Alex D
Instruments: Drums
Styles: Classical, Jazz, Pop, Rock, Blues, Folk, Country, R&B, Gospel, Musical Theater, Latin, Funk, Hip Hop, Electronic, Flamenco, Salsa, Showtunes, Spirituals, Reggae, Merengue, Latin Jazz, Swing, New Age, Samba, Bossa Nova, Soul, Marching Band, Punk, Avant-garde
Alex D
Instruments: Drums
Styles:
Classical, Jazz, Pop, Rock, Blues, Folk, Country, R&B, Gospel, Musical Theater, Latin, Funk, Hip Hop, Electronic, Flamenco, Salsa, Showtunes, Spirituals, Reggae, Merengue, Latin Jazz, Swing, New Age, Samba, Bossa Nova, Soul, Marching Band, Punk, Avant-garde
Where I Teach:
Ages Taught: 10-80
Bachelor Degree: The University of Kansas
Dick Wright Jazz Award 2016
Growing up in a musical family, I gravitated toward the drums to help round out the family band. My passion for drum set and percussion grew in middle school and high school when I joined concert, marching and jazz bands. I studied music in college, honing my drum set skills with an emphasis in jazz. I graduated from the University of Kansas with a bachelor's degree in music. While in college, another passion arose: teaching. I have been teaching drum set, percussion, ensembles and bands for over 10 years. I enjoy playing a wide variety of music styles, performing in bands, and writing and recording my own original music. I bring my lifelong passion for music to every student and every lesson.
I have been playing drums for 20 years and teaching for over 10 years. I've performed professionally all across the United States, including both coasts and throughout the midwest. In high school, I began teaching by showing my peers how to improve on their percussion instruments. Since then, it's been my lifelong endeavor to continue to improve, both as a musician and an educator. It is important for me to continue to learn, grow and perform in order to best help my students. The more experience I gain, the more I hope to pass along to my students!
For beginners: the key to success when first starting out is having fun! While it is important to learn fundamentals/technique/repertoire/songs, the first step is being interested and curious. Of course, as we progress, I will introduce songs, books, rudiments, exercises etc. Putting the fun before progress, makes the progress fun! For intermediate/advanced students: it is still important to have fun, but you will have more responsibility and required learning. There are hundreds of books/songs/materials that are useful (and a handful that will be required reading/listening), but I emphasize coming up with a curriculum that works best for each individual student. I require input/suggestions from students so that the student is learning a mix of required material and the student's preferences.
Every person is different. It's the most interesting and important aspect of learning an instrument. What you sound like on your instrument is completely unique to you. For this reason, I don't believe any one curriculum, class, course or YouTube tutorial will work best for everyone. Of course, all of those things will play a role in a student's development. However, I believe working with a student means understanding their goals, even if they themselves are unsure, as well as guiding them through the traditional and professional aspects of drumming. This will allow for a student's personality and individuality to shine through and encourage them to continue their drumming journey beyond the lesson environment.
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