Drum Lessons in West Brookfield, MA

Instruments: Drums Orchestral Percussion

Currently, I am a member of the Raider's drum and Bugle Corp's (Burlington, NJ) percussion staff. The raiders are an open class DCI group that competes in the summer against other open class groups. My job duties include running rehearsals, providing weekly assignments to members, and providing individualized critique and information for students. This ensemble meets once a month from November to April then moving to every weekend, and then eventually a 3-4 week long tour over the summer. Read More

Instruments: Drums Mallet Percussion

I expect hard work from every student I teach. While I don't expect every week to be successful (We are human for goodness sake) as long as a student gives a true honest effort we can always make progress together. I always encourage questions or comments during or after the lesson. I want every student to leave my studio feeling confident they can get sufficient work done for our next lesson. Read More

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

It really depends on needs and desires of student!  I create custom lesson plans for each student depending on their current ability level, age, and future goals. For drums -topics include: various Snare books to teach students sight reading basics while focusing on technique, transcriptions of drum grooves and solos, learning and playing along to recordings, etc.  For Piano, I combine a traditional note reading approach/music theory with the "by ear" Suzuki Method. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Drums Bass Guitar Harmonica

Nothing is more rewarding than helping someone discover their musical personality. Again, my style of teaching is partially dependent on what a student hopes to gain from lessons, but I first like to develop a rapport with the musicians I work with in order to foster a comfortable environment and healthy ambition. I think it is also necessary to set realistic goals to allow students to actively see their own progress. Read More

Instruments: Drums Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion Conga Latin Percussion Djembe

My teaching experience dates back to my college days, as I began teaching private lessons part time 20 years ago, and have been consistently teaching high school band and percussion for the last 15 years. Encouraging regular practice on a consistent schedule is one of the key points I like to emphasize for younger students, as it tends to help the student progress and gain a passion for the instrument. I've also found that a combination of classical and modern music can go a long way in helping students enjoy the instrument and motivate them to practice and continue to learn. Read More

Instruments: Drums Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion

I really look forward to starting my teaching career with private lessons. I believe that it is necessary to really listen and communicate with the student about his/her goals and the techniques/exercises that I utilize to help them achieve their goals. In private lessons I think that each student requires a individualized practice scheme, pace, and form of encouragement to achieve his/her goals. Read More

Instruments: Voice Drums

My lessons for vocalists are divided into two sections: technique and repertoire. For singers, breath management skills are of primary importance as this directly affects intonation. I like to begin with Anne Peckham's The Contemporary Singer. My students can choose any songs they would like to sing while we work on musicianship skills including expression and lyrical phrasing. Singers who want to study jazz and improvisation use one or more of my pedagogical texts on scat singing. Read More