Drum Lessons in South Riding, VA

Instruments: Drums Conga Latin Percussion Djembe

Driven by a desire to share my love of music with others, I embarked on a professional music career in my early twenties. I formed a cover band to gain experience and earn extra income, while simultaneously pursuing my passion for blues and rock music. My dedication and talent led me to join a professional blues/rock band, where I had the privilege of touring the East Coast and opening for renowned blues artists. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Drums Bass Guitar Synthesizer Accordion Harmonica Lap Steel Guitar Banjo Ukulele Mandolin Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion

As far as books go, I prefer the Hal Leonard method, especially for beginner musicians. I combine visual, audio and kinesthetic learning methods to tailor to anyone's needs. After the basics are taught or they're already learned, I assess the student's level and teach the student what they wish to learn to the best of my ability. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Violin Cello Clarinet Drums Bass Guitar Synthesizer Ukulele Mandolin Recorder Lute Double Bass Mallet Percussion Conga Latin Percussion

I started out at the age of nine playing the trumpet, and continued this for two years before switching to piano. Ultimately, I found my love in playing the guitar, and took lessons for two years. As time went on, I advanced as a guitarist and actually expanded into new musical instruments. I began playing in local rock and r&b bands at the age of 15. These were some of my most influential experiences, as they expanded my musical tastes into jazz fusion, swing, standards and Latin Jazz. After graduating high school, I attended community college and then went to New York to study jazz theory, where I played a few sets with Sweetback in 2000 that led up to being asked to play with the band. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Drums Bass Guitar Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

I began teaching just before the age of 18 at a local music school. My initial training as a teacher was very formal/classical, but I began to experiment with more modern methods and technology and was eventually able to set out to create my own school. Soon thereafter, I had the opportunity to join a prestigious and wonderful program which gave me access to the biggest network of young musicians and teachers in the world. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Flute Drums Piccolo Acoustic Guitar

I absolutely love getting students really excited about their instrument. I like to show videos of high level playing and introduce a wide variety of genres and styles while I find exactly what it is that inspires the student to play. My lesson structure normally consists of a warm up, rudiment/sticking work, reading or playing exercise and new concepts, then work on a song. I really try to get my students playing along with tracks so they can hear how drums sound in a band setting and apply it to their playing! Read More

Instruments: Piano Cello Drums Conga Latin Percussion Djembe

I find that as useful as many of the methods that I have found most useful for my own performance are, almost every one of my students in drums, percussion and cello requires a different blend of study materials. As a general rule, I rely on providing a balance of classic (some teachers go as far as to say 'canonical') books, and a wide variety of unique listening and independence exercises I've developed over the years. Read More

Instruments: Drums Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion Music

For me, teaching is much more than showing each student everything I know as a musician.  My ultimate responsibility as an instructor is to understand the students' goals and recognize how they learn best.  While recognizing their musical and technical accomplishments, I encourage the students to maintain patience and discipline as they delve farther into the study of their instrument.  The greatest reward for me as a teacher is to inspire my students to want to work hard to develop their own sound, style, and passion for music! Read More