Drum Lessons in Semora, NC

Instruments: Guitar Drums Bass Guitar

I was born in Ukraine in 1977. At the age of 18 I was introduced to one of the"jazz guitar greats" who taught me theory and improvisation. Those lessons lit a fire inside me that has only grown stronger with time.I founded the band, Shykina, in 1997 and toured Europe for the next 6 years, releasing 3 albums. Since moving to North Carolina in 2004, I have shared the stage with Bobby Hinton, Aaron Mills ( Cameo ), Robert Sledge ( Ben Folds Five ) Robb Ladd ( Don Henley ) and others. Read More

Instruments: Drums Orchestral Percussion

As far as my teaching style is concerned, I strongly believe in teaching one "how to fish," as opposed to just letting them eat for a day. I purposely introduce material and techniques that are outside of the student's playing ability early on, so as to push them exponentially past whatever they originally "thought" they could do. To some, this pedagogical approach may seem a little extreme, but in my 10+ years of teaching, I've found that every student that has decided to stick with this style has found themselves playing some of the very styles and techniques that they never thought possible before. Read More

Instruments: Drums Mallet Percussion Latin Percussion

I begin all students on snare drum. This allows for the proper development of hand technique that is the base of percussion. I teach the original 26 rudiments along with the Breeze Easy method books for beginners, or students that do not read music. With the drum kit I encourage students to become familiar with as many styles of music they can. I use the blending of styles to help mold the student from a drummer to a musician, and help create an individual sound; Read More

Instruments: Piano Trumpet Saxophone Drums Orchestral Percussion Latin Percussion Music Djembe

I'm trying to put each student in touch with their inner creative. Everyone learns at a different pace and my approach is to teach something to mastery level rather than fill a quota. Inspiration and the joy of playing is first and foremost with my approach. By breaking difficult passages down into digestable pieces and making attainable goals, I find this keeps the student interested and builds confidence to overcome weaknesses. Read More

Instruments: Piano Drums Mallet Percussion

Teaching must be a two way street between the instructor and the student. There must be an understanding of the relationship and a willingness on both ends to take everything that they can out of the experience. I believe once this is done, a relationship can start to form between the two which will naturally help in the learning progress. For adults especially, constructive criticism is just as important as the praise when you do a good job. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Drums Bass Guitar Acoustic Guitar

For beginning students, I typically start with materials from Mel Bay or Hal Leonard. Once a student has completed this, I begin to offer materials that are more specific to the musical genre that they have stated interest in. As a student progresses, I work to expose them to a variety of techniques with a focus on helping them to develop their own unique voice on their instrument. My hope is that, during this process, students would come to view growing in their musical gifts as an enjoyable and fulfilling process that continues throughout their life. Read More