Welcome to Episode #26 of The Up & Coming Drummer Podcast. This week on the show, I sit down with one of coolest chicks in drumming. Ladies and Gents, Drummer and Educator - Sammi Bishop.

At only 27 years old, Sammi Bishop has toured much of the world, rubbed shoulders with living legends, and is teaching the next generation of drummers. Her schedule is so busy that it took a couple months to make this interview happen. As I prepared for this interview, I quickly realized how many things we could talk about. I had more questions for Sammi than any other guest I've had on so far! I hoped we could get to most of them.

We start off the chat talking about her early years growing up in Dallas, Texas. Sammi moved around a bit when she was growing up. She tells us about living in different parts of Texas, as well as in Florida. Sammi also tells us about how she became interested in the drums. At this point, she has been playing for 10 years. We discuss the different music she listened to and what some of her influences are. She tells us about taking lessons and how she would, later on, get her first gig filling in for her teacher.

I tell Sammi how I too started playing in clubs at a very young age. We talked about what it's like being a teenager playing in clubs and hanging out in bars at that age. Most people our age were having sleepovers while we were out in the nightlife building our foundation. Sammi tells us about some memorable moments from those early experiences. She says that being in those situations at such a young age had taken away the shock value of what we sometimes see in the rough bar scene.

For Sammi, it didn't take long before she busted out of the local clubs and headed out on tour around the world with some different bands. The first big gig for her started when she joined the band "Big Engine" which had her touring in support of some big acts like Brett Michaels and .38 Special. During her time with the band, she developed the confidence and experience that would set her up for the bigger tours which were to come.

Sammi was discovered on her Youtube Channel by members of the band "Tito and Tarantula" which is best known for their appearances in movies like Dusk Til Dawn and Desperado. She was flown out to audition where she secured the spot for the tour. Sammi got to travel all over the world and meet some pretty high profile people along the way! She certainly had built herself quite the resume by this point.

The band that she currently plays for is a Motley Crue Tribute Band called Crued and Tattooed. With Tommy Lee being one of her all-time favorite drummers, and the Crue being her favorite band, Sammi responded to the wanted ad as soon as she heard they were looking for a drummer. Sammi tells us how they actually have a roller coaster rig for the drumset much like the actual Motley Crue uses. She hasn't gotten to use it yet due to the size of some of the venues. But they do have some shows lined up where she will finally get to take her drumset for a ride!

When Sammi is on the road, she is busy teaching the next generation of drummers. Sammi teaches at the School of Rock in Texas. The school which is loosely based off the movie has several locations across the country. We talk about how she got into teaching and what some of the hardest things she has experienced as an educator. Sammi is full-time at the school and is always sharing the progress of her students on social media.

Next up we talk about gear. Sammi tells about the different drums she plays and about some of the companies she endorses. She has been a long time supporter and player of Trick bass drum pedals and has recently joined the family as a drumset artist. Sammi also represents Aquarian Drumheads. She tells us a bit about the relationships she has with these companies and how she became involved with them.