I’m Tuomas Rauhala, a Finnish drummer, educator, and entrepreneur originally from Vimpeli, now based in Tuusula. With around three decades behind the drums, my work brings together performing, teaching, and helping drummers understand their instrument—and their own playing—more deeply.

I started playing at the age of nine, studying classical percussion before finding my musical home in jazz, fusion, rock, and metal. After graduating from Kaustinen College of Music at 19, I moved to Helsinki to continue my studies at the Helsinki Pop/Jazz Conservatory and later Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, where I graduated with a degree in Pop/Jazz Music Pedagogy in 2012.

My playing combines energy, versatility, and a commitment to serving the music. Alongside my work with For The Imperium and Grand Discovery, I’ve performed or collaborated with artists including Mikael Gabriel, Kasmir, Redrama, Anna Abreu, Waltteri Torikka, Saara Aalto, Laura Voutilainen, Poets of the Fall, John Patitucci, Paul Gilbert, and Andre Nieri. My experience also includes working as a drummer on the Finnish television show Putous.

As a teacher, I want students to understand why something works—not just how to repeat it. My approach focuses on strong fundamentals, the mechanics of movement, and the relationship between technique, sound, and musical expression. We explore how rebound, grip, posture, and coordination work together, with the aim of developing greater control, freedom, and ease behind the drums.

I’m particularly interested in helping drummers recognise unnecessary tension, build purposeful practice habits, and develop an approach that suits their own body and musical goals. Technique becomes valuable when it gives you more freedom to make music.

Through my online drum school, Drum Routines, I offer courses, practical exercises, and coaching for drummers around the world. I also teach at my studio in Tuusula and co-founded the Hahto & Rauhala Drum Camp with Kai Hahto, bringing drummers together for focused learning and shared musical experiences.

Whether I’m on stage or teaching, the thread is the same: curiosity about how drumming works, and how we can keep growing as musicians.

I’m proudly endorsed by TAMA Drums and SABIAN Cymbals.