About Karl Sloman
Karl is a Canadian multi-instrumentalist, instructor, and former military officer with over 50 years of experience. A published author, he wrote The Coordination Code (Alfred Music, 2012), considered one of the most revolutionary books on drum set playing. While a passionate fan of progressive metal, he is fluent in all musical styles. Karl purchased his first Dream Cymbal in 2007 and is a devoted fan of the Energy Series. He is currently studying in the Music Industry Arts program at Fanshawe College in London, Ontario.
Karl's Career
Karl Sloman was born in 1963 in Iserlohn, Germany, to British parents and immigrated to London, Ontario, Canada, with his family in 1966, where he still resides. He is a renowned drummer, music educator, author, and philanthropist, with a career deeply rooted in percussion and adaptive music education.
His musical journey began in 1971 at age six with piano lessons at the Western Conservatory of Music in London, Ontario. Over the years, Karl expanded his skills to become proficient on ten instruments, with the drum set emerging as his primary focus. He has performed across a wide range of genres—including country, classic rock, Latin, funk, blues, swing, progressive rock, and metal—and has collaborated with numerous bands such as Bipolar Feedback (a rock bar band), Opus Rex (a progressive/symphonic/power metal band), and Trainwreck (an adaptive band featuring students with disabilities).
Karl’s formal musical training included studies with legendary drummers such as Dom Famularo, Jim Chapin, Joe Morello, and Frank Bellucci. In 2003, he founded the Wizdom Progressive Music Academy, which grew to include four music schools across Ontario, dedicated to innovative and progressive music education. As the academy’s owner and operator, he emphasized cutting-edge teaching methods, particularly for heavy metal and progressive drumming.
An active endorser of Dream Cymbals since 2011, Karl especially favors their 14” Energy Hi-Hats for their responsiveness in live performance settings.
Alongside his musical pursuits, Karl served in the Canadian Armed Forces from 1982 until his retirement in 2025, holding the rank of Combat Arms Officer in the Artillery. Over his 37-year military career, he trained more than 1,800 soldiers and officers. This leadership experience greatly influenced his disciplined and structured approach to music education.
Music Education
A defining aspect of Karl’s legacy is his groundbreaking work in adaptive music education for individuals with disabilities. In 2004, he launched a pioneering music program for students with cerebral palsy, which led to the formation of Trainwreck. The band received national acclaim for its performances at educational and disability awareness events. To further support this mission, he founded the Adaptive Music Foundation of Canada, merging his drumming expertise with therapeutic and inclusive music practices.
Karl's philanthropic efforts are equally notable. He is known for organizing endurance drumming marathons—lasting from 24 to 60 hours—to raise funds and awareness for causes such as food banks and disability programs across Ontario. In 2004, he set a world record by drumming continuously for 60 hours in support of adaptive music initiatives. These feats not only set records but also showcased the power of music in community service. In recognition of his work, Karl was honored in 2012 by the rock band Rush for his contributions to adaptive music and was awarded the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal for outstanding service to the community.
As an author, Karl was signed by Alfred Music in 2010. His book, The Coordination Code: The Ultimate Graphic Approach to Improving Your Drum Skills (2012), introduced a revolutionary visual notation system to help drummers improve limb coordination. The publication includes a reference poster and an enhanced CD of exercises, and has been co-endorsed by Dom Famularo. It is praised for its body-awareness-focused methodology that helps drummers master complex rhythms.
His impact has been highlighted in various media outlets, including the 2013 six-part documentary series Walk the Walk, where he was the focus of an episode featuring Rush drummer Neil Peart. The series profiles local heroes, spotlighting Karl’s drumming marathons, adaptive music programs, and passion for inclusive music education. He has also been featured on Global TV, Hudson Music, and podcasts such as PodCouch.
