Dom Famularo

Dom Famularo was EVERYTHING that a DEAREST BEST FRIEND could be....Loving, Inspirational, Caring, Generous, Funny, Leader of the pack, Sharing, Supportive, Ethical, Religious, Encouraging, Educating, and Enriching my life in soooooo many ways.

His Sessions family is committed to preserving and continuing his legacy. Dom's wife told me one of the last things he told her was to let The Sessions team know that The Sessions lifted him up...we all know how many thousands people he did that for as an Educator, Mentor, Author, and Musician.

Charmaine also told me that he told her he would be sending signs....last night I had one. Scott and I were having dinner at a restaurant. There was a pianist playing some lovely tunes. I thought to myself I wonder if he will play "Wind beneath my wings" a song that I had told Dom always reminded me of what he meant to me. A few minutes later a lady came into the restaurant with this jacket on. Thank you God and Dom for giving me a sign that comforts me knowing that the angels brought you "BACK HOME"Description goes here

I have known Dom Famularo since we were teenagers. He was a drummer, teacher, author, lecturer and philanthropist . These were some of the things he was good at.

A father, husband, friend….This is where he was great. He used the drums as his vehicle to travel the world so people could be touched by his passion for life . When he spoke to the students during a Sessions panel event, he made it clear that no one person was better than another. We are all just at different levels of where we eventually strive to be.

Yes, Dom was a great drummer. But for me Dom was better in front of the drums when he spoke. I will continue to spread Dom’s love for drums and life while passing on his message. The message that I heard, every time I sat on The Sessions Panel .

I will miss him 💔

– Lib

I first met Dom when Mapex Drums was hosting the "Drummer of Tomorrow" contest at NAMM. He was the MC and I was the Stage Director of the event. He didn't know me but he treated me with so much respect and made sure I was having a good time doing my job. His smile, laughter, and energy was intoxicating and I loved working with him even though it was a stressful event. But that's what Dom did.

"Put your big boy pants on" he would say as he wanted and even expected that everyone should tackle life with a sense of pride and responsibility and to take nothing for granted and to have fun.

Dom taught me to live life to the fullest and to cherish every opportunity. His purpose driven life was infectious and those who were lucky enough to know him were changed for the better. Years later Dom accepted me along with other incredible people into The Sessions and while I heard him speak over 100 times, I learned something new each and every time and his energy and passion never wavered.

Dom's ability to motivate and inspire would have made him a great preacher, teacher, band leader, CEO, actor, counselor, and philosopher. Actually, when you think about it- Dom was all those things and more. Dom influenced my life and career in ways he never knew and I know he did the same for 1000's of others as well. He will be missed but his legacy of "onward and upward" will live forever.

I met Dom in 2010 when taking a group photo of famous drummers while promoting SticksnSkins Drummer Photography book. I didn’t know a drummer before and Dom didn’t know a Stranger!!!!! How quickly that changed!

My life’s path changed and I will forever be grateful for it & knowing Dom!

Dom’s enthusiasm, passionate, encouraging & always positive nature, genuine love of music, people and his empowering & inspirational words…..what an incredible gift he offered endlessly to everyone he met!! His sense of humor…WOW..….He would fire up a room! His unbelievable stories & experiences made me laugh so hard,, always a joy to be around!

My heartfelt condolences to Dom’s wonderful wife Charmaine and their amazing sons Dominick, Maxwell & Jonathan for sharing him & helping to make him be the man we know & love.

You’ll be missed my dear friend and mentor but never forgotten. It’s an honor to continue your legacy in this world with The Sessions & in all I do!

Through tears....

When I first arrived in The Sessions “tribe” as its newest member, Dom welcomed me with open arms and became my instant mentor. The Sessions motto: “Enrich, Educate, Empower” fit Dom to a “T”.

A brilliant musician, he was everlastingly supportive of everyone he met. I was SO honored to be interviewed by him, in his inimitable style, for The Sessions Artist YouTube channel. But mostly, his love of life—his “over joy”—was so infectious that it will forever be etched on my heart.

What an incredible life, filled with the highest level of creativity. What a legacy to carry on! Dom, you are now—and always will be—with us!

With great love, Christine

There are insufficient words and not enough time to explain the impact Dom had on those around him. We traveled the world together, to The UK, France, Germany and Italy and crisscrossed the US on many occasions. I never tired of his company. Not once.

His positivity is well documented but it took time with him to discover the depth of his compassion and the heights of his intellect. He loved, of course, but he also cared and that is harder. He cared about people around him not just in the now but also in the future.

He saw potential in everyone and was willing to go more than the extra step to assure everyone's potential was attainable. What made him remarkable was that because of him, people saw their own potential and were inspired to improve and change their future

All of us who were lucky enough to have him In our lives are better people because of him. He is irreplaceable. I loved him. I miss him. Our job is to continue his legacy.

To Queen Char, you are an inspiration! To Dominick, Jonathan and Max, your Dad was simply the best man I have ever known. He was so proud of each of you and he lives on through you. We are all here whenever you need us.

Dom always was teaching even if he didn't know it..

