drums on a roll

Drum sales have hit an all time high, according to new statistics from the MIA.Soaring to £41 million this year, drum sales have doubled since 2000, whilst sales of other types of instrument have remained stable. John Booth, of leading drum Manufacturer, Roland UK, commented on the sales boom: “We have seen drum sales increase year on year for the last ten, but this year has been unprecedented – in October, our drum sales eclipsed piano sales for the first time ever.

”Several factors are credited with responsibility for the sales growth, though it would seem in no small part down to the availability of affordable yet high-quality drum kits. Paul McManus, Chief Executive of the MIA noted: “Compared to the 1960’s, drum kits are now of a consistently higher quality and available at a much lower cost.”Improved music provision in schools and a more liberal approach to teaching rock and pop genres as part of the music syllabus may also have had a positive effect on the popularity of drumming, though Chris Wright, Managing Director of DrumWright and Honorary Treasurer of the MIA, is quick to point out that the swell in popularity is not exclusively limited to the younger generation: “The recent trend for one-off reunion performances by stadium rock legends such as Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd, as been a real inspiration for the older generation. We’ve seen a lot of older musicians in the shop wishing to try their hand at drumming.”