Drum Lessons in Oak Ridge, NJ

Instruments: Piano Drums

My teaching experience began while I was an undergraduate at Mansfield University, teaching approximately four to five students per week. After college I instructed outdoor and indoor drumlines for one year. I have been teaching privately full-time since 2001. At first I viewed teaching as a means to making some extra money during the months of the year when gigs were slow, but after doing it for a while I realized how much I enjoyed it, cared about it, and enjoyed seeing my students progress. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Saxophone Flute Drums Music Keyboard Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

Encouraging regular practice on a consistent schedule is one of the key points I like to emphasize for younger students, as it tends to help the student progress and gain a passion for the instrument. I've also found that a combination of classical and modern music can go a long way in helping students enjoy the piano and motivate them to practice and continue to learn. If a student isn't having fun in their lessons, then I'm not doing my job! Read More

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

Aquiles Navarro is a New York-based trumpeter, composer and DJ of Panamanian heritage. He derives his sounds from folkloric music, salsa, and reggae. This eclectic music background, based on his upbringing in Panama has led him to collaborate with folkloric musicians, dancers, visual artists, actors, and poets. He studied in Panama with tenor player Carlos Garnett and trumpeter Victor “Vitin” Paz. After moving to the US, he received a Bachelor's degree in Jazz Performance at the New England Conservatory, and a Master’s degree from the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami where he studied with trumpeter Brian Lynch. Read More

Instruments: Drums

I began teaching private lessons at the age of 15 while attending high school in Millbrook. These students spanned from beginner to intermediate levels. I saw vast improvements from seeing them on a weekly basis and seeing that progress motivated me to have a very regimented, but fun lesson planned for each week. Implementing the fundamentals of technique, the language of rudiments and reading music early on save a ton of time later on when proceeding to more advanced practice routines. Read More

Instruments: Drums

Above all, what's the most important for Will is passing on the love/passion for music the arts that he has had his entire life. Potentially lost in the void of auto-tune, drum machines, and artificial instruments, the drum set is an art form that has direct roots in American history as well as western music overall; in addition to the 7 years of teaching experience and over 15 years real-world, practical gigging experience, it's this notion that makes it crucial to Will that this all gets passed on to keep music in our lives, both young and old! Read More

Instruments: Piano Drums

I began music studies at an early age and quickly became an in demand musician among the local community of Jazz musicians in South Florida by my teens, performing often with Pianists Mike Gerber and Antonio Adolfo, and Multi-Instrumentalist and Be-bop great Ira Sullivan. Upon graduating high school, I relocated to Boston to attend the New England Conservatory of Music, where I studied with the legendary drummers Rakalam Bob Moses and Billy Hart, and studied composition and improvisation with pianist Anthony Coleman, Guitarist Joe Morris and composer Stratis Minakakis. Read More

Instruments: Drums Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion Conga Latin Percussion

Originally from Dallas, TX, I have nearly 20 years of music education experience at the elementary, secondary, and adult/college levels. After graduating from The University of North Texas, I spent several years as a band director in DFW before moving abroad to teach and perform. Recently, after spending 7 years as a professional musician in New York City, I realized how much I missed teaching in Texas! So it's time to return to my home and do for students what my music teachers did for me many years ago. Read More