When I was brought on as a Member of the Sessions Panel I knew I had to prepare myself for public speaking and after my first presentation I knew that I had to improve in order to stay at a standard that I knew was expected.

So like any beginning student I began to really observe how the true Masters of the English language were able to speak and deliver their message so effortlessly .

I looked forward to every Sessions Event as I would be able to pick up a little something that would make me a better Presenter of our Message to the students.

The break thru for me was at one Event Dom sat next to me waiting for the next speaker to finish and I observed him writing bullet points for what he was going to talk about..

This was my "Ah-Ha" moment where I realized that this incredible person was teaching without even saying a word..A true teacher...

I also will remember my many moments of being in the hotel rooms while he prepared filming for our "Sessions Interviews" as they were eye opening as he mentally prepared what he was going to say from his detailed notes that he always had on each Artist which enabled him to have the conversations flow so naturally.

Dom was a true gift to the drumming world and from the lessons he taught us throughout the years we were together, they will in turn help us inspire others forever…

He will live on within us for the rest of our lives...

God Speed Dom Famularo...

Dom Famularo and I met in 1984 at the Frankfurt Music Messe in Germany. I immediately knew he was a “bit” different from anyone I had met. The combination of his high energy, positivity, curiosity, confidence, focus, commitment to continual learning, and ability to communicate with anyone while making them feel they were the only person in the room was unique. We became fast friends, and I watched him create his own space to become the Global Drum Ambassador. He had the ability to see opportunities and create opportunities when none existed. He was a force that created real positive change wherever he went.

A few years ago, he mentioned that he was teaching a group of about 90 drummers with drum pads and sticks online. This group consisted of drummers from Ukraine and Russia. I attended and watched him work his magic of getting these drum students excited and engaged regardless of their level of playing. That’s just one of thousands of examples of Dom spreading his passion for drumming around the world.

It was always a joy to work and spend time with Dom. We shared the same sense of humor, so any time spent together was full of laughter and fun.

I saw how much he impacted lives from all walks of life with many different abilities. He helped them find the courage they didn’t know they had to pursue their dreams in and out of the drumming world.

I will always be thankful that Dom got me involved with Jules Follett and the Sessions with their important work of sharing how to create successful careers in the music business. Watching Dom get the audience fired up for our presentations was like watching a coach getting their team fired up for the big game.

Dom could not have done what he achieved without the support of his wonderful wife, Charmaine, and their three sons, Dominick, Jonathan, and Max. He was so proud of all of you. Thank you for sharing him with all of us.

Dom has left us with his energy and vision to carry on his mission of empowering people to realize what they can truly achieve. It’s up to all of us to carry it forward.

Dom, our fearless leader who made every person feel his magic individually. The smile that went on for days. The most genuine person who never had a negative word.

Beyond thankful to have shared such an amazing journey with you inspiring all that we did.

“This is gonna be Freakin’ HUGE!”

“Ta Dah”

“Where’s Liz?”

“We only ask one thing of you, Prove Us Right!!”

Your words are forever in our hearts and you will always be with us. Onward and Upward

I had the absolute pleasure of meeting Dom over four days at NAMM 2023, and that was enough time for me to feel the deep impact that he had on everyone around him and the global community of musicians he served.

While still fighting his illness, he carried himself with renowned positivity and determined perseverance to uplift each individual that he came across. I watched him speak to a room full of people, captivate every single one, address them like they were the only person in the room, and leave them with a renewed sense of inspiration and ambition.

In our individual conversations, he spoke to me with a deep sense of care, took a keen interest in my ambitions in life, and showed unwavering appreciation for my contributions up to that point. You rarely meet someone who has such a profound impact on you in such a short period of time. And everyone I know has felt this exact feeling from Dom.

Dom was really just THE BEST person. He was FANTASTIC! (As he would say) Everything he did and said was to make other people's lives easier and better. He really truly cared about you and you could feel it from the first time you met him. He used his gift of music to not just inspire, but to really help people. He made you feel instantly comfortable around him and hanging with Dom was always one of the best times! He was always quick with a great story or an even better joke! He was so giving of his time even if he had a million appointments or lessons that day, he would still stop and listen to what you had to say or ask. His big smile is one of the best there ever was!

We are all soooo very lucky to have had Dom as part of our story. He was one of the GREAT ones! We will miss him so damn much until we meet again! ❤️🥁

To my dear friend,

Words cannot express my deep admiration. You were one of a kind, such a genuine soul that I'm sure I'll never meet another quite like.

The wisdom and generosity you always shared will continue to live on through your words and memory. You were a guiding light for all.

I'm so grateful for our time together and will forever miss you. Peace & love.

It's impossible to wholly articulate the unique qualities that made him special, rather, you had to experience it. His authentic, genuine, and honest expression flowed out of him effortlessly - forever the real deal! He was a booming thunderclap, a lightning strike of a person, that filled you with the energy to march forward and pursue your dreams with a childlike whimsy. It was an honor to experience the man, the legend, the friend, Dom. Thank you for all the lessons, maestro!!