Drum Lessons in Monrovia, CA

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Drums Bass Guitar Ukulele Keyboard Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

My style is one that seamlessly adapts to all ages, learning styles, and backgrounds, resulting in a high student retention rate over the years. I provide an exciting and positive environment for students to not only learn fundamentals and techniques, but also to find and express their unique musical voice. As lessons progress at the student's pace, it's important to keep discovering what they love about music and what inspires them to learn (song, artist, style, musician friend). Read More

Instruments: Guitar Drums Bass Guitar Electric Guitar Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar

I am a musician at the heart of it all. Ever since I was a youngin' I've always had a melody or beat going in my head. I started playing guitar at age 11 and took lessons for about 6 months. After that most everything was self taught or came from experience with playing with others. I picked up drums about age 14 and am very comfortable and confident on both instruments 13+ years later. 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: Drums Orchestral Percussion Latin Percussion

I've found the most successful drummers can read well and play all styles. For beginning students, I generally introduce 'Syncopation' by Ted Reed along with 'Stick Control,' the PASIC 40 Rudiments, 'Alfred's Drum Method' for drum set, and technical exercises. For more advanced students, I like to use books like Rick Latham's 'Advanced Funk Studies,' David Garibaldi's 'Future Sounds,' 'Portaits in Rhythm' by Anthony Cirone, and 'The Art of Bop Drumming' by John Riley. Read More

Instruments: Drums

At the age of nine I began my interest in drums in particular. My father was a great pianist, choir director, teacher, vocal instructor, and all around musician. So growing up in this atmosphere has helped me through the years. I have been officially a drummer since I turned ten, and have continued to play in church, bands ( including my own) and for different events of different styles. Music is what I'm persuing as a career, along with teaching. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Drums Bass Guitar

I want my students to not only have a working knowledge of music, but also a passion and love for it. One of the beauties of music is that it stays with you for a lifetime. I will encourage and guide my students to the best of my ability, by setting realistic goals and inspiring them to keep progressing in their musicianship. Read More

Instruments: Drums

For beginner, start with simply touching every part of Drum set, thus students can see how it sounds like, and how fun it is to simply hit the drums. After that I would start with hand technique, which is 3 basic stroke patter, and how to apply them to every part of Drum set. For Advanced beginners, I would start from getting touch with rudiments, and sight reading so that student will have well rounded skills, over all good drummer so to say. Read More