Stewart Copeland is widely regarded as one of the best drummers in the world. His adept knack for syncopation--that's expressed through his thrusting bass drum drives and subtle, yet spry, hi-hat work--has helped him gain notoriety from mainstream audiences and drumming peers, which has led to a lifelong and extremely varied career as a musician. Though he was born in America, Copeland spent his formative youth in various countries throughout the Middle East. Learning how to drum at the age of 12, young Copeland began to absorb many complex Arabian rhythms, and by the time he turned 13, he was playing drums at school dances. After moving to England to complete high school, he'd move to California for college, but then return to England to immerse himself in the thriving music scene that existed in London during the 1970s. Copeland would serve as drummer for the progressive rock band Curved Air in 1975 and 1976, shortly before meeting a bass player named Sting and a guitarist named Andy Summers. The trio's inherent chemistry would lead them to form a band called The Police that would make a characteristic style of music heavily influenced by the reggae and punk genres. During its existence, from 1977 to 1984, The Police would go on to become one of the most popular bands in the world, largely due to Copeland's impressive ability to hold down a steady beat while simultaneously adding syncopated flourishes with agile tom rolls and splash cymbal hits. After The Police broke up, Copeland would go on to have a prolific career as a film, television and video game scorer, while also serving as drummer for a number of different outfits, including playing with Tom Waits, Peter Gabriel, an Italian world music ensemble, a jazz supergroup and a trio called Oysterhead with Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio and Primus bassist Les Claypool, in addition to a number of personal projects and solo releases.
