Drum Lessons in Cranford, NJ

Instruments: Drums

I am an extremely patient, passionate, and thorough teacher who enjoys helping anyone on their interest in drums and music. I have been fortunate in my life to have had great teachers from an early age and I am excited to share the information that has been brought on to me. Originally from Texas, I studied with the great Houston jazz drummer, Sebastian Whittaker which led me to transferring my studies to William Paterson University in Wayne, New Jersey. Read More

Instruments: Drums

The one book I use for my students is Ted Reed's "Progressive Steps to Syncopation For The Modern Drummer". I use this book for my own benefit on a daily basis. Its interpretation and application is limited only by the student's or instructor's imagination. This book is such a great resource for assisting the student in learning basic reading skills. Once the student becomes familiar with recognizing certain rhythmic sequences, It enables them to study and learn from other publications with an increased level of facility. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice Drums

However, that's an intimidating road to stare down, when you're at the start! But the journey of learning music is all part of the fun. To help make this more palatable, I like to get to know the student a bit more, to understand what it is that they enjoy listening to, and why they like it. By incorporating material that they enjoy, and by keeping the environment of the lesson fun, safe, and comfortable, it's easy to give people the tools they need to really enjoy playing their instrument to their fullest potential. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Drums Ukulele Keyboard Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

I see teaching that each student will be different and learn at different rates. Having work with all levels of students, I understand that and recognize that I want to tailor my lessons to the students needs so they can be most successful. This could mean that a learner could be more visual or more auditory etc. I would want to set realistic expectations for the students and keep motivating them to do the best they can. Read More

Instruments: Drums

'Relaxed' and 'Musical' are the most important words to explain my teaching style. I enjoy the hang and I enjoy the music. Nothing we do will be purely technique based. Everything will involve music. We will never just read notes on a piece of paper! We'll listen to music, we'll always tie exercises back to things you already know and we will get to know one another's musical personalities. Wherever you are on your musical journey is the only possible place to be. Read More

Instruments: Drums

I stress to all my students exactly what a drummer's job is, that he/she needs to compliment the music and play within the framework of the song. The best thing that another musician can say about a drummer is that they have a great "groove" or great "feel". If I can get my students to that point then I'm happy. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Drums Orchestral Percussion

I focus on nurturing a students natural curiosity, while helping them find the tools to pursue their own musical interests. Many of my younger students prefer to use technology to connect with music (learning how songs are recorded, and the theory behind songwriting), but I also work with more serious students to prepare for college auditions, state/regional jazz band, etc. My methods differ depending on a student's own goals, but they generally all will start with a technical exercise, an exercise designed to get the student thinking critically, and an application of the concepts we're learning. Read More