Rare Spark Lessons

A 2013 magna cum laude graduate of the Berklee College of Music with a degree in drum set performance, Sam Ward is one of the more versatile drummers on the scene today. He began playing drums at age 5, and began playing/teaching professionally at the age of 16. Since that point, Sam has managed to consistently maintain a music career. Since relocating to Los Angeles about seven years ago, he was asked to join a band called 4th & Orange, who were signed to Atlantic Records within just a couple of months. Throughout the following year and a half, they had the opportunity to tour nationally, supporting artists such as Collie Buddz, Sublime with Rome, Damian Marley, Natiruts; play at most major US reggae festivals and releasing several singles/music videos with millions of streams and views. During that time Sam continued to teach several private drum students each week, as well as perform with major artists such as Ally Brooke, Tyga, independent artists such as Molly Moore, Big X, Double Tiger, Watson, FXNTi, and more.
After relocating to Las Vegas in 2022, Sam at first maintained a solid split between both Los Angeles and Las Vegas, as he was constantly working in both cities. He immediately landed one of the drum chairs in the MJ Live Show at the Tropicana Theatre on the strip of Las Vegas. Upon moving, he was immediately hired by Jimmy Powers V & the Hang Dynasty and has held several local residencies. He has also performed with such artists as Justin Young Band, Rita Lim, M3CCA, Tinnitus LV etc. As of recent, Sam restarted his personal musician collective in Las Vegas, called the “Naughty Octopus Collective”, and has already been booking a significant amount of gigs around the city. He has also played drums on so many singles, EPs, albums, music videos, etc, that there are too many to list. Visit his Linktree to see some of the projects his drums have been recorded on.
Sam is extremely mature and has become a seasoned professional. He is known for his deep and soulful pocket, hyper-focus on writing a part that properly suits the music, blistering but tasteful chops, expert drum tuning ability, and ability to perform well in the studio or onstage. He is also proud to be held in high regard as an educator, and has had several former and current drum students go on to attend prestigious music schools/play professionally. Sam simply loves music and he loves the instrument. You can rest assured that he will bring a positive attitude & a contagious sense of drive wherever he goes.