Ben L
Instruments: Drums, Mallet Percussion, Orchestral Percussion
Styles: Classical, Jazz, Pop, Rock, Blues, Folk, Country, R&B, Gospel, Musical Theater, Latin, Funk, Hip Hop, Electronic, Salsa, Showtunes, Reggae, Merengue, Latin Jazz, Swing, New Age, Samba, Bossa Nova, Soul, Marching Band, Punk, Avant-garde
Ben L
Instruments: Drums, Mallet Percussion, Orchestral Percussion
Styles:
Classical, Jazz, Pop, Rock, Blues, Folk, Country, R&B, Gospel, Musical Theater, Latin, Funk, Hip Hop, Electronic, Salsa, Showtunes, Reggae, Merengue, Latin Jazz, Swing, New Age, Samba, Bossa Nova, Soul, Marching Band, Punk, Avant-garde
Where I Teach:
Ages Taught: 10-80
Studied Music Performance at University of Wisconsin - River Falls Studied Music Performance at University of South Dakota
2009 & 2013 - Minnesota Percussion Association Drumset I&E Champion 2011 - DCA Gold Medal with Minnesota Brass Drum & Bugle Corps 2012 - WGI Independent Open Class Silver Medal with Minnesota Brass Indoor Drumline 2013 - WGI Independent World Class Finalist with Minnesota Brass Indoor Drumline 2013 - DCA High Percussion with Minnesota Brass Drum & Bugle Corps
Drum set and marching percussion have been my passion since 2008. Through these instruments I've had the opportunity to meet hundreds of musicians from all over the US as well as travel much of the country. Performing everywhere from State Fair bandstands, to stadiums, to coffee shops, I've found there's always something new to see and someone new to meet. The opportunity to work with artists as varied as the musicians from Sioux City Symphony, to the great jazz guitarist Mike Stern has been incredible. Music is an endless area of study and I love getting to learn from each new piece, ensemble, and student.
My roots go back to marching percussion and drum set when I first started taking lessons and joined the Forest Lake Junior High marching band in 2007. Having not started band until 8th grade, a persistent feeling of being in over my head helped to drive my education and help me overcome challenging situations throughout my career. I first started teaching marching band with the Forest Lake junior high band in 2010 as a junior in high school. I picked up private lesson teaching after I graduated in 2011 and since then have taught at Shadow Drum & Bugle Corps, Forest Lake High School , Henry-Sibley High School, Yankton High School, Sioux Falls Roosevelt High School, and served as Percussion Clinician for Sioux Falls Festival of Bands.
For a good basis of knowledge in drumming I typically like to employ several method books. David Stanoch's Mastering the Tables of Time, George Lawrence Stone's Stick Control, Steve Houghton's Essential Styles books 1 & 2, and Anthony Cirone's Portraits in Rhythm. Need of materials will depend on each student's current level of understanding, each student's personal goals, curriculum used within their school, audition requirements for colleges, state solo & ensemble repertoire lists, etc. If there are already materials you are working on or a specific piece you would like to learn, feel free to mention it or bring it to the lesson. Mallet lessons can only be offered to students with access to an instrument and rehearsal space.
As technology and the nature of music is always changing and evolving, a large part of my teaching involves work with a metronome, the encouragement of playing along with recordings(even for orchestral excerpts), and transcription. I strongly encourage drum set students to find songs they like to learn by ear as well as learn to notate them. Regular practice routines, weekly goals, long term goals, and consistent metronome usage will all provide a strong framework for any student. More difficult information can be broken down into smaller chunks, so progress can always be made.
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