Tyla’s first experience of sitting in front of a drum kit occurred whilst in his early years at secondary school. The music dept at his school, had a drum kit, and one of the music department teachers suggested to Tyla that he should have a play. Once behind the school kit Tyla began doing his best at playing a beat. The music teacher was impressed enough with what he saw and heard and invited Tyla back for a few lessons. That moment was the beginning of Tyla’s journey as a drummer.
Tyla had a number of lessons which provided him with the necessary basic knowledge required in order to understand the drums. Most of Tyla’s ability and skill was gained by many hours of practice and he is largely self-taught. By playing along to his favourite bands he was able to develop his style quickly.
The support that his parents provided was vital in his development as a drummer. They provided him with a drum kit in a suitable part of the home and this allowed Tyla to play as much as is needed in order to develop.
His drumming ability was quickly noticed by some more established and older bands on the local music scene. He soon found himself playing in a number of local bands with very experienced musicians. The playing experience he gained was vital to his development. Before leaving secondary school, he was soon playing in a variety of cover bands on a regular basis covering styles such as rock and roll and hard rock .
The experience gained by playing a variety of styles has resulted in Tyla developing into a very knowledgeable and adaptable drummer.
Tyla’s main influences as a drummer are Vinnie Colaiuta, Eric Moore, Steve Gadd and Dave Weckl.
Tyla has travelled all across the UK playing in various regional touring shows as a drummer. He has also developed a very keen interest in sound engineering and music production and this has been very influential in the development of The White Gates Band live sound.
Tyla and Jessica had both played at a number of events together over the years prior to them becoming the first two members of The White Gates Band. It was at one of these events that the initial discussions occurred regarding starting a new young band. Within a few months Oscar and Ryan has joined them and The White Gates Band was formed.
Tyla Brooks
