We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Marton Veress, founder of International Drum School Budapest a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Marton, thanks for joining us today. Let’s kick things off with the mission of IDS – what is it and what’s the story behind it?
My name is Marton Veress, I am a professional touring drummer and educator.
I started my journey in the US in 2012 when I received a scholarship at the Collective School of Music New York City, one of the finest music schools in NYC. I remember how scary and challenging it was to move to another continent on my own at such a young age. Finding myself in a community of other musicians from all over the world helped me to build connections and we started to explore the city together, go to shows and we became good friends.
The mission behind IDS is to prepare our students to become a competitive member of the music industry and also to create a community for foreign people living in Budapest where they could meet other like minded people.
Therefore to grow our community we organize group lessons, recitals, jam sessions, masterclasses and drum camps for our students.
Marton, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I lived in the US for almost a decade, building my career and experiencing the livelihood both of NYC and LA. I have worked with some of the biggest names in the industry and toured all over the world with such bands as ORGY (legendary multi platinum record rock band) , Armageddon (lead by the guitarist Chris Amott of Arch Enemy), Davey Suicide, Assuming we Survive and more. With my bands I gained tremendous amount of experience playing live shows from clubs to main stages of huge festivals and recorded many albums in some of the most well known studios in the world.
On the side, I was always teaching private drum lessons in music schools, studios and also on the road while touring before shows.
I was always dreaming about having my own music school someday so I decided to open International Drum School Budapest in 2021. The main target audience of IDS are the foreign students and expats living in Budapest, sharing the same passion towards music.
At my school we provide private and group drum and percussion lessons to all ages and levels.
At IDS we create a vibrant international community of drummers.
Therefore, one of the most unique features of our school are the student recitals and summer drum camps. We organize regular recitals at Budapest Jazz Club where students can play their favorite songs experiencing how is it to be on a real stage playing for an audience and to inspire each other.
In the summer of 2023 IDS organised its first drum camps. The first one was for adults for 3 days on the riverside of Nagymaros and the second one was for kids & teens for 4 days in the cultural center of Leányfalu. In our drum camps we focus on the key elements of drumming: hand technique, reading, grooves, fills and coordination. Besides the multiple drum lessons every day, we also do music/drum history presentations and masterclasses. Our adult camps offer some free time activities like enjoying the beach or exploring the hiking trails of the Danube bend.
Besides learning the necessary techniques on the drum set, IDS provides self-management and career consultations in person or online. The sessions are always personalized, and the topics could vary from how to build up a professional portfolio, to how to post on social media, how to write a professional application to a band, what to do and not to do on rehearsals, shows and tours, my experiences living in New York / Los Angeles as a professional musician, and more.
Lately I decided to expand my business and introduce other instruments besides drums as well.
In 2023 we launched International Guitar School Budapest (IGS) and International Vocal School Budapest (IVS).
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
I have started International Drum School Budapest, after returning to my hometown during covid. In 2020 my whole life changed: after living in LA for 4 years, having two actively touring bands and multiple jobs, when the pandemic hit, everything got shut down and I was forced to move back home and start everything over. I always enjoyed teaching and I was always dreaming about having my own music school someday. It felt like that maybe this is going to be the time to start something new.
During the lockdowns, I was delivering pizzas by bike and teaching drums on the side under my own name.
Creating the brand was a game changer and now I am able to do my own business full time.
We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.
Besides the top quality of education we provide, the key answer to this question lies in the strong community we build between the students and the faculty of the school. Our students have the opportunity to socialize and make new friends on the recitals and drum camps. Sometimes we organize out of school team building activities together.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.idsbudapest.com
- Instagram: @idsbudapest
- Facebook: @idsbudapest
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/martonveressdrums
Image Credits
Lajos Somogyi (Bands Through The Lens) Peter Hari Harsanyi