Drum Lessons in East Rancho Dominguez, CA

Instruments: Drums

Legend has it that Mozart's father (his teacher) would not let young Amadeus practice the piano unless he was there to supervise. This assured that young Mozart would always get the guidance and training he needed to master his instrument as fast as possible. That is how I view my job. Obviously, I can't be with you every time you sit at the drums, but I will be your coach and guide to consistently help you learn to reach your goals on the drum set efficiently and effectively. Read More

Instruments: Drums Orchestral Percussion

I primarily use original material when I teach, but occasionally Ill work from standard method books such as Stick Control, Master Studies, and Syncopation, or assign pages from more recent books like John Rileys The Art of Bop Drumming. Ill also pull out books specifically for sight reading such as Anthony Cirones Portraits in Rhythm. For beginning and intermediate students I focus on fundamental technique, basic sight reading skills, and drum set playing (independence/coordination of the limbs, relaxation and balance, time and groove, fills and solos, introduction of musical styles, etc.) For advanced students I get into more conceptual and creative aspects of playing the drums, but I also introduce the Spivack/Wilson technique which I learned during my studies with Murray Spivack and Richard Wilson in the 1980s [check out the 4-part series featured in Modern Drummer magazine in 2011-2012]. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Drums Accordion Ukulele Mallet Percussion Music Keyboard Acoustic Guitar

I've been teaching since college, teaching percussion ensembles and private percussion lessons, before eventually branching out into teaching private lessons on all the instruments I know! Since my time as a teacher, I've worked with hundreds of students and have become proud of all the growth I've seen in them. Working with so many students has also been educational for me as a teacher, and I've begun to develop methods through that experience that I can bring to new students. Read More

Instruments: Drums

I really feel it's important to contribute in the efforts of raising a smarter generation of children, and also understand adult's needs and passions to pursue the art of music. I find so much joy and excitement in witnessing a student's progression, or that moment when theyve been struggling with a rhythm or assignment, and it finally "clicks", and you witness it come together right in front of you. I love that! Read More

Instruments: Drums Bass Guitar Music

When teaching my students, my lessons are relaxed and informal, with a focus on building basic knowledge that will be applicable throughout the musical journey- however, I also pride myself in helping my students enjoy music as well, and have the capabilities to record their playing. This not only builds confidence but is an invaluable source of feedback that I find is often overlooked. As early as possible, I try to have my students play along to either a cover song or play along with me, in order to develop skills on the instrument that are practical, meaningful, and fun. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice Trumpet Trombone Saxophone Flute Clarinet Drums French Horn Oboe

The methods that I choose to use with my students depends on what they want to learn. Some students want to just play classical music, some pop, some jazz, some marching band, etc. Therefore I do not use the same teaching methods for all students. With that being said, I do make certain that all of my srudents understand the basic elements of music, i.e., time and key signatures, note values, melody, rhythm, harmony, pitch, intonation (if a wind instrument), form, theme and variation, etc. Read More

Instruments: Piano Drums

The way I teach is about showing the student "the dance" of drums. The exercises and rudiments they practice are the movements in a dance. For example, with Punk drums the movements need to be mastered and played fast so the student will have to practice to get the movements up to speed instead of focusing on the beat. With Pop drums the movements need to be comfortable but precise as the student learns the importance of a metronome and how to relate to it by thinking of it as a member of the band. Read More