I started playing Indian drums at the age of four, and I moved on to contemporary drum set at the age of eleven after being inspired by the primary school teacher at the time. However even before that I had always been fascinated by the power of music, my earliest memory of which was repeatedly listening to “Give it Away” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

At the age of seven, I began to play the violin. This basic musical understanding formed the foundation for me to build on, when I finally started to play drums. Understanding how melody and harmony work, I feel, gives a greater depth to a percussionist. Not only does it allow them to interact more in the musical writing process; but it allows them to bring a greater depth to their instrument, that they cannot perhaps express through rhythmical methods alone. Also, being drafted in the play in various orchestras in and around school taught me what it was like to play and interact with other people.

Throughout the younger years of my musical experience I mainly listened to rock and pop. I think what made this so appealing was the way the music was so rhythmically driven, and the force behind this was the drums. The first album I bought was InjuryLovesMeoldy by Diffuser. In this it was clear to hear how drum parts perfectly fitted riffs and how there was a perfect harmony and balance between the drumming at the other instruments. For the formative years of the drumming life, this album taught a lot of the basics I aspired to understand.

As I grew older, I began to branch out and listen to older rock, bands such as Led Zeppelin and The Police. For the most part of a year I remember listening solely to an old Iron Maiden mix tape made by my dad. It was at this time my year five teacher first brought in his drum kit to show the school. Finally, seeing the instrument that made all those specific rhythms I had heard in the music I was listening to was a turning point for me. From then on I used the air drums to pick out all the separate rhythms I was hearing. Listening to this older form of rock allowed me to listen to other forms of music more accessibly, as I could hear what had influenced these older bands.

At eleven I finally got a small drum machine, and as I played through the play-along songs, I began to hear how diverse music was. Along with the play-alongs was a mix of rock, jazz, funk, soul, Latin and eletronica. The more I played these through the more I had a longing to find this type of music and listen to it more freely. I finally found what I was looking for in the form of Jazz, and all the types of other Fusions it incarnates. I found myself listening to Miles Davis, Mahavishnu Orchestra and (the less well known) Vibraphonic, whilst still listening too all my previous influences. Two years after I received my first drum kit, a small starter model. With this I got my bearings around a drum set, and began to learn small amounts of technique. I began to regularly teach myself through videos and through books. However I rarely ever played drum solos, I made sure whatever I did was always set to music, as this is the only place I had ever experience drums.

I had my first one-off drum lesson at the age of fourteen, and finally realised all of the bad habits I had accumulated in terms of technique and timekeeping. So I spent the next year focussing on technique and on keeping solid time and groove. I did this through exposing myself to as much music as I could. I learnt that watching other drummers and forcing myself to scrutinise their every move helped educate me and helped me find my own voice, it drove me to become a more musical player and to always make sure the groove was what came first. As I did this I began to realise that although most of the time not needed, a drum solo held so much potential for freedom of expression. It was at this time I started jamming with whoever I could. Playing with other musicians broadened my understanding of how musicians communicate and how they write and put across ideas through playing together.

Throughout this time I established some key influences, not only drummers but other musicians as well. People like Billy Cobham, Chad Smith, Benny Greb, Carter Beauford, Thomas Lang, Vinnie Colaiuta, Dave Weckl, Dave Grohl, Stewart Copeland, Steve Smith, John Bonham, Tony Williams and Neil Peart, all portrayed to me a completely new aspect of drumming and helped me to approach my playing in different ways.

In 2005 I entered MikeDolbear.com’s Young Drummer of the Year. Unfortunately I did not make it to the further stages in this year, but I was determined to work even harder. The next year I received my current drum set and cymbals (PDP with SABIAN) and re-entered the competition. Much to my delight I made it through to the live final. Although I did not win this year, my eyes were opened to the huge diversity and wealth of talent the music industry has to offer.

The mikedolbear.com 2006 Young Drummer of the Years final review wrote:
' Harpal Mudhar took the final to a very different place. The 15 year old from Chelmsford delivered an intelligent and imaginative solo that merged jazz, funk and rock and jumped from style to style seamlessly. Harpal also included a virtuoso demonstration of brush work – not the easiest task in a big hall and playing through a PA.

Harpal takes a holistic approach to his drumming and the ensemble pieces included some of the most tasteful playing of the day. Everything he played in the prepared ensemble piece complemented the other players perfectly and resulted in a more coherent musical experience. Like many of his colleagues, Harpal found the shuffle a challenge and he called up a range of facial expressions as he battled with the arrangement. Harpal is an extremely talented musician with an enormous range of styles and a broad spectrum of talent. He was an incredibly impressive performer and the YDOTY final was certainly a richer event for his presence.'

Throughout the next year I spent time working with bands and playing with as many musicians as I could. One of them was a famous percussionist called Bikram Ghosh and I jammed twice with him along with many other traditional Indian drummers and modern rock instruments. This experience was a unique one, because the whole event was so open, and it exemplified just how much fun music can really be, regardless of what you play.

In 2007 I managed to win Young Drummer of the Year, and I was truly amazed that I had been given such an incredible opportunity to further my musical career.

The mikedolbear.com 2007 Young Drummer of the Years final review wrote:
'Another veteran of the 2006 final, Harpal let soft beaters wash over the kit before he broke out into the hardest funk then jazz then Latin patterns. The solo was a combination of technical mastery and beautiful feel. The audience were whooping by the time we got to rock and Harpal finished the piece to a frenzied reception.

The first ensemble piece started on a high and things just got higher as Harpal piled on the beats with power, technique and supreme confidence. Simply awesome. The shuffle was attacked with flair and vigour – Harpal wasn’t going to play this safe and he let rip with both barrels. His performance was creative, confident and technically stunning. The response from the crowd said it all'

Since winning the Young Drummer of the Year I have had a number of articles in Drummer and Rhythm magazine about the competition as well as articles on various drumming forums and zones on the web. I have also featured in the local press and television - it's been hectic !!

I am currently working with my bands and recording with them, as well as playing with many other musicians. Over the next few months I will be busy preparing for and drumming at a number of events around the country including - Opening DrummerLive 2007 and being part of the Back2theBeat clinics at the event, playing at National Drum Fair, Clinic tours with Steve Timms, Charity concerts as well as playing and touring with my bands.

Please keep checking www.harpalmudhar.com for more details on my planned events.