Thomas W  
Instruments: Piano, Guitar, Drums, Bass Guitar, Mallet Percussion, Orchestral Percussion, Latin Percussion
Styles: Classical, Jazz, Pop, Rock, Blues, Folk, R&B, Latin, Funk, Hip Hop, Salsa, Reggae, Latin Jazz, Swing, New Age, Samba, Bossa Nova, Soul, Marching Band, Punk, Avant-garde

My love for teaching stems from my desire to pass on my knowledge of music to others. Helping others develop a passion for music is something I feel is necessary to cope in a world that can often be overwhelming without an outlet for expressions, such as music. I have been instructing students in percussion since I was a Junior in high school and taught at the Denny Way Music School on Capital Hill from 2013-2015. I have instructed students, from elementary school to adulthood, in areas including music theory, ear training and drum performance.   I have led Afro-Cuban percussion workshops at the Dusty Strings in Wallingford and currently teach weekly lessons. I am currently available to instruct students in beginning piano, guitar and bass, as well as beginning through advanced lessons in percussion, drums, music theory and composition.

The first half of each of my lessons will address the basics of music theory (i.e. rudiments, scales, etc.) and technique. The second half of each lesson is about having fun! We will dig deeper into the music my student is interested in, considering the songs from a musician's point of view. In dissecting the song we will learn about phrasing, feel, meter, melody, chord analysis, commonalities among styles and the history behind the music. Each lesson is individualized and I develop my curriculum based on the student's needs and interests.