ST. MARY’S CITY, Md. – The Mid-Atlantic Drum Camp (MADC) is proud to announce its most ambitious camp to date, held July 18–23, 2026, at St. Mary’s College of Maryland.
This high-energy intensive gathers the next generation of “drum engineers” for a program of integrating the subsystems between raw talent and refined musicianship.
The Mid-Atlantic Drum Camp (MADC) has evolved into a premier training ground for young drummers. Offering a collegiate mentorship environment, they are fundamentally shaping the next generation of talent.
A Historic Milestone
The camp has officially reached global status. For the first time ever, the MADC is hosting an international cohort of drummers traveling from New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam to study alongside drummers from the USA, with top industry professionals.
In a remarkable display of the program’s now global reputation, students are traveling from the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Vietnam and across the USA to expand their performance envelope.
To ensure personalized, hands-on mentorship, students are placed into small groups based on their submission video. This placement process ensures every drummer is challenged individually to advance their skills by a faculty of titans, including:
- Matt Garstka: The powerhouse behind Animals as Leaders. Widely considered by many as “the best drummer in the world today” Garstka is renowned for surgical precision and revolutionary rhythmic theory.
- Sheila Klotz: Award winning drummer and pillar in the percussion education community, focuses on transitioning complex technical concepts and grooves into musical application with an impassioned curriculum.
- Zack “Grooves” Graybeal: The social media phenomenon and jazz-fusion innovator captivating millions with his “ZackGrooves” drumming personality and virtuosic versatility.
- Monet Davis & Jaren Hodge: Imported specifically for this camp from the U.S. Virgin Islands, these rhythmic masters will take students into the depths of Caribbean rhythms, exploring the grooves and hybrids of Reggaeton, Calypso, Soca and Reggae.
“We are engineering the next generation of drummers” said Klotz, organizer of MADC. “By bringing in legends like Matt Garstka alongside the Caribbean mastery of Davis and Hodge – plus the DMV’s own GoGo drummer Willie Howell – we’re giving the students an expanded and diversified blueprint for their musical future.”
Adaptable Academy Driven by Feedback
Founder Sheila Klotz tailors the curriculum every year after carefully evaluating the most recent and previous year’s feedback from:
- Students seeking for modern industry skills
- Parents seeking high-utility educational experiences
- Featured artists teaching shifting trends in the music world.
This educational loop helps ensure the camp remains contemporary and relevant as It transforms from year to year to match the real-world flexibility of performing with modern music producing ensembles.
Elective Course Offerings
The 2026 program expands beyond kit techniques to provide guidance in music technology and production. The new, cutting-edge courses are selected similar to your school electives and include:
- Win the Audition
- Mic the Kit
- Digital Audio Apps
- …. and more!
The week-long camp culminates in a showcase featuring all eight groups, highlighting the grooves students performed in their submission videos, now elevated after a week of premier tutelage that also includes special guests: Lang Zhao, Alex Cohen, Justin Scott and Austin Burcham.
For information visit SOMAR DRUMMERS, INC or contact somardrummers@gmail.com.
