Chris M  

5

  5.0 (3)

Instruments: Drums
Styles: Classical, Jazz, Pop, Rock, Blues, Country, R&B, Latin, Funk, Hip Hop, Electronic, Reggae, Latin Jazz, Swing, Samba, Bossa Nova, Marching Band, Punk

  My experience with teaching began when I would work at the local music store in Springfield Va. during summer breaks. Even though I graduated with a Bachelors in Performance, teaching was something I enjoyed having seen progress with students. After college, teaching became a part time job for me and has at times, become more important than performing or recording. Being that I had such a range of talented instructors at Berklee, and experience with lessons from other pro drummers, I feel I have many angles to draw from and can apply that to different students needs. I like to keep my students active by encouraging practice, showing them the results of practicing and exploring different types of styles. Should they want to perform, I like helping and preparing them for band auditions, big performances or their first band practice. I've taught students as young as 7 years old and as old as 63. I meet each student as a unique challenge to help them become a better drummer.  I truly enjoy the reward of watching a student grow into proficient musicians.     

For the beginner student I start with the essentials to reading music. Once the student has a understanding of rhythmic note values,  I generally start with Alfred's Drum Method Book One or Elementary Drum Method by Roy Burns. I also start working snare drum rudiments and focus on issues like grip and wrist stroke to ensure correct technique.  I use a range of different books and material for drumset, according to where the student's skill level and musical interest is.  For the more advanced student I like to teach drum fills, polyrhythms, combined stickings, jazz independence, double bass, different latin rhythms or advanced funk techniques.   I enjoy meeting the challenge of any student and guide my instruction to their interests.