Ever wonder how a skater punk becomes a music industry powerhouse? This week, Billy Cuthrell joins Dave Hamilton to share how his drumming journey kicked off with a Ludwig kit and a dose of Zeppelin, then scaled into creating a chain of four music schools and a million lessons taught annually. From being Music Inc. Magazine’s “Retail Doctor” to pioneering a subscription-style lessons model that gives away instruments with lesson contracts, Billy proves that the business of music can be just as creative as the craft itself. It’s all about knowing when to grind and when to zoom out.
But Billy doesn’t stop at teaching—he’s still gigging regularly, including a recent gig with Cosmic Superheroes in front of thousands of fans, buying DrumSellers.com, and dropping wisdom learned from legends like Jim Chapin and Freddie Gruber. If you’ve ever asked what it takes to turn passion into impact, this episode lays it out: persistence, play, and paying your dues. Remember, whether you’re behind the kit or building a business, you’ve got one job: Always Be Performing.


00:00:00 Gig Gab 488 – Monday, June 30th, 2025

June 30th: International Asteroid Day
Guest co-host: Billy Cuthrell


00:02:06 How did you become Music Inc. Magazine’s “Retail Doctor”?

College Radio Hit machine!
Go Figure (Dave’s college band)
Fountain of Youth (Billy’s college band)


00:05:58 Starting at 19 ran music lessons

Like the musical ice cream man at first, then 4 locations
Then added sales on because students need instruments!


00:07:41 School of Rock…in 1996!

Same time Skip’s Stairway to Stardom started up
Lawyers, yadda yadda, changed the name to “Rock Academy”
Early Drumkits

Ludwig 1960’s Blue Sparkle (for Billy)
Ludwig Rocker II (for Dave)




00:12:41 Introduced to Zeppelin’s “The Song Remains The Same”

Converted Billy from Skater Punk to Drummer
“I know I can play.”
As soon as Billy got a drumset, he would race home from school and play until his parents got home.
Now it’s Noble & Cooley CD Maple drums
“The Only thing I love more than playing music is talking about music.” – Paraphrasing Mike Campbell
Instruments are meant to be used!
Ludwig Supraphonic 40th Edition Snare
Kirk Hamilton from Strong Songs comparing Gibson SG vs. Japanese


00:26:27 Music Inc. Magazine Puts Billy on the cover!

And…a stolen idea from cell phone contracts
Lightbulb moment: Give away the instrument to sell a 2-year lesson contract!
Changed 4 stores, 120 employees, doing over a million music lessons each year.
Now three tiers: Learn, Play, Perform

The Perform tier is locked in for 12-to-24 months by contracting them with “free” instruments


Balancing your business: Execution vs. Perspective
And THAT is how Billy became “Retail Doctor”


00:36:32 SPONSOR: Mechanical Licensing Collective – Are you a songwriter, music publisher, or administrator? Every month,