Drum Lessons in Takoma Park, MD

Instruments: Piano Drums Synthesizer Music Keyboard

My goal is to get students to appreciate the joy of actually practicing and performing music so that they enjoy becoming better musicians overall Practice can be time consuming take a lot of patience and perseverance. I strive to make sure practice methods are productive and enjoyable at the same time. I encourage students to practice concepts that play on their strengths and weaknesses in order to nurture self confident individuals. Read More

Instruments: Drums

For beginning students: young teens , children, adults, I start them off with them just playing something whether it be a beat from a song theyve listened to and want to play. From there, I begin to introduce them to the fundamentals of time and hearing that goes into playing any kind of instrument and there can grasp those 2 keys to progress in paying drums. And for those students. I try to find out what theyre interested in. Read More

Instruments: Piano Drums Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion Keyboard

Prior to studying at Peabody I toured professionally with various jazz ensembles, including competing for first place wins at the Reno (Nevada) Jazz festival for two years. At Peabody I studied with Fernando Laires and later, Robert Weirich where I excelled in contemporary music and difficult avant guarde performance ensembles. I was also a frequent guest performer for the Peabody Camerata Ensemble under director Gene Young. In the mid 90s I created the Bachelor of Music curriculum for the Maryland Bible College. Read More

Instruments: Drums

For beginner students I have a study guide that I go off of that we will talk about at our first meeting. To give a glimpse, I start off by teaching about the rudiments, and I can't stress this enough. Using a metronome is best in all playing. If you want to play drums in a band, or what have you, you have to learn to play with a click. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Violin Trumpet Trombone Saxophone Flute Clarinet Drums Bass Guitar Recorder Euphonium French Horn Tuba Piccolo Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion Music Keyboard

For begining student I typically start with a book called Essential Elements. I supplement some of the things in the book with other literature and hand written exercise to help enhance learning experience. For Adults I try to find what genre and music style they would like to work on. This then allows me to plan a custom learning experience that best suits them and what they're looking to gain from the experience. Read More

Instruments: Piano Trumpet Trombone Saxophone Flute Clarinet Drums Bass Guitar Double Bass Piccolo Oboe Bassoon Music Keyboard

I'm a firm believer in transparent and respectful communication. I work diligently along side the parent(s)/guardian(s) and student(s) to develop a positive rapport with them. I will remind them that the process of learning an instrument, and engaging in performance is a collaborative effort; it can be a ton of fun; however, it still takes, a lot of patience, hard work and commitment. Each lesson is goal oriented and recorded. Read More

Instruments: Drums Conga Latin Percussion Djembe

My teaching approach focuses on fundamentals of technique, grooves, taste, and good timekeeping. I am interested in a student becoming a good listener and being able to play a variety of musical styles. I integrate rudiments, reading, drum fills, solo ideas, improvisation, and developing a unique style. I use a variety of methods, including skills I heard as a pro drummer on stage in the studio. I make use of books and other lessons depending on the ability level of the student , but I rely on classics like "Stick Control," "Syncopation" and "Accents and Rebounds". Read More