About me...

Hi, thanks for visiting my site!

My name is Daniel Banks. I'm from Pembroke, Massachusetts, and I'm 15 years old.

Music is my passion, and has been ever since I can remember.

Besides performing gigs with my youth band and with my musician friends, I also teach drums at the Carver School of Music, and take voice and bass lessons.

I was thrilled to be asked to conduct my First Ever drum clinic in Aruba while we were there on vacation during December 2006!

I've been asked many times how I got started playing the drums…

Believe it or not, I started playing the drums (actually, the pots and pans) at 4. Mom & Dad wanted their pots and pans back, so they bought me a snare drum that they'd found at a local yard sale for $20. I played the snare drum along with marching bands at first, and then with The Beatles, Eric Clapton, etc.

Mom & Dad got me my first drum kit on Christmas, 1998. The drum kit also came with a free drum lesson. That's where I met Chris Rivelli, who teaches at Dicencso's in Quincy, Massachusetts.

When I was 6, I asked the drummer of the band playing at a local restaurant if I could sit in. He wasn't quite sure at first, but he eventually let me play. I was told that although they couldn't see me over the drum set, I managed to surprise everyone with my playing.

Since then, I've sat in with many bands and formed my own youth band The Moondance Blues Band in 2004.

My influences include B.B.King, Sandy Nelson, Buddy Rich, Ringo Star, Phil Collins, Gene Krupa, Anton Fig, and of course, my teacher Chris Rivelli.

Since my first drum kit, I've upgraded to a Yamaha Beech Absolute and I am proud to endorse Zildjian cymbals and Vater drum sticks.

I hope one day to attend the Berklee College of Music and to have a recording contract.