Student Testimonials _________________________________________________ "When I met Travis and took my first lesson with him I was in a pretty funny place with music. At that point, I wasn't completely sure what I wanted to do with it. My initial lessons with him helped guide me in a direction that I was happy with and showed me what I needed to do to accomplish my goals. Watching him play and learning from him in general has inspired and motivated me to practice more and more over the last few years." -- Alex Rudinger (Ordinance, Good Tiger, Conquering Dystopia, ex-The Faceless, ex-The|HAARP|Machine, ex-Threat Signal) "Thanks to your video lessons, I got into the best music university in Korea. Professors asked, "Who's your biggest influence in drumming?" so I talked about you!! Thank you so much for these great vids. You are truly my hero :)" -- Eden Yeo "Being a self-taught drummer, I always try to focus on the right material to work on. So one day in 2012, I discovered Travis's YouTube channel by accident. Little did I know that his videos would keep me busy practicing to this day. His approach in musicality and drumming is genius. After I studied the majority of his videos, I purchased his lessons. They are still a staple in my practice routine. I also had a private lesson with him and I witnessed his coherent teaching in person. Travis keeps inspiring me with his work. He taught me the true meaning of discipline and that with hard work, everything is achievable!" -- Defkalion Dimos (Cerebrum, Once Them Edens, ex-Wings in Motion) (click here for his YouTube channel) "Travis, your lessons - especially the "bh/bf" and "rehearsal techniques" vids - are some of the most important tutorials I've ever received. ...I wish I had those few minutes of info ten years ago. I'm now awaiting some "H2P" lessons!" -- Brian Seffer (Sleep Recital - SleepRecital.com ) "Just wanted to let you know that your Orbinator hands lesson has really improved my technique. When I started, I was doing the exercises at 130, 130, 110, 120, 120 on June 6th. Fourteen Orbinator hands sessions later, I'm up to 150, 150, 144, 131, 150. I've just been increasing 1 BPM a session and I'm going to keep to this method, see how far I can take it. This practice is so efficient - it's definitely helped my timing, foot technique, hand technique, endurance, speed, and power. Don't know how you came up with this, but it's great! Thanks! Also, I've been playing with the drums detuned, have a cheap practice snare, but more importantly use practice cymbals (old broken ones) and I feel like that's definitely made a difference too and saved me some cash. You da man!!" -- Bryan Blair "I can recommend these lessons to anyone who wants to improve their level of playing and practice routines. I was at one point considering quitting playing until I ran into your material, and from that point my playing and creativity and motivation has increased 100%. I can't thank you enough - you're a lifesaver!" -- Lauri M. ('Larwa' on my forum) "Greetings, where do I begin? Previous to my time as a student of Travis Orbin, my performance on the kit was very limited in many aspects such as: rudiments, solos, a practice routine, groove ideas, fill ideas, playing with a metronome. Thus, I was hungry to expand my horizons and become a better musician; also, not a carbon copy of someone else but an individual with his own style. So, under the instruction of Travis Orbin my individuality and overall style started to develop rapidly in comparison to my efforts alone. He knew the right way to lead me toward my goal and -- ultimately -- dream to perform at a higher level than I ever had before. He is a really good instructor and very knowledgeable about music as it pertains to drums and musicianship. Now, I did my part practicing and working on what he has assigned to me, but he helped me get out of the box of my own thinking and performing to a higher level. Lastly, if you are considering taking lessons with him then GO FOR IT - you will not be disappointed." -- Andrew Meney "Travis Orbin is one of a kind. He transcends the day to day drum world and takes the art to a whole new level. Even though I've only had one personal lesson, I've learned more from him than any other one source for drumming because he makes himself so easily accessible to those who reach out and has loads of great material online for his fans. I apply many of the techniques he uses to my day-to-day rituals and they have taking my drumming to a whole new, professional level. Most of all, he is inspiring!" -- Billy Walker ( Son of Swan /Noelle Bean) "After seeing and hearing Travis Orbin play you are faced with a decision: You can give up drums forever because you know you'll never have 1% of his current skills. Eventually, you can choose an easier instrument like bass or guitar. STOP READING NOW if it's your way... you don't deserve what follows, ha! You can decide to be serious - and I mean SERIOUS - and commit to a disciplined practice routine, because TO is 'just' a human who dedicates his life to practice in order to be better (the best?) at what he does. But in our quest for being the greatest drummer of the world, spending countless hours in the practice room is nice but not enough. You have to have a good practice method, you have to know exactly HOW and WHAT to practice. Thankfully for us, Travis has some serious knowledge about what works and what doesn't and he shares his knowledge in his lessons. He could help you to see the light and become the good musician you want to be. How cool is that? The exercices in the lessons help immensely to build up ALL the playing muscles (wrist, arms, shoulders, legs, ankles, grip muscles, shin muscles, hips muscles, lower back, etc.) we use as a drummer in order to physically play anything we have to play. It improves: speed, endurance, accuracy, power, timing, consistency, confidence in yourself and so