Drum Student Progress Through Drums In Color | Tooele Utah Drum Lessons
Students at Josh Kastleman Drum Lessons are learning more than just how to play individual songs—they are developing their drumming skills through the Drums In Color learning system.
Drums In Color is the primary teaching tool used in our drum lessons, giving students a visual approach to drum notation that connects colors directly to different parts of the drum set. This helps students understand what they are supposed to play while they are learning songs and working through their lessons.
The results can be seen in the progress of our students.
From beginners learning their first songs to advanced students tackling challenging rock and metal tracks, students regularly work toward completing songs, recording their performances in the studio, and building their skills one song at a time.
The following recordings showcase recent student accomplishments from September 2026.
Recent Student Drum Performances
Aliyah – “7 Nation Army” by The White Stripes
Aliyah completed her second song, “7 Nation Army” by The White Stripes, in just one week.
This is an excellent example of how a student can quickly learn a song when the music is presented in a way that is easy to understand and follow. Aliyah uses the Drums In Color system as part of her drum instruction, allowing her to connect the visual notation with the drums she is playing.
Song Difficulty: 1/10
Colored sheet music for “7 Nation Army” is also available through Musicnotes.
Benny – “Hail to the King” by Avenged Sevenfold
Benny completed his eighth recorded song with “Hail to the King” by Avenged Sevenfold.
This song represents another step in Benny's development as a drummer. As students progress through their lessons, they use the Drums In Color system to work through increasingly challenging songs while continuing to develop their timing, coordination, reading, and overall drumming ability.
Song Difficulty: 3/10
Henry – “Back in Black” by AC/DC
Classic rock songs like this provide students with an opportunity to develop fundamental rock drumming skills while applying the concepts they have learned through Drums In Color.
Song Difficulty: 3/10
Kye – “Fat Lip” by Sum 41
Kye completed his 39th recorded song with “Fat Lip” by Sum 41.
With 39 recorded performances, Kye's progress demonstrates how a structured approach to learning drums can help students continue advancing over time. As students work through songs of increasing difficulty, Drums In Color provides a consistent visual system they can continue using as their skills develop.
Song Difficulty: 8/10
Trey – “Island In The Sun” by Weezer
Trey completed his third recorded song with “Island In The Sun” by Weezer.
For developing drummers, learning recognizable songs can make practice more engaging while giving students a practical way to apply the skills they are learning during their lessons.
Song Difficulty: 1/10
Trey – “Scar Tissue” by Weezer
Trey also completed “Scar Tissue” by Weezer", his fourth recorded song.
The song provides another opportunity for Trey to apply his developing skills while using the Drums In Color approach to follow the drum parts.
Colored sheet music for “Scar Tissue” is also available online.
Song Difficulty: 4/10
Aiden – “Down” by Blink-182
Aiden completed his 57th recorded song with “Down” by Blink-182.
This was the first time one of our students had recorded this song, adding another song to the growing library of student performances.
At this level, students are applying the same Drums In Color system to increasingly challenging music, demonstrating how the method can remain useful as a drummer progresses beyond the beginner stages.
Song Difficulty: 9/10
Aiden – “The Take Over, the Breaks Over” by Fall Out Boy
Aiden also recorded “The Take Over, the Breaks Over” by Fall Out Boy" on the same day.
Recording multiple songs in a single studio session is another example of the progress students can make as their confidence, preparation, and drumming ability develop.
Song Difficulty: 8/10
Camden – “Face Down” by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
Camden completed his 40th recorded song with “Face Down” by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus".
With 40 recorded performances, Camden has built an extensive record of his development as a drummer. Each completed song gives him another opportunity to practice timing, coordination, musicality, and song structure.
Song Difficulty: 9/10
Milo – “Sad But True” by Metallica
Milo completed his 15th recorded song with “Sad But True” by Metallica.
With a difficulty rating of 7/10, this song gives Milo an opportunity to apply his developing skills to heavier music while continuing to use the Drums In Color system as part of his instruction.
Song Difficulty: 7/10
How Drums In Color Helps Students Progress
One of the most important parts of the Josh Kastleman Drum Lessons approach is that students aren't simply handed traditional drum notation and expected to figure everything out on their own.
Instead, Drums In Color provides a visual connection between the music and the physical drum set.
Different colors correspond to different drums and cymbals, helping students recognize where they should play while reading the music.
That visual connection can make the learning process more accessible, particularly for beginners and younger students who may find traditional drum notation difficult to understand.
As students progress, the same system continues to be used while they learn increasingly challenging songs.
The goal isn't simply to teach students how to play one song.
The goal is to give them a system they can continue using as they learn dozens or even hundreds of songs.
From First Song to Studio Recording
One of the unique parts of Josh Kastleman Drum Lessons is that students have the opportunity to record their songs in a professional-style studio environment.
This gives students a tangible goal to work toward.
They learn a song.
They practice it.
They complete it.
Then they record it.
Over time, those recordings create a visual history of their progress as musicians.
And behind that progress is the Drums In Color system.
Learn Drums With Drums In Color
Josh Kastleman Drum Lessons serves students throughout Tooele County and surrounding Utah communities, including Tooele, Stansbury Park, Grantsville, Erda, Lake Point, and surrounding areas.
If you're looking for drum lessons for kids in Utah, beginner drum lessons, or drum lessons near Tooele, Drums In Color provides a different way to approach learning the drums.
Students don't just learn about drumming.
They use the system to actually play songs, complete challenges, build confidence, and record their progress.
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