Tom Fletcher

My Story

Early Years

I began my journey with music at the young age of 8, initially starting on guitar and heavily influenced by bands at the time such as Iron Maiden, Def Leppard and Metallica.

Largely seft taught, through school I studied music and took music as a GCSE. I stuck with guitar for a number of years until starting college, where I studied A-Level Music Technology and a BTEC National Diploma in Popular Music.

College and Uni

At college, I had regular access to drum kits, and saved up for my own to be able to play in bands. My first drumming job was with a Metallica tribute band (straight in at the deep end!) after playing for around a year. During college I also played guitar in my originals band Asmodia, playing thrash metal. Keen to learn as much as I could, I also jumped at the chance to play drums in the college jazz band; a very hard but worthwhile experience for me at the time.

I progressed onto university, studying at Huddersfield, and it was at this time I turned to music as a full time job, drumming in a heavily working function band Jeepster, gigging upto four times a week. I also began teaching guitar around this time, in 2003.

Turning Pro

I continued teaching guitar for a few years, until finding premises to be able to teach drums in 2005, settling at The Old Vicarage in Wakefield, and where I am still based some 15 years later! Always keen to dabble with any instrument I can get my hands on, I bought my first alto saxophone around this time. Initially just for my own enjoyment (and spent long periods in its case), some years down the line it came out of its case one day and its new home was the stand, for regular access! In my normal manner, it became an obsession with the instrument. Moving onto tenor and baritone sax, I now play regular with orchestral and big bands.

Since turning “pro” in 2003, music has been my full time job; teaching and playing. I have played hundreds if not thousands of gigs, original and covers, including tribute bands to bands like ACDC, Iron Maiden, Slade, Pink Floyd, Motorhead, Metallica and Slayer. I’ve played as a full time member in a number of local rock covers bands, and been a guest “dep” musician, standing in for their regular players to dozens of bands; covers and original.

Present Day

This leads up to the present day. I currently play guitar for Jeepster on weekends, baritone sax for Wakefield Orchestral Wind, and play with Wakefield Big Band on saxophone too. In addition to teaching at Wakefield Music Tuition, since 2013 I have also been a peripatetic instrumental teacher at Ossett Academy (Wakefield), and later Carlton Primary School (Leeds).

Music is much more than a hobby for me; it is a way of life and a passion that has been with me for almost 30 years. In much the same way I did when I was younger, I still find music fascinating. I still seek out music that I have not heard before and am inspired by it, and still work to improve my technique through strict practise regimes.