Drum Lessons in Spring Lake, NJ

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

There is nothing more rewarding than to see a student develop a passion for music! This is something that takes time to develop. I encourage students to set goals, both short and long term. I have found that one of the best ways to teach, is to teach a student to teach themselves. Then they will work to broaden their own horizons, introduce the teacher to new material that they might not have heard about without their students. Read More

Instruments: Drums Mallet Percussion Conga Latin Percussion Music

I started playing drums at age 9. I joined the youth community jazz band right away in New Jersey. While attending High School in New Jersey, I joined the Manhattan School of Music pre-college program for jazz drums