Drum Lessons in Aurora, IL

Instruments: Guitar Drums Ukulele Music Keyboard Djembe Acoustic Guitar

As a result, I highly encourage my students to spend time listening to traditional rhythms so that they may understand the feel and the cultural significance of each rhythm. Rhythms in West Africa are played for every single significant event, including baptisms and weddings. Therefore, a large part of my teaching will entail understanding the cultural significance of the rhythms we are learning. Of course, none of this matters if you aren’t having fun. Read More

Instruments: Drums

I've been playing drums for 48 years. I'm still enjoying the playing of drums, and searching for new knowledge on how to play better. I've toured and performed with great musicians. I've had the great opportunity to be a drum set clinician for Sabian Cymbals, Maxwell Drums, Aquarian Drumheads, Vic Firth Drumsticks, and Trick Dum Pedals. Teaching a large group of drummers is great fun but I really enjoy the one on one interaction between student and teacher. Read More

Instruments: Drums Bass Guitar Ukulele Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

I began teaching in my first year of college when I started working for a company that organized after school programs for hundreds of schools across the Chicagoland area. With this company, I taught many group guitar classes for almost 4 years. In this time, I taught hundreds of students and I learned that each individual student is different and must be treated as such. After leaving this company in 2017, I began teaching full time at a private school for grades JK-4th. Read More

Instruments: Drums Orchestral Percussion Conga

As a professional musician myself, I am constantly working with new people and within new musical territories. Because of this openess to collaboration, I have garnered extensive performance experience, sharing the stage with acts ranging from Califone to Grizzly Bear, as well as with improvising musicians the likes of Anton Hatwich, Eli Namay, John McCowen, and Keefe Jackson. I possess a large rhythmic vocabulary from a variety of related and disparate traditions. Read More

Instruments: Drums Orchestral Percussion

For beginning students, I like to stress fundamentals with a twist. I encourage my students to play along with music they like to keep them interested in what they are practicing. As the student progresses, I will either compose a short solo or provide a short solo in which they can apply fundamentals to. For intermediate and more advanced students, I like to let them guide their own instruction. After coming to me with topics they'd like to learn more about, I will provide exercises, musical examples, and pieces to help them assimilate what they have learned with me, to real-world examples. Read More

Instruments: Drums

First and foremost, I teach to the comfortable speed of the student. Learning skill and permanent muscle memory is much more important that covering as much material as possible but then not grasping the concepts and motor skills. My main teaching style approaches beats and patterns in the simplest of actions, making sure the student is comfortable with those actions, then combining actions together, step by step as the student progresses until the student has the full understanding of the beat. Read More

Instruments: Drums Mallet Percussion Latin Percussion Djembe

I am a drummer and I like playing music with people and through the beauty of music learn and make available people around me to learn as well. I received a Master Degree at Northern Illinois University, as a Jazz Major, Drumset studies. In these two years of graduate studies I have gained professional skills in Jazz Area in terms of performing, leading and coaching ensembles, I learned about other areas in Jazz besides Drums and Percussion. Read More