do Açucar, Mundo Complexo,, João Ventura, Cláudio Andrade, Yuri Daniel, Carlos Barreto, Black Mamba Trio, Sam the Kid, Ciro Cruz, Sadao Watanabe, Christopher Fudurich, NBC, Lisbon Swingers, Global Quartet, Tinho Marques(Tim Maia, etc.), Zoey Jones, Ena Pá 2000, Skalibans, Prince Wadada, Scott Anderson, Wanda Stuart, Papa's New Band, General D, Nuno Guerreiro, Blackout, Mico Camara Pereira, Marcelo D2, Jel, Nando, Syrup, Lena d´Agua among others. He is currently involved in several projects of different styles, from Funk to Jazz to Electronic music.
Diogo Batalha has taught at the School of Modern Jazz Seixal for over 10 years, as well as privately in his Lisbon studio. Diogo is endorsed by Evans Drumheads & is supported by Castanheira Só Music, Nike and Zuk Custom Drums.
Guest Masterclasses / Workshops:
André Sousa Machado
Vicky Marques
Marito Marques
Bruno Simão
Hugo Danin
André Silva
Many thanks to all our supporters.
Without you this wouldn't be possible.
Yamaha • Road Crew • Remo • Zildjian • Evans Drumheads • Wincent • Sabian • Canopus • PercuStudio
Big Dog Drum Stuff • Paiste • Missom • Russomúsica • Groove it Up • Castanheira-Sómusica • The Collective • Turkish