Today, at 62 years young, Karl continues to perform, teach, and study in the Music Industry Arts program at Fanshawe College in London, Ontario. He remains a vital figure in Canadian music education and philanthropy. In 2026, he plans to move to Thailand with hopes of bringing Western music education to the Far East and expanding his mission of making music accessible to all.
"Dream Cymbals provide me with an incredible variety of sounds. I can get high-quality cymbals that match exactly what I'm looking for—at prices that are virtually unheard of. It all adds up to exceptional value. On top of that, the team at Dream is the most ethical and supportive I’ve encountered in the industry."
Karl's Dream Setup
Meet Our Artists
Michael Cavanagh
Michael “Cavs” Cavanagh is an Australian drummer best known for his work with the psychedelic rock band King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard. Cavs has been a pivotal member of the band since their formation in 2010. His dynamic drumming style encompasses an array of genres, including psychedelic rock, progressive rock, jazz, and thrash metal.
Cavanagh’s versatility and energy have significantly contributed to the band’s innovative, genre-bending sounds.
Paul Wertico
Paul Wertico, a seven-time Grammy-winning drummer best known for his work with the Pat Metheny Group, has performed with artists like David Bowie and Kurt Elling and released several acclaimed solo albums. Also a dedicated educator, he’s in his 22nd year as Associate Professor of Jazz at Roosevelt University and continues to conduct drum clinics worldwide.
Ben Satterlee
Ben Satterlee has been connected to the drums for as long as he can remember. Raised in Oklahoma, he came up through concert band in middle school and jazz band in high school, earning spots in the Tulsa All-City Band during both his junior and senior years. He credits his early mentors, Mr. Baird (Nimitz Middle School) and Mr. Kirk (Booker T. Washington High School), for fostering his passion and setting him on the path he still follows today.
Though accepted to Berklee College of Music after graduation, Ben chose to continue the momentum he had already built—having played club gigs since the age of 13 and touring regionally by 19. In 2012, he and his wife relocated to Nashville, where his career expanded into touring, recording, and developing his own teaching approach rooted in simplicity, musicality, and real-world application.
Ben is currently in his third year as the touring drummer for Grammy Award–winning Larkin Poe. When he’s not on the road, he’s at home in Nashville spending time with his wife and their four boys.
Dante Foley
Dante Foley (They/Them) is a drummer and video creator from Cleveland, Ohio. Coming from the Cleveland open mic and DIY scene of the 2010s they sat in with many local projects before joining and touring with Cleveland collective Mourning [A] BLKstar. The collective went on to win the Cleveland Arts prize, compose and perform music for Company Christoph Winkler in Berlin, Germany, as well as tour the U.S. and the E.U.
Foley has also traveled the U.S. and E.U. as a guest percussionist in the band Algiers and freestyle percussionist for the Lonnie Holley quartet.
Lia Braswell
Setting out on one’s own is a daunting thing. Whether it’s leaving home, changing careers, or in Lia Braswell’s case, pursuing her first solo musical endeavor, the process is nearly always as fraught as it is illuminating. But on her debut full length, Repetition, Revisions, Temptation, Decisions, she executes the feat with astounding grace.
If Braswell’s name rings a bell, that’s because it should. Having done time as the touring drummer for A Place To Bury Strangers, TR/ST, Le Butcherettes, Sextile, and many others, Braswell has performed on nearly every continent and played internationally renowned festivals such as Coachella and Cruel World. As such, it should come as no surprise that her impressive resumé shines through in the expertly crafted, ethereal dream pop of Repetition, Revisions, Temptations, Decisions. Simultaneously evoking the airy, atmospheric sensibilities of Cocteau Twins, the pop-forward experimentation of Kate Bush, and the hyper-danceable, retro synthwave of contemporary artists like Riki and Nuovo Testamento, Braswell’s self-assured presence as both a songwriter and vocalist results in an effort that bears none of the awkward growing pains one might expect from a new project. Equally arresting is Braswell’s lyrical finesse, with profoundly evocative and delicately personal narratives elevating the already deeply affecting music to heights that border on the sublime.
