Nate A  
Instruments: Guitar, Trombone, Drums, Orchestral Percussion, Djembe
Styles: Classical, Jazz, Pop, Rock, Blues, Folk, R&B, Gospel, Musical Theater, Opera, Latin, Funk, Hip Hop, Electronic, Showtunes, Spirituals, Reggae, Latin Jazz, Swing, New Age, Bossa Nova, Soul, Marching Band, Punk, Avant-garde

I have been teaching students privately for over a decade, starting with teaching trombone in high school, continuning with drumming students in college, and teaching professional-leve drums and percussion, advanced trombone, and beginner guitar students.  My primary passion lies in West African music, and I really enjoy bridging cultural gaps in my teaching.  At the same time, I am rooted in American jazz, western classical music, and rudimentary style drumming.  The combination gives my students a solid foundation in western technique and theory but with an approach that is out-of-the-box and multicultural.  I have an extreme level of patience and have worked with all ages, from preschool to adult, and all abilities, including students with autism and hyperactivity.  I am happy to take on any student and will make progress with any age and any level!

For students who are young with no musical background I start with the Essential Elements series. At the next stage, I challenge the student based on their interests. I tend to push students to learn jazz, as its the basis for all drum set playing, but know that most kids are more interested in other more modern styles and accommodate them accordingly. I have a number of books that I can draw from, including Jim Chapin's jazz book, Syncopation, New Breed, Buddy Rich's book, and many more.. I like to mix in learning by listening, playing, and repetition along with standard music skills like reading music and notation. This lets younger students get into playing sooner, all the while making sure the students learn the standard music notation.