Mike Johnston
Turning your art into a business

The Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission presents, “Remarkable Artists”, a series of intimate conversations with local, national and internationally distinguished artists from June - September, 2016. 

Mike Johnston is an internationally known drummer and clinician who has made waves in the drum world with his wildly popular and effective online lessons and international drum camps. Spend an evening with Mike as he discusses his trajectory from touring drummer to founder of the largest online drum school in the world. 

The goal of the Remarkable Artists series is to enrich the cultural and educational life of the Sacramento region through the exploration of a diverse array of provocative cultural, artistic, and educational perspectives represented by artists in a variety of disciplines. Supported in part by a generous grant from the California Arts Council, a state agency and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency, all events are free and open to the public but reservations are required.  

Mike began learning drums at the age of 5, studying privately with drumming legends Pete Magadini, Steve Ferrone and Will Kennedy until the age of 21 when he and his band Simon Says received a major label record deal.  Mike received a gold record for his contributions to the Varsity Blues soundtrack and has appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman as well as on MTV's Fashionably Loud.  Mike currently runs www.mikeslessons.com, the world’s largest educational website for drummers; and from his facility in Folsom, California, he also offers drum camps and private lessons.  In 2013 www.mikeslessons.com won DRUM Magazine’s award for educational website of the year, and in 2016 Mike was awarded Educator of the Year by Modern Drummer Magazine.