Moving from the relative anonymity of a drumkit to the revealing illumination of center stage comes with its own unique set of anxiety-inducing challenges, but if Braswell is experiencing any trepidation, it certainly doesn’t show in the quality of her music. Then again, when you’ve already toured with Iggy and the Stooges by age 20, maybe embarking on a solo career seems quaint in comparison. What’s beyond debate is that Braswell has a remarkable knack for songwriting and performance that is self-evident on her stunning debut. Accomplished a career as it already is, Repetition, Revisions, Temptations, Decisions feels like just one more step forward in an ever-growing body of work that is much greater than the sum of its parts.
Escape Ten
Escape Ten is a percussion duo formed by Dr. Annie Stevens and Dr.
Andrea Venet. Escape Ten is passionate about exploring all genres, and expressing it creatively through the colorful world of percussion. The duo performs a varied and exciting spectrum of music- including contemporary, pop, jazz, and classical selections. Repertoire includes their own innovative arrangements, as well as arrangements and compositions written exclusively for the duo.
Escape Ten actively performs around the country and has their own publication series of new percussion duos through Keyboard Percussion Publications (KPP). Recent activity includes a showcase concert at the 2016 PASIC Convention of new keyboard duo works, and Escape Ten's world premiere of their commission, 2300 Degrees by Ivan Trevino in Atlanta’s Spivey Hall.
Escape Ten has been featured artists at the Barnes Foundation, the 35th and 36th Annual Leigh Howard Stevens Marimba Seminars, the Rhea Miller Concert Series, the McCormick Marimba Festival, Minnesota Percussion Association Day of Percussion, University of Central Arkansas, University of North Carolina, Southeast Missouri State, Virginia Tech, the International Trombone Festival, Christopher Newport University, the Virginia Music Educators Association Conference and at the Virginia Humanities Conference at Roanoke College.
Decorated as accomplished soloists, Escape Ten members Annie Stevens and Andrea Venet have both performed and competed throughout the world. Both hold a doctorate in Performance and Literature from the Eastman School of Music. Dr. Stevens is Assistant Professor of Percussion at Virginia Tech Dr. Venet is Assistant Professor of Percussion at the University of North Florida.
Andrea and Annie are both Malletech performing artists, endorse Remo and Dream Cymbals, and are active members of the Percussive Arts Society.
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(Andrea Venet)
Dr. Andrea Venet is the Assistant Professor of Percussion at the University of North Florida where she directs the UNF percussion ensemble, teaches applied lessons, pedagogy, methods and percussion literature. As a passionate educator, Dr. Venet’s research involves pedagogy, with focus on college percussion education at various levels, classical improvisation and historically informed Baroque performance practice techniques for Bach on marimba. Her arrangements and compositions can be found through KPP.
As an international soloist, Dr. Venet has performed at the 5th Annual Marimba Competition in Stuttgart, Perkumania Paris International Marimba Competition, as well as taking 2nd prize at the 2013 PAS KoSA Solo Marimba Competition at New York University. Additionally, Dr. Venet has been a featured soloist with the Eastman Percussion Ensemble, a member of the award winning Santa Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps, and performed with Grammy winning alternative band TOOL.
(Annie Stevens)
Dr. Annie Stevens is the Assistant Professor of Percussion at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia where she teaches studio percussion and directs the Virginia Tech Percussion Ensemble. As an active soloist and chamber musician throughout the U.S. and internationally, Annie has been featured in recent performances at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention, International Trombone Festival, the International Trumpet Guild, the International Computer Music Conference, and Eastman’s China Connection Ensemble. She has performed with the festival orchestras of the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, the National Orchestral Institute in College Park, Maryland, and the Aspen Music Festival. She can be heard on albums, Blue Earth County with the Kelly Rossum Quartet, and Escape Ten’s, Colours of a Groove.