Introduction to Billy Cuthrell & The Future of DrumSellers.com

Good morning fellow DrumSellers!

As George indicated in his earlier message over the weekend DrumSellers.com will continue on. I'm super excited that I can keep being a member of this fantastic community that George has created and hosted for us! Thank you George!!!

I was one of the early users of DrumSellers and over the years the site has become a regular part of my daily routine, which goes something like this; Get out of bed, brush my teeth, check DrumSellers to see what's new on the site, check other email then start my "regular" work day. I'll usually check DrumSellers throughout the day to get an update on a listing I may be pondering or just to look at all the great drums and gear on the site.

Like so many of you my drum addiction started when I was around 10 years old. I never imagined drums and drumming would become my life yet, I've been fortunate to have spent the last 40 years playing music and working in the drum and percussion industry.

I started my first band at 14 years old (that's me at 16 in the picture playing my 70's Ludwig Vistalites - wish I still had that set!!). That band went on to get a major label record deal with 5 songs in the College Radio Top 50 and toured around the east coast playing at major venues and festivals of the time.

At 19 years old I founded Progressive Music Center, a drum only school that eventually morphed into a full music school with a retail store component. I grew the business over the next 26 years into multiple locations in North Carolina with 120 employees and, at its peak, provided over 1 million music lessons a year. Hereto, I've been credited with starting the "Original School of Rock" format when I created a music camp program in 1996 that paired my students into performing bands. This was years before Jack Black brought the concept mainstream in the movie and it became a national lessons chain.

Over that same time period I was mentored and studied under the legendary Jim Chapin and helped manage Jim's career for several years. I've attended over 30 NAMM shows (and counting). I was a featured speaker for NAMM's Idea Center, a guest for NAMM's Breakfast of Champions and served on the NAMM President's Council. I served a 10 year stint on the executive board of the Percussion Marketing Council where I was, among other things, in charge of marketing and promotions and oversaw segments of International Drum Month held every May, the redesign and direction of playdrums.com and produced a 40 city free drum lessons lab for the Vans Warped Tour.

I taught in the Music Industry Studies program at Appalachian State University as an adjunct professor, had my articles published in Modern Drummer and I currently write The Retail Doctor column for Music Inc. magazine that I started in 2010. I'm also the only person to ever be featured on the cover of Music Inc. magazine twice, once in 2006 and again in 2013.

I sold Progressive Music Center in 2019 and I was lucky I "got out" right before Covid took it's worldwide toll. Since 2021 I've stayed active as a player and through my consulting business with other retailers and music schools around the world and attending NAMM and PASIC.

Out of all of these things I believe I'm the most excited about being at the helm of DrumSellers.com more than anything I've been involved with. It's a great community here and I know many of the members on the site personally, and I look forward to getting to know many more of you going forward.

I'll be working in the background over the next few weeks and months to bring some ideas I've had to DrumSellers. However, if you have any suggestions, questions, thoughts, or just want to say hello, I'd love to hear from you! You can get in touch with me anytime by reaching out to me directly on DrumSellers.com.

Thanks for your trust in me going forward and for being a valued member of DrumSellers.com!