Work hard and be nice: Mike Dolbear on the drumming community, parenthood and mental health

from Drummer Mamas · host Ciara Chinniah and Gemma Hill

Send us Fan MailMike Dolbear is at the heart of the UK drum scene as a teacher, as founder of the Young Drummer of the Year event (which he started more than 20 years ago), and with his masterclass room at the UK and European Drum Shows.As mentor to some of the biggest names in the music industry, Mike shares his wisdom on communicating with his students, the importance of highlighting mental health, and how he makes his decisions for work. This is an inspiring episode that covers family, drumming, encouraging girls to play drums, and the irregularities of working in entertainment.Trigger warning: we talk about suicide in this episodeMike Dolbear:Instagram.com/mikedolbearcomFollow us here:Instagram.com/drummermamasInstagram.com/CiaradrumsInstagram.com/gemmadrumsInstagram.com/swiftiedrums Follow us here: Instagram.com/drummermamas Instagram.com/Ciaradrums Instagram.com/gemmadrumsInstagram.com/swiftiedrums

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This episode is 56 minutes long.

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This episode was published on June 16, 2025.

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