The Beat Goes On

When Gregory Sadler, Class of 2008, first sat down at a drum kit, he was just a seven-year-old kid living in Chicago.

“My dad had his drum set from when he was in middle school set up in our basement, and I was like a moth to flame,” Sadler recalled about his first time interacting with the drums.

A year later, his family moved to California, as did his growing musical fascination. Connecting with a drum teacher, Sadler was already playing regularly before he stepped onto the Oaks Christian School campus, where he quickly found his space within the performing arts program.

“Oaks was great for me,” he said. “I was a really big fish in a really small pond.”

“They would hire a pro band for the musical and have me play drums so I could get experience with the pro players,” Sadler said. Faculty also pushed him to pursue outside opportunities. “They plugged me into situations.”

Performing in numerous productions and ensembles on and off campus, as well as sharpening his skill set both in and out of the classroom, a key element of his musical growth came from the mentorship of music faculty member Ryan Kelly.

When Kelly joined the Oaks Christian faculty during Sadler’s sophomore year, he had already heard about Sadler through colleagues, further reinforcing the young musician’s growing reputation within the program. Reflecting on that early impression and the years since, Kelly shared, “I have been and continue to be impressed with Greg’s work ethic, how he treats people, and how he approaches the work. Those are just all the reasons why he’s going to continue to thrive.”

Kelly emphasized that these qualities have continued to define Sadler’s career trajectory: “A guy like Greg will always work; he’s teachable, has a great attitude, and people will want to work with him.”

Sadler credits Kelly with not only helping shape his musicianship but also his sense of calling as well. Curious about his mentor’s career choice, Sadler once asked Kelly, “How did you decide to go into teaching instead of playing?”

Kelly’s response stuck with him. The instrument, he explained, demanded so much time that it raised the question: Do I want to be married to this instrument?

“For me, that was the light bulb moment,” Sadler said. “I did want to be married to the drums.”

“Oaks has always been such a supportive environment and really was a great incubator for me to get the confidence and experience I needed in and outside of school before I went off to one of the most competitive jazz programs in the country,” he said of both his alma maters, Oaks Christian School and the University of North Texas.

Today, Sadler is a Los Angeles–based professional drummer with a fully packed schedule in studios and on stages around the world. Having provided the rhythmic foundation for GRAMMY, Emmy, and Tony winners, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees, and more, Sadler also teaches privately and coaches actors preparing for on-screen drum roles.

Yet despite his growing résumé, Sadler remains closely connected to Oaks Christian. “I try to come back as much as I can.”

His most recent visit came this past January, when he returned as a guest musician, performing alongside students at the school’s inaugural Guitar Showcase. Each visit leaves the OCS graduate inspired.

“I am just so blown away every time by how talented the students are and how much the program has grown, and how intentional Joe DiBlasi, Ryan Kelly, Mary Kay Altizer, and Ed Rouse have been in building the amazing music department that Oaks has now,” Sadler said. “It is just a completely different animal from when I was there. I'm so thrilled to see the program thriving every time I go back.”

What began as a child drawn “like a moth to a flame” to a drum set in a Chicago basement has grown into a career on some of the industry’s biggest stages and screens. And for Sadler, the rhythm that started at home and was nurtured at Oaks Christian is still driving him forward today.