November 2026 Student Spotlight: Deecan Sumutka

Congratulations to drum student and band member, Deecan Sumutka, for being selected as this year’s November Student Spotlight! 

Deccan was nominated by his instructor, Brett Sellers, who says:

“Deecan started lessons after auditioning for his school jazz band and immediately showed a great interest in all aspects of percussion. 

Whether it’s Jazz and Rock drum set, marching percussion, or classical percussion, Deecan approaches every task with strong determination and an infectious enthusiasm. 

His progress over the last year has been incredibly impressive, and I am very excited to see his continued growth!”

We’re so proud of Deecan’s accomplishments and can’t wait to see what he does next! For the full interview, visit our YouTube channel.

What instrument do you play and how long have you been playing?

I play drums. I started playing percussion when I was 9, but I only started playing drumset when I was 11 (I’m 13 now).

What inspired you to choose your instrument?

 I like the variety of things that I can do with percussion, and it’s just very fun.

Who is your instructor and what is your favorite thing about them?

My instructor is Mr. Brett. My favorite thing about taking lessons with him is how he’s very supportive, but he still has a lot of advice on how I can improve my playing.

What is your favorite Stages memory?

My favorite Stages memory is probably when I auditioned for jazz band at my school and because I had been taking drum lessons, I got in.

Who are your favorite artists?

My favorite artists are Foo Fighters and the Dropkick Murphys.

If you could meet any musician, who would it be?

If I could meet any musician, I would probably choose to meet Dave Grohl from the Foo Fighters. He’s inspired my playing and I really like his music.

What is a musical goal you have?

A musical goal I have is to learn how to play “Schism” by Tool.

Watch the full interview on our YouTube channel!