Drum Lessons in Midland Park, NJ

Instruments: Drums

I draw attention to the importance of listening and help the student identify what to listen for. There is nothing more frustrating than practicing a particular fill 1000 times, only to later realize you've been practicing it incorrectly. This is very common among drummers young and old, but is easily dealt with by simply cultivating a sense of listening and apt imitation. However, I do not endorse perfectionism as a means of effective learning either, and I also will remind the student of the fact that sometimes when you're jamming,even if what what you're playing is not perfect, it's "good enough for rock and roll." This is part of the attitude of rock and roll that I feel is conducive to better, faster learning: a willingness to make mistakes, acknowledge them, learn from them, and move on. Read More

Instruments: Piano Drums Bass Guitar Double Bass Oboe English Horn Music

I began teaching private lessons in 2018 for double bass, electric bass, jazz theory, repertoire and improvisation. After graduating from Berklee I began teaching bass for the Hopkinton Music Association, a non-profit supporting music education in Hopkinton Public Schools. In 2023 I was hired as a music teacher for Note-worthy Experiences Music Studio and Karen Amlaw Music, where I taught bass, oboe, and English horn. I love to help students find their artistic voices and discover the joy in music making. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice Drums Synthesizer Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion Latin Percussion Music Keyboard

My favorite piano method book for children is the Bastien Piano Basics Series. Alternately, I sometimes use the Faber & Faber Piano Adventures. For very young children (3-6) "My First Piano Adventure," a Faber publication, is my book of choice. For adults, I usually use Alfred's Basic Adult Piano Course, though sometimes I skip method books and play pieces picked by the student. When teaching drums/percussion, my method books of choice are Standard of Excellence and Winning Rhythms. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Drums Bass Guitar Synthesizer Orchestral Percussion Keyboard Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

Robbie is a multi-instrumentalist performer, teacher, and composer from Somerville, NJ. He actively plays out with the bands Ross Griswold and the Second Line, Woke Robot, Wig Party, Castle Lane, and more - spanning genres from rock, funk, New Orleans and R&B to Afro-Peruvian jazz fusion and electronic music. He’s also the music director for Antioch Baptist Church in East Orange, NJ. Actively using Ableton Live to perform and compose, he is a sought-after music programming guru, able to teach and solve complex audio and midi setups for live bands and music producers. Read More

Instruments: Drums

For beginner students, I will introduce the basics of drumming techniques as this is the most important step in becoming a proficient drummer. Once the student has progressed and shown me that they can play simple beats with the proper technique, I will begin introducing them to repertoire appropriate to their skill level to get them to be able to play drums in a more musical manner. If the student is older and/or more experienced, I will likely start with exercises and ideas to build their level of skill within areas of their interest or what I think would benefit them the most. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Drums Bass Guitar Synthesizer Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion Conga Latin Percussion Music Keyboard Electric Guitar Djembe Acoustic Guitar

Once the student has progressed to an intermediate level, I like to start introducing more advanced music theory and musical references to enable the student to start finding their own unique style. For advanced students, our focus is on perfecting playing technique and style, as well as continuing to expand our knowledge of music as an art form and an industry, and I speak with my students about the ways that they can use their talent beyond home, school, and the local gig venue. Read More

Instruments: Trumpet Trombone Saxophone Clarinet Drums Synthesizer Conga Latin Percussion Music Keyboard

He considers himself an improviser, coalescing his range of influences into a unified sonic vocabulary that can be incorporated across genre and medium. Navarro is a part of the liberation-oriented free jazz collective, Irreversible Entanglements. After their highly acclaimed self-titled debut album on International Anthem, a second album is due to be released in 2020. Navarro also has a duo project with Brooklyn-based drummer Tcheser Holmes. The duo, entitled Heritage of the Invisible, merges each members music and life background through in real time improvisations. Read More