Stephen M
Instruments: Drums, Conga, Music, Djembe
Styles: Jazz, Pop, Rock, Blues, Country, R&B, Gospel, Musical Theater, Latin, Funk, Hip Hop, Electronic, Salsa, Showtunes, Spirituals, Reggae, Merengue, Latin Jazz, Swing, Samba, Bossa Nova, Soul, Marching Band, Punk, Avant-garde
Stephen M
Instruments: Drums, Conga, Music, Djembe
Styles:
Jazz, Pop, Rock, Blues, Country, R&B, Gospel, Musical Theater, Latin, Funk, Hip Hop, Electronic, Salsa, Showtunes, Spirituals, Reggae, Merengue, Latin Jazz, Swing, Samba, Bossa Nova, Soul, Marching Band, Punk, Avant-garde
Where I Teach:
Ages Taught: 3-80
Bachelor Degree: Eastman School of Music, Master Degree: Eastman School of Music
2017 - Yamaha Young Performing Artist Winner (YYPA) - Drum Set
2017 - Modern Drummer (small article) detailing YYPA win
2015 - Banff International Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music Participant
2014 - Member of the Disneyland All-American College Band
2014 - Howard Hanson Tuition Scholarship recipient
I am a professional musician, having played drum set/ percussion for over 15 years and have studied at the prestigious Eastman School of Music, graduating with a Bachelor's and later a Master's degree in Jazz Studies: Drum Set. I have toured and performed professionally throughout the United States and abroad. I have studied with some of the best drummers in the world, including Rich Thompson, Jeff Hamilton, and Mark Ferber. I have been apart of prestigious and highly competitive programs such as the Disneyland All American College Band and Banff Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music, and was a national winner in the 2017 Yamaha Young Artist's Competition in drum set put on by the Yamaha Corporation.
I graduated with a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Jazz Studies: Drum Set from the Eastman School of Music, studying music theory (aural and written), music history, and composition in addition to drum set and Jazz vibraphone. During my master's degree, I taught two courses taken by Eastman and University of Rochester students (drum set lessons, and also a basic drum set class). I have worked at American Music Centre (a music store/ school in Rochester) as a drum set and percussion instructor, and have multiple years experience teaching students from ages 3 to adult. I have traveled abroad to work as an artist in residence giving lessons and helping in masterclasses, and have participated in and helped to lead workshops in general music and Jazz.
I tailor my lesson plans to fit each student's individual learning style and situation, and I prioritize the student's desires in what they want to learn or need help with first over anything else. I believe that it is possible to learn in a way that is enjoyable for everyone involved, and I also always ensure that the student has enough time at the end of each session to practice the material on their own so that they leave the lesson more confident than before. Of course, anything can be adjusted to better fit the student's needs in any of the methods listed above.
Throughout my education in music, I realized just how much power for good a teacher or professor has in presenting their classes in ways that are enjoyable and accessible, while still inspiring the students to learn. In college, I realized how unique and different each student was, and how one student's goals in learning greatly differed from another's. All of the most memorable instructors I ever had always went the extra mile, and went above and beyond what I the student asked of them. I aspire to do this in every lesson that I teach.
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