Drum Lessons in Ardmore, PA

Instruments: Guitar Drums

My teaching style relies heavily upon training the ear to dissect what it is hearing. Developing the ear is crucial to being a self-reliant musician. In drums, the visualization how a rhythm works in time is essential to being able to perform that rhythm. Dissection and mapping are the key to furthering one's abilities on the drum kit. In guitar or in piano, being able to isolate frequencies with your ear will lead you to a more accurate understanding for chord structures and progressions than simply looking up tabs, which are often deeply flawed. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Drums Bass Guitar Music Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

Nothing is more rewarding than sharing my passion for music with my students! Therefore, it's important that each student progresses at his or her own pace Each student is an individual with a unique personality background, and therefore it is essential to meet the students where they are at. I encourage this by setting realistic goals for my students at each lesson. Acknowledging accomplishments helps fuel a students desire to progress, and makes students eager to learn more. Read More

Instruments: Drums Latin Percussion

In addition to drum set, I also teach djembe (West African), bodhran (Celtic), doumbek (Middle Eastern) and conga (Afro-Cuban). My favorite thing about teaching is watching students develop into creative musicians and finding their own voice. My playing and teaching has always been based in tradition, but not bound by it. I have found that keeping a relaxed, fun atmosphere during lessons allows students to learn at their own pace. Read More

Instruments: Piano Drums Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion Conga Latin Percussion Music Keyboard Djembe Acoustic Guitar

I've discovered over the years that every student is different and require a custom approach tailored to what method works best for them. Some students do very well working through publications of lesson books, while others seem to do better with a less structured approach driven more by listening and muscle memory. In both methods, I find it important to lead by example, not only to be able to show them correctly, but also to inspire them. Read More

Instruments: Drums Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion Djembe

Every drum student is different so I customize each lesson to fit the particular students needs and goals. I always start out with fundamentals and rudiments on the snare drum, Focusing on stick position posture and proper technique. Once these basics are established we move onto a basic drum set method book covering notation, basic drumbeats and drum fills. From there we branch out into various styles of drumming, very often we move to jazz drumming from there as that is usually the first time students are offered to play drum set in their school music program. Read More

Instruments: Drums Synthesizer Djembe

While purist drummers and other musicians consider these rhythm machines as soul-less threats to human drumming, Ive embraced them as tools to expand my expressive and compositional potential, and used sequencers, electronic drums, and other gadgets w/ my drum kit. I even took Oberlins music tech classes in analog and digital circuit design to better modify/repair existing instruments, or customize and design my own sound tools behind and beyond my drumset. Read More

Instruments: Drums Ukulele Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion Conga Latin Percussion Music

My main priority in our lessons is that you are getting the information and enjoyment out of it that you want. I will constantly be checking in with you to make sure that you are satisfied with what we are working on. I am excited that you are inviting me along in your music journey, and I am happy to help you no matter what your end goals may be with music. Read More