Bio

• Three Decades of drumming experience
• Attended the Berklee School of Music, America’s most prestigious musical institution located in Boston, Massachusetts
• Graduated with Honours from York University, B.A. Fine Arts; Jazz Performance
• Born and Raised in Toronto
• Working Professional Drummer, over 75 gigs per year
• Proficient in All Styles of Drumming

Born in Toronto, ON, on March 24th, 1972, Ilios Steryannis started drumming at the age of 12.  Inspired by the artistry and power of Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham, he pounded on a practice pad and an old set of bongo drums until his father lovingly presented him with a brand new Tama Royalstar drumset, with Paiste cymbals, for his 13th birthday.  Since then, Ilios and the drums have been inseparable.

He performed with his first rock band at school dances, then travelled overseas to perform in Denmark and Holland with
the Oakwood Collegiate symphony orchestra.  Later, Ilios earned a full scholarship to the Banff Centre for the Arts jazz program at age 18, studying with the great Marvin “Smitty” Smith, drummer for the Tonight Show.  This was followed by receiving a partial scholarship to study at Boston’s prestigious Berklee College of Music, where Ilios’ teachers included jazz legends Joe Hunt and Ian Froman.

Back home in Toronto, Ilios completed his Bachelor of Fine Arts (Hons) degree in Jazz Performance at York University, where his instructors included jazz drummer Barry Elmes and multi instrumentalist Don Thompson.  It was then time to hit the road, as Ilios joined jazz guitarist (and fellow Banff and York alumnus) Tim Posgate, touring Canada three times between 1995-97, and recording the critically acclaimed album “Mit”, which featured saxophone great Jane Bunnett.  Ilios then turned his attention to composing and performing with his own band, with a large repertoire of original eclectic jazz tunes they showcased at Toronto venues such as the Rex Jazz Bar and were featured in the Toronto Downtown Jazz Festival.

In 2000, highly respected Toronto session drummer and educator Rich Greenspoon recommended Ilios to join the faculty of
the Arcadia Academy of Music, in Woodbridge, ON.  This was the start of Ilios’ career as a well loved and respected drumset educator.  Following his stint at Arcadia, Ilios joined the faculty at Brampton’s Drummer’s Choice, where he remained for three
years.  Ilios then joined the Parks and Recreation department of the City of Toronto in from 2006-2017. He also taught at Musica Music School. Ilios currently maintains a steady roster of private students at his own Toronto Drum School.

Ilios’ performing career has also flourished, averaging between 75-100 shows per year as a freelance artist.  In 2017, Ilios  performed with African jazz artist Waleed Abdulhamid, jazz bassist and vocalist Michael Lalonde and world/fusion band ZimZum, among many others.

Teaching Info

Initial drum lessons focus on basic technique and stick grip.  The most basic rock drum patterns will be introduced at this stage.  Students will also be introduced to the preliminaries of reading music and using a metronome.

With time and practice, students will soon be able to play along to some popular rock and pop songs by artists such as Green Day, The White Stripes, Tom Petty, The Black Keys, Metric and Muse, and classic rock tunes by the likes of The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC and the Rolling Stones.

Students will continue to study technique, reading, and four way coordination, where each limb works independently.  Other styles of music will be introduced, such as funk, jazz, reggae and soca, as well as drumset patterns from Cuba (nanigo, mambo, Mozambique, songo), and Brazil (bossa nova, samba, partido alto). Tubthumpers students will also have the opportunity to learn about odd time signatures like 5/4, 7/8 and 9/8, and