Drum Lessons in Ballard, WA

Instruments: Drums Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion Conga Latin Percussion Music Djembe

I am a professional percussionist with a wealth of performing experience in many styles including rock, funk, jazz, classical, and world music.  I have toured throughout the USA performing at distinguished concert venues, festivals, and clubs. Currently I am a very active freelance percussionist in the Pacific Northwest performing with symphony orchestras, rock bands, jazz trios, and others. As an instructor I have been teaching (both privately and in the classroom) without interruption for over twenty years. Read More

Instruments: Drums Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion

I have been playing drums since I was twelve years old and have performed in many rock and jazz bands. I studied music in college and graduated with a Master of Music Degree in Percussion Performance from San Francisco State University in 1992. Since then I have continued to perform in local rock, jazz and blues groups as well performing with the Berkeley Symphony, The Santa Rosa Symphony and others. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Trumpet Drums Bass Guitar Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion Latin Percussion

I am primarily a percussionist, with over 10 years of expierience playing and performing in jazz bands, marching bands, musical theatre, small ensembles, wind ensembles, and symphonies, and I was the principle percussionist for 2 years while I was in college. I also have 5 years of expierience on the trumpet, 15 years of guitar, as well as expierience with many other instruments. I love to perform as well as teach, and I believe that classical and contemporary do not have to be at odds, and I work hard to incorporate both into my own performances as well as when I teach.  Read More

Instruments: Piano Drums Orchestral Percussion Latin Percussion Music

I teach the Faber and Faber method on piano, incorporated with a by ear curriculum that I've developed which also teaching music theory, I also keep a number of books i.e. Beatles Fake Book, Introduction to Bach, Well-Tempered Klavier, Hanon, Berklee Method in Rock and Jazz. I also encourage the student to play what they desire to play, be it a pop song or a classical masterpiece. In drum set I work on technique, playing with flow, rhythm training, and coordination, often supplementing the lesson with recordings and learning from the sound of recorded drummers. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Drums

No single approach works with every student when teaching drums. There are simply too many styles and methods to choose from. But when working with beginners, I tend to focus mostly on developing a good internal sense of rhythm and good listening skills. Then if the student wishes, we may specialize in classical, jazz, rock, latin, or whatever style the student is interested in. There are many excelent published methods to choose from and I occasionally assign etudes and excersizes of my own. Read More

Instruments: Drums

For beginning players, I like to start with the books "A Fresh Approach to the Snare Drum" and "A Fresh Approach to the Drum Set," both by Mark Wessels. These books do a great job of laying down the fundamentals that all drummers should learn at the outset of their education. Beyond that, what I teach depends largely on any specific path(s) the student may wish to pursue, though of course it is totally fine if the student doesn't immediately know what they would like to study beyond the basics. Read More

Instruments: Trumpet Trombone Clarinet Drums Mallet Percussion Conga Latin Percussion Djembe

My main teaching experience comes from working with multiple marching bands during their summer training camps. I worked as a percussion instructor and I taught marching techniques, playing techniques, drills, and rehearsed parts within the section. While in college I maintained a few beginning private students where my primary focus was establishing fundamental playing technique. I love motivating students with music that they enjoy. When someone enjoys what they're playing, they tend to be more engaged and practice more. Read More