My journey in music began at the age of 8, when I started drum lessons in Glenamaddy with the East Galway School of Music. I was fortunate to study under Cormac Dunne, a well-known Galway drummer best known for his work with The Stunning and many other bands. Following in the footsteps of my grandfather Jackie Nee — a gigging drummer from Mountbellew — I joined my first band at the age of 11. St. Brigid’s Band, made up of fellow students, gave me my first real performance experience, and I soon went on to form the band ESD with friends.

Since then, I’ve played with numerous function bands across Ireland and the UK, performing at weddings, parties, and events — occasionally stepping behind the DJ decks too. Alongside performing, teaching has always been at the heart of what I do. I began teaching drums from home over 20 years ago before being invited to join the East Galway School of Music in 2005. In 2008, I joined the Mayo School of Music as a drum tutor and later expanded my teaching to The Quad in Roscommon and The Hub in Castlerea. Over the years, I’ve taught hundreds of students through one-to-one lessons, group classes, workshops, percussion groups, and summer camps, and I’ve also worked within Glenamaddy Community School.

In 2019, I became the proud owner of the Mayo School of Music. Today, the school has grown to include 13 teachers across two locations — Castlebar and Kiltimagh — offering tuition in over 20 instruments. It's been incredibly rewarding to help bring music education to a wider community.

In recent years, a new passion has taken centre stage in my day-to-day life: recording and production. What began as a way to record drum covers with students has now evolved into a fully operational recording studio. A key turning point came when Emmy Award-winning composer John Kavanaugh and his generous circle of friends in Los Angeles donated a large selection of professional studio equipment to our Kiltimagh school. Since then, the studio there and the Drum Experience studio have expanded rapidly.

Today, I work with artists and bands on everything from recording and mixing to songwriting and full production. It has become a creative hub for original music and collaboration, and I’m proud to now offer both a place to learn and a place to create.