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BA, Ashford University, Business Administration
2005 - Drum Tech (BIMM Tech Music School) Music School Scholarship
I'm a passionate and motivated instructor who loves working with students and sharing my love of music. In 2005 I recieved a scholarship to the Drumtech School of Music in London and in 2013 I recieved a BA from Ashford University in Business Administration. Performing, touring and recording all over the United States has been one of the greater experiences of my life as a musician and I've had the opportunity to perform with some of the nations biggest artists, including; Pink, Josh Groban, Incubus, Buck Cherry, Bon Jovi, Daniel Gram, McKenna Faith and more. I have had the pleasure of sharing many stages across the country with industry leading professionals and have had the pleasure of building winning relationships with some of the music industries leading companies.
My teaching experience dates bak to my middle school/highschool days, as I began teaching friends how to accomplish that one part of the song they just could not work out. This lead me into teaching private lessons part time 10 years ago and have been consistently teaching students in my professional studio for the last 5 years. Encouraging regular practice on a consistent schedule and understanding that drumming is journey and no one is better than anyone else, is of the the key points I like to emphasize for younger students as it tends to help the student progress and gain confidence with the instrument. I've also found that some students have a knack for playing "by ear" and others by the book. Allowing those student to learn and explore "by ear" can provide winning results and allow then to progress faster over time. Others students learn better by understanding notion and sheet music. If a student isn't having fun in their lessons, then I'm not doing my job! My students (when ready) are encouraged to enter competitions, auditions, make videos and more, so they feel good about their accomplishements and stay motivated to learn. I'm always looking to bring on new students of all ages!
For beginning students who are children, I typically start with Head, Hands and Heart: ( example given below) Week 1: Learn To Play Your First Song Head: A Time, A Place and The Parts Of A Drum Set Hands: Your First Drum Beat (No Drums Required) Heart: Move Before You Groove Week 2: Playing with Sticks Head: How to Buy and Hold...Drumsticks Hands: Play Your First Song with Drumsticks Heart: Clap To The Music Week 3: Learn To Play the Parts of a Song Head: The Parts of a Song and What They Mean To a Drummer Hands: How To Play a Closed Hi-Hat Heart: Quiet Verse plus Loud Chorus equals Dynamic Drums Week 4: Learn To Play Drum Fills Head: Pracetice Without Drums - Think Before You Play Hands: What Are Drum Fills and How Are They Played? Heart: How to Play Drum Fills Between Song Parts For adult students, I try to find out what the student is interested in and guide my instruction accordingly to keep the lessons engaging and fun, no matter their ability level.
Nothing is more rewarding than seeing one of my students develop a passion for music! Therefore, it's important that each student progresses at his or her own pace. I encourage this by setting realistic goals for my students at each lesson. Acknowledging accomplishments helps fuel a students desire to progress and makes students eager to learn more. By trying to find out what inspires the student, I can successfully tailor my instruction to their wants and needs.