Drum Lessons in Oxford, MI

Instruments: Drums

I have been teaching for 3 years independently and through other academies throughout my 10 years of experience. My goal with teaching is to get people on a regular routine of practicing their instrument and help people find what they like in efforts to help them pursue it later in life while having fun in the process. Aside from teaching, My band Walking Down Main has played a significant amount of live shows that has helped me learn more about music as a whole and the things you can do to prepare for moments like these. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Drums

To me it is very important to balance the technical and creative aspects of development. No matter what age/skill level I split time during lessons into activities that develop technique and language, and compositional, creative activities that help each student explore their instrument and what they have to say with it. This balance can be altered depending on the interests of the student or parent. I also encourage students to bring in songs that they want to learn/play along with to keep the lessons relevant to their musical interests. Read More

Instruments: Drums Latin Percussion

Typically, for students just starting out we would start on standard snare method, working out rudiments and gaining a sense of feel for drumming. This would eventually build up to working with the entire drum set, where we would explore several styles including Rock, Pop, Jazz, Swing, Latin and everything in between. Basically, I would try and find what the student is most interested in and build from there. Everyone wants something else, so it pays to be versatile. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Saxophone Drums Bass Guitar Recorder Keyboard Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

My teaching style is laid back with the full intention of moving forward in both technique and enjoyment. Each Lesson is geared toward the Goals we agree on as Student and Teacher. Depending on age and experience, I set goals at 3 months or 6 months. It is crucial to allow the student to learn at his or her own rate. Again, I strive to find the Creativity in the Student and to see how that can be developed as quickly as possible, especially if they are interested in songwriting, singing, composition, or simply doing their "own thing". Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Trumpet Trombone Drums Bass Guitar Organ Synthesizer Double Bass Euphonium Tuba Orchestral Percussion Keyboard Electric Guitar Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar

For each instrument, I have the same basic approach: discover what they like, assess what they can do, and begin with the fundamentals.  If a student is more advanced, I still like to spend time on fundamentals at the beginning anyway to see if we can fill in any foundational weakness that the student may have.   For each instrument, I also have a wide array of repitoire that I give students that zero-in on technical challenges a student will be presented with. Read More

Instruments: Drums

I take everything in steps with students no matter what the age. My biggest approach I take to lessons is figuring out what the student wants to learn. If someone comes to me wanting to dive deeper into the styles of bands like Rush, we might not focus much time on snare solos (for example) because thats not what the student is interested in learning. I'm not saying that snare solos are not important, but I've come to realize that people will work harder at the things they're PASSIONATE about learning and not just the things they "should" learn. Read More

Instruments: Drums Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion Latin Percussion

For beginner students of any age, I would normally recommend Alfred's Drum Method Book 1, or Joel Rothman's Basic Drumming as they both cover a great intro to reading rythmic notation, proper grip forms, and snare drum method as they also start to incorporate rudiments. It often surprises people that the only purchases REQUIRED for starting to learn drums is: a practice pad, a book, and a pair of sticks (maybe a music stand). Read More