Drum Lessons in Verdugo City, CA

Instruments: Drums Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion Conga Latin Percussion Djembe

I am extremely motivated to see my students enjoy their musical journey and have then develop their own passion for music. This usually requires setting goals that my students can reach with adequate practice, and constantly encouraging them throughout lessons. I believe that when students are given the right encouragement and acknowledgement they are more likely to succeed and have even more drive to learn. Too often I have encountered teachers that are extremely harsh in their teaching, but I do not think this really brews learning at a young age. Read More

Instruments: Drums Orchestral Percussion

I primarily use original material when I teach, but occasionally Ill work from standard method books such as Stick Control, Master Studies, and Syncopation, or assign pages from more recent books like John Rileys The Art of Bop Drumming. Ill also pull out books specifically for sight reading such as Anthony Cirones Portraits in Rhythm. For beginning and intermediate students I focus on fundamental technique, basic sight reading skills, and drum set playing (independence/coordination of the limbs, relaxation and balance, time and groove, fills and solos, introduction of musical styles, etc.) For advanced students I get into more conceptual and creative aspects of playing the drums, but I also introduce the Spivack/Wilson technique which I learned during my studies with Murray Spivack and Richard Wilson in the 1980s [check out the 4-part series featured in Modern Drummer magazine in 2011-2012]. Read More

Instruments: Drums Orchestral Percussion Conga Latin Percussion Music Keyboard Djembe

My teaching style is supportive. I like to help teach a student how to practice as well as how to play. My fondest memories as a student were those where I was learning and listening to music with my teacher. Watching them react and feel the beats is an incredibly informative part of the learning experience. Learning of to digest material and make it feel musical and fun for the student is a huge goal that I have as a teacher. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Drums Bass Guitar Orchestral Percussion Conga Latin Percussion Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

Every student is different so my teaching style changes depending their personality and interests. Some students respond well to tough challenges and criticism, while others buckle under pressure. For each student I will find a balance between their musical interests and information that I think they need to know in order to become a better percussionist. In lessons, I maintain complete honesty with my students about their progress, but in a reassuring way to watch them grow as performers. Read More

Instruments: Drums

During the first lesson I always assess where the student is the learning timeline with their instrument. I also find out what the student's goals are with music. Once this has been established we work on a plan of action to acheive those goals. Since the vast majority of drum students are primarily interested in learning drumset skills, we will start working on this from the very first lesson. I tend to break drumset studies into these general groups: skills and technique, independence and coordination, groove studies, and reading. Read More

Instruments: Drums

For beginning students who are children, I typically start with really really simply technic to understand, easy to understand. Once the student has progressed to have a grasp of the fundamentals, I will begin to introduce "Rudiments" and sight reading. For adults, I try to find out what the student is interested in, and guide my instruction accordingly to keep the lessons engaging and fun, no matter their ability level. Read More

Instruments: Piano Saxophone Flute Clarinet Drums

I have about eight years of professional performance experience, and six years of professional teaching experience. In that time, I have had the opportunity to perform with music and entertainment legends such as Robin Thicke, Fred Willard, Sinbad, Ndugu Chancler, and Edward James Olmos, as well as modern jazz legends like Joshua Redman, Peter Erskine, Bob Mintzer, Bob Reynolds, David Sanchez, Benny Green, Donny McCaslin, Joe Lovano, and many more. Read More