All Sam wants is to play the drums. She's always hearing beats in her head, but she's not that great at playing. Her parents wouldn't pay for private lessons even if they could afford them, while sixth grade band is chaotic and only slightly better than useless. But when the district cuts her school's music program, Sam faces a threat worse than mediocrity: no drums in her life at all. Sam can't accept that. She'll find a way to get lessons herself-earn the money, convince drum legend Pete Taylor to teach her, and practice until she can play the way she dreams. If her parents find out, there will be trouble. But whatever it takes to learn, that's what Sam will do...

Mike Grosso is an author, musician, and a fifth-grade teacher who always keeps a guitar in his classroom. His father gave him his first lesson, and his mom taught him how to keep a steady rhythm. Mike continues to write and record music at his home in Oak Park, Illinois, where he lives with his son and a drum set he plays much too loud.