He then trains on a friend’s drum kit. That same year, he begins to practice karate.   From 12 to 15, with his ears full of the music he discovers in concert (Gentle Giant, Genesis, King Crimson, Yes, Magma, Gong, Zao), he plays drums by himself. He listens, observes gestures, redraws from memory what he heard. Despite his progression on the instrument, he feels that he does not have the abilities to express himself fully. 

He begins taking classes with Christian Nicolas. A week later, he recaps and transmits what he has just learned to some of his high school friends. First steps in his teaching experience, which will span the next forty years. At the same time, he plays in various groups whose members are ten years older than he is. 

As a reward for graduating from high school, he chooses to be offered his first drum kit, a Pearl, which he installs in a space borrowed by a Youth Club. He enters directly into classical percussion at the Conservatory of Versailles. Sylvio Gualda immediately notices him and takes him under his wing, offering him a place in the class of excellence he had opened for his best elements.  He also chooses to offer him private lessons. In December 1979, he enters directly the Dante Agostini school. Six months later, in June 1979, he is awarded the first prize. Thomas completes in three years, between 15 and 18, a course that normally lasts eleven years.

This is for several reasons: his musical culture, his love and gift for music, the excellence of the teachers who trained him, his creativity, his endurance (after the baccalaureate he spends 15 hours a day on the drums), the integration of karate in the gestures of his game. 

Between 1977 and 1979 he buys his Gretsch drum set (sold 20 years later to his former companion from the Conservatoire de Versailles, Simon Goubert). This is how he creates his legendary kit.