much more! Everything is very well-explained (how and what to practice) and with a lot of 'background info' (why he practices this particular exercise, how it's evolved with him over the years, etc.). The "Rehearsal Techniques" lesson will teach you how to learn quickly and very very (very, very) effectively a song or even how to practice exercises. I use this method to nail the difficult 'practice achievements' which I post on my YT channel, so I know what I'm talking about when I say it works! The exercices have a 'life time warranty'; what I mean is they are highly fundamental and can be referred as 'core exercises.' In other words, they'll last you your whole career/life. Plus, they'll inspire you to create your own exercises along the way; they'll allow you to use your imagination and creativity in order to develop your individuality. To finish, his nice sense of humor(!) is always appreciated. Travis is such a cool person - I want a private lesson bro!! In closing: You don't have to be an ambidextrous nazi like myself or have a weird drum kit (also like mine) to enjoy and get a lot out of the lessons (ALL of the lessons). Regardless of your current skill level or the music you play, you'll see insane and yet very quick improvements in your playing. You don't have to appreciate Travis's drumming to purchase the lessons, but you must want to improve yourself. The consequences will never be the same." -- Alex Jadi ('Alex Jadi' on my forum) "Your lessons are giving me great results, they're REALLY effective. For example -- as a pre-gig warm up -- first I do the BH/BF, then the 'grip exercises' (and stretching, of course), so that when it's time to play I'm READY, warmed and relaxed. Can't wait for other lessons from you!'' -- Maicol M. "I've been following Travis for a few years now, and he never ceases to inspire me. I finally bought the "Barehand/Barefoot" lesson and just his explanation of the drill shows how hard he works. The $8.00 that I spent for the lesson gave me a workout that I can use for the rest of my life, and just a week in I am already seeing results. I highly recommend utilizing any and all of Travis' services, and I guarantee you won't be disappointed with what you learn!" -- Anthony Ghazel "Discovering Travis' playing on YouTube was largely responsible for giving me a rejuvenated passion for drums. Witnessing his creativity, musicality and technical ability was an inspiration, but it wasn't until I purchased his online lessons that I realised these qualities are matched by a phenomenal level of dedication and commitment which was equally inspiring. It showed me what was necessary to achieve my own aims. I began incorporating his 'Barehand/Barefoot' technique and 'Five Weekly Hand Exercises' into my own practice routine and of course saw immediate and continuing results. Living in Wales (UK) the opportunity for an in-person lesson with Travis was unlikely, so as soon as his UK tour with Crown Jewel Defense was announced I contacted Travis about a lesson and he was kind enough to oblige. That lesson turned out to be the single most important moment in my drumming career as being able to witness his playing in person and get direct advice was a huge benefit. It's important to say that while invaluable from an instructional standpoint, it was a pleasure to meet Travis. Often when you meet people you admire it ends in disappointment, but on this occasion my high expectations were well and truly passed. I found both his dedication to his art and ability to remain humble and courteous an inspiration. 8 months on and having implemented Travis' exercises and crucially his ethos/work ethic into my practice, my playing 'pre-Travis' is unrecognisable! Travis' influence has transformed my playing and given me a new found love for drums." -- Aled Lloyd "Travis became an instant inspiration for me shortly after discovering him on YouTube. Questions regarding how it is possible to achieve a level of precision, dynamics, and ambidexterity such as his immediately followed. I knew I wanted to someday be at that level and will never stop aspiring to. Travis's lessons are planned and regulated to ascertain the best of your capabilities over time. They show that diligence and a structured regimen can accomplish more than just doodling around on the kit. Aside from that he is very supportive and a great friend; if you have any questions he'd love to help out in any way possible. Even if I didn't play drums... he'd still have my utmost respect as a person who works as hard as he can to attain unparalleled results. Kudos to you Travis, you are a legend in the making." -- Ryan Lindfors (Bermuda / Mediaskare Records) "The year is 2007. Being the stereotypical teenager, I thought I knew everything. Call it passion, call it arrogance, I had to be the best at anything I did. This was especially true with drumming. The new Blink-182 song? Learned it. That tasty Steve Gadd lick? Nailed it. I thought I had it all figured out. This mindset promptly changed after viewing the YouTube videos posted by a guy named Travis Orbin. After staring at my computer screen in shock and open-mouthed for thirty minutes, I came to a realization. I NEEDED LESSONS! Travis lived pretty close to my house, so I swallowed my pride and contacted him. If I had to pick the most influential and changing moment of my drumming career, this would be it. The things that Travis had me work on changed my drumming to the core. I never realized how sloppy I was until he had me run through our lessons with a metronome. I never realized how unaware of my limbs I was until Travis had me count out loud as I was playing. Just by hearing him talk I could tell that he had an understanding and passion for drumming that I only dreamed about. Through his mentorship, my playing progressed at a pace that would have been almost impossible for me to achieve on my own. It has been almost four years since my