Napa, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 12/13/2011 -- Napa California-based music education technology company ArtistWorks has opened the ArtistWorks Drum Academy today with the launch of online drum schools from two of the world’s top drummers: world-renowned fusion and jazz drumming legend Billy Cobham and rock drumming superstar Thomas Lang.

Both the Billy Cobham School of Drums and the Thomas Lang School of Drums utilize ArtistWorks’ patent-pending video technology, enabling drummers around the world to receive personalized video feedback and take online drum lessons to an unprecedented new level. In addition, the ArtistWorks Drum Academy will offer a new unique drum looping tool on all video lessons, giving students the ability to isolate and loop segments until they grasp the material.

“We firmly believe that a passion for playing music is fueled by an interactive environment where Artist Instructors can individually address each students needs, as well as allow students to interact with each other,” says ArtistWorks founder, David Butler. “We are proud to offer students unparalleled, direct access to the world’s best players regardless of their geographic location or skill level.”

The Thomas Lang School of Drums and the Billy Cobham School of Drums contain hundreds of high-quality video drumming lessons that start at the fundamental level of how to play drums and gradually progress to the advanced level. Unlike other static learning methods seen before on DVD or other websites, the ArtistWorks Drum Academy uses ArtistWorks’ groundbreaking Video Exchange™ technology which is currently revolutionizing music education. All of ArtistWorks’ schools take full advantage of high-resolution video, multi-angle camera view selection, cutting-edge social media tools, and the Internet’s vast interactive capabilities to create a robust learning environment. Not only do the schools offer hundreds of real-time and slow motion lessons available 24/7, they enable teaching through personalized video exchanges to drummers all over the world.

Award-winning drumming superstar Thomas Lang is a founding member of the progressive heavy metal trio st0rk, and has worked with artists such as Asia, John Wetton and Vienna Art Orchestra among others. Lang is widely considered to be one of the most talented and technically proficient drummers in the world and was named #13 on Rhythm magazine’s list of “Top Drummers of the Past 25 Years” .

“Learning should be an organic, multi-dimensional experience and with the ArtistWorks Drum Academy students get the benefit of social interaction as well as direct, personal instruction.” – Thomas Lang

Legendary jazz drummer, bandleader and composer Billy Cobham played with Miles Davis, Jack Bruce, and Bobby and the Midnights among others. Cobham, along with John McLaughlin, Rick Laird and Jan Hammer is a founding member of the famed Mahavishnu Orchestra. Cobham has performed, recorded, and produced at the World of Music, Arts and Dance (WOMAD) with Peter Gabriel and currently serves as an Official Patron of WOMAD. With his legendary drumming style that combines exacting precision and explosive power, Cobham is generally considered to be jazz-fusion’s greatest and most influential drummer.

“I’m very pleased that I now have the ability to work with so many students in such a unique and fun way,” says Cobham. “Students support each other while everyone explores the lessons. There is an environment of camaraderie and unity that is essential to learning. This is incredibly exciting.”- Billy Cobham

The Thomas Lang School of Drums (http://www.Thomaslangdrums.com) and the Billy Cobham School of Drums (http://www.cobhamdrums.com) debuts December 8th and are open to drummers of all levels of proficiency. The Luis Conte School of Percussion (http://www.contepercussion.com) will be added in 2012. Student membership plans are reasonably priced per school at $90.00 for 3 months, $150.00 for 6 months, and $240.00 for a 12-month subscription.

Founded in 2008 by former AOL executive David Butler, ArtistWorks’ visual education format allows hand-selected musicians to teach students all over the world by presenting their full method in a series of high-quality video lessons online. Students are able to submit videos to their teachers for custom and personalized critique and guidance – creating an individualized educational experience. ArtistWorks currently offers curriculums from such world-class, virtuoso artists as: Andreas Oberg (jazz guitar lessons); Howard Levy (harmonica lessons); Martin Taylor (fingerstyle guitar lessons); DJ Qbert (DJ lessons); Christie Peery (piano lessons); and the ArtistWorks Academy of Bluegrass with Tony Trischka (banjo lessons), Mike Marshall (mandolin lessons), Darol Anger (fiddle lessons), Bryan Sutton (guitar lessons), Missy Raines (bass lessons), and Andy Hall (dobro lessons).

For an exclusive preview, please visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfzSf3aO_SI

For more information please visit: http://www.artistworksdrumacademy.com