Drum Lessons in Galena, IL

Instruments: Drums

I began teaching lessons after college in my home town of Boothbay Maine, working with young players in order to get a grasp for the teaching world. Over the past five years I have been teaching lessons off and on to various experience levels and learning styles which I believe makes me ready for anything. Seeing my students improve has been the most rewarding experince of my life. I take great pride in my ability to adapt to various students. Read More

Instruments: Piano Drums Bass Guitar Organ

For all students during the first lesson I have them play something regardless of their skill level. Based on personal experience I’ve noticed that not all students have the same level of ability. For example in drum lessons I’ve had some entry level students sit down and play a groove and have another sit down and have no coordination. After determining the students ability level, my next step is to determine what the students likes. Read More

Instruments: Drums Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion Latin Percussion Music

Every student comes at a different level, no matter what age they are. For younger students who are just beginning, I feel like it is my job to first and foremost get them excited about playing the drums. I find it to be difficult to teach anything if the student dimply does not want to be there because they do not have a good relationship with the instrument. Once I feel the student is excited and ready, I usually introduce the "Progressive Steps to Syncopation for the Modern Drummer." This book is important for building skills in reading music, ear training, and general funky rhythms! Read More

Instruments: Drums Bass Guitar Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

Having graduated from Professional Pedagogical University majoring in music and sound recording I started giving private bass and guitar lessons. Running a band from 2009 I've played tons of live shows and recorded 2 LPs and 4 EPs. With a Master's degree in Philosophy and international learning experience, I developed my teaching and professional skills to be shared with you. My teaching philosophy is: Fun and proficiency go hand in hand, and no need to make a subject more difficult than it is. Read More

Instruments: Drums

First and foremost, I teach to the comfortable speed of the student. Learning skill and permanent muscle memory is much more important that covering as much material as possible but then not grasping the concepts and motor skills. My main teaching style approaches beats and patterns in the simplest of actions, making sure the student is comfortable with those actions, then combining actions together, step by step as the student progresses until the student has the full understanding of the beat. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Drums Bass Guitar Ukulele Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

As a teacher, I believe one of my greatest responsibilites is to foster a love and care for music. If the student is not caring about music,then why are they studying? How will they progress? The best students are the ones who teach themselves. I can show the student the door, but he or she must walk through it. My second greatest responsibility is to teach the craft of music - including all the disciplines it needs. Read More

Instruments: Piano Drums Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion Conga Latin Percussion

I also strongly believe in the power of performance and having the opportunity to share what you learn and enjoy with others, so depending on the age I always strongly encourage finding performance opportunities of any kind, playing/practicing with friends, studying abroad, etc. However, as I said, every student is different, so these approaches have to be flexible in order to successfully accommodate my instruction to each individual student. Read More