lessons with Travis, and to this day I STILL work at the things he taught me. But, just like the Orbinator himself, I am determined to keep my head down and play my ass off! It is a privilege to not only know some one who has honed their skill to such a degree, but to call him a friend as well. I look forward to your next YouTube videos Travis!" -- Zac Mayfield (Oh, Sleeper / Solid State Records) "Travis's lessons have made me 100% tighter and more powerful; my technique took a 180 degree turn for the better. I am so lucky to have run across his playing and teachings so early in my life. Thanks a ton, Travis!" -- Erik F. ('shrinebuilder' on my forum) "Travis's style is the most unorthodox I've ever seen, which is probably what influenced me the most. He has inspired me to write my parts out and has helped with my creativity. Travis has helped especially when it comes to linear drum fills and studio work. It's been an honor knowing and learning from him." -- Mark Hudson "I currently own all of the released lessons, and good gracious does Travis know what he is doing! They are extremely helpful, insightful, and I stick by them as being some of the BEST lessons I have ever received! Also, thank you Travis for constantly shipping to Scotland, it's really appreciated!" -- Connor Meeks ('Laserpuppylord' on my forum) "My lessons with Travis Orbin were very refreshing. It gave me a brand new outlook on how to approach a drum kit. His lessons showed me that you can play virtually anything on a drum kit if you put the time and effort into practicing!" -- Anup Sastry "After watching countless hours of Travis's YouTube videos, I came to the realization that his current band (SEA) at the time was a mere 20 minutes down the road from me. Surprisingly, I was able to contact him and request a lesson. Going into the lesson, I did not know what to expect. I am a well-educated musician with many years of experience and from an educator's point of view, Travis's lessons are great for beginners all the way up to highly advanced. He has an extremely well-developed and efficient technique alongside rhythmic perfection. He also has proficient warm-up and rehearsal rituals, and I say ritual for a reason. Any student, no matter the experience, can take something away from one of Travis's lessons. PS - This dude can play flam drags with his feet. Clean!" -- Dustin Demarest ( Dustin's YouTube Page , www.WrongSideOfTheGun.com) "In late 2006, while beginning my studies with then Berklee professor Mike Mangini I was surprised to find out that one of my new favorite drummers, Travis Orbin, was a former student of Mike’s. I reached out to Travis and when I told him that we had been working on some of his material in my lessons he was gracious enough to send me some full transcriptions and tips to figuring out some of his crazy drum parts. Since then Travis has been a helpful and encouraging influence for me as a player. His work is nothing short of inspiring and his practice methods and rehearsal techniques have proved to be extremely valuable. Travis helped to completely change my perspective as a player and push me in a direction that I would not be going in otherwise and for that I’m forever grateful. You rock, Travis!" -- Matt Benoit "I remember the first time I took drum lessons, I was 13 years old and about to enter high school. I was beyond excited, as I had been self-taught for five years but after just a few weeks I quit, having felt unchallenged and unmotivated by my instructor. I went into high school arrogant as could be and again quit marching band, as well as drums overall for four years, having felt unchallenged/motivated. It wasn't until I saw Trav's videos on YouTube that I truly felt motivated to drum again. Seeing what he was capable of doing and the ease he did it with made me realize something - I needed to start drumming again. I stumbled upon Travis's MySpace and -- realizing that he lived only a mere 20 minutes from me -- I immediately set up a lesson with him. This was my first serious attempt at drumming after four years away from it, and Travis was more than accommodating while I relearned many lost fundamentals. Every meeting between us is a pleasure and his musical prowess is always evident. I can truly say that without Travis and his guidance, I would not still be a drummer today. So for that I say "Thanks Buddy!" and I hope we can get pho soon!" -- Yoseph Demissie "I have been self-taught all my life and I have purchased lessons from drummers that have influenced, but none have taught me about proper technique and body mechanics like yours. Your lessons are very straightforward and are very concise that even a starting drummer would understand. I have done what is instructed in your videos and I have seen a very big improvement in my drumming overall. My coordination, power, and precision have all risen to heights I would have never thought possible. Simply put - in my opinion - the only video lesson you'll ever need and ever keep. It's so damn good... you'd not want your drummer friends to see it. More power to you, Travis. We look forward to seeing you in clinics around the world! Proud to be 'Orbinated'." -- Fourth Dayag "I got all 4 lessons. Travis has a talent for speaking himself very clearly and everything he said had a direct purpose. A couple of things took me by surprise as they were not the regular "look what I can do" filled videos that blow through something and leave you wondering whats going on. Travis breaks things down so that even a young child can understand, while at the same time improving the little one's vocabulary. I learned all the lessons and did them as prescribed, and over time have developed them into my own exercises that have improved all aspects of my drumming. Simple production, content-packed, easy to understand, and effective lessons if followed as prescribed." -- 'Zack B' on my forum Back to Top Back to Miscellaneous