Guitar Lessons in Bellevue, WA

Instruments: Drums

What advice do you have about practicing effectively?
Preferably a student would do at least 10-15 minutes of practice every day, if not more. Even if you set up a practice pad in front of your television set, just spend a little time during the week. As a teacher, I usually know if a student has practiced because I can see the difference when a student progresses from week to week.

How do I know if my child is ready to start lessons?
If your child is banging on things around the house they are probably ready. Or they may have seen someone play live or on tv and they want to try it. It is not a problem when a child decides it's not for them. A trial lesson is always welcome to see if they want to continue.

When will I start to see results?
Everyone is different and some excel more quickly than others. In my experience, most people can see results after the first or second lesson.

Why did you choose your primary instrument?
I saw some drummers on television and wanted to try it out.

What musical accomplishments are you most proud of?
I played at Madison Square Garden with my parents in the audience. That was one of the highlights of my life. Being signed to a major record label and touring the country was certainly an accomplishment to be proud of but playing at the Garden was special.

Have any of your students won awards or been selected for special honors? How have they succeeded?
I have had a student go through Berklee College of Music on full scholarship. I cannot take full credit for that but I had a lot to do with his development. I believe that his joining the high school marching band was also a major contributor to his education. Many of my students play at their school talent shows and it's always a thrill for me to be invited to those shows.

What do you think is the hardest thing to master on your instrument?
4 way independence can be a challenge. All of your limbs can be playing parts of the drums set at the same time playing different notes or rhythms.

Do you use specific teaching methods or books? (Ex: Alfred, Bastion, Suzuki, Hal Leonard) Why did you choose them if you did?
Basic Syncopation for Drums is a book that works well for beginning students. We also study from several other books including, Elementary Drum Method, Syncopation for The Modern Drummer, Modern Reading Text in 4/4 and Funk Drumming by Jim Payne (one of my teachers). These books have enough variety for the student to get used to various ways to write drum music.

What does a normal practice session look like for you?
I'm inspired by other drummers as are most drummers. There is so much available today online that when I see something I want to try, that becomes my practice session. It also reminds me of things that I already know how to do but may have not used in a while. This includes beats I may not have played and were stored away in my brain. It's fun to go back to those things.

If you weren't a musician what do you think you'd be doing instead?
I already found a way to be in the music business even if it wasn't playing drums. I took a course on recording engineering and became an engineer/producer. After many years being the "organizer/manager" of bands, I also excelled at bringing order to chaos. So I managed a very successful record production company and worked with many well known recording artists. Some of these artists engaged me to help them with their projects including Mick Jagger, Rod Stewart, David Lee Roth and more.

What is your favorite style/genre of music to play and why?
I love pop and rock music but I also like funk drumming like James Brown and others.

If you play more than one instrument, how did you decide to start playing the second? (Or 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc)!
I played in a number of rock bands so I often asked the guitar players to show me things on guitar. The rest I picked up myself as I have a good ear for music. Again, the internet is a good resource for learning. Drummers and bass players are often aligned in a musical situation. Because of that, I am able to play some bass guitar as well.

Does music run in your family? Tell us a little about your musical family members.
Music runs in my family. My dad had his own orchestra and was a wonderful piano player. We played together sometimes when I was a teenager. My mom was a tap dancer in her younger days and also played the piano. I have to add that both of my children are musical as well. My daughter has a wonderful singing voice and my son plays the drums and is an awesome DJ.

When did you decide to become a professional musician? Was it a gradual decision or was there a defining moment for you?
I was at a point in my life when I needed to figure out where I was headed. I knew music was my love and I had to figure out how to make it work for me. I took a course to become a recording engineer. Then I went to music school and continued to play drums. I was in a band that got signed to a recording contract, so that was my defining moment...I was now a professional drummer. After that played out and the band had run its course, I used my talents to work in the music industry in a managerial position, all the while continuing to play the drums.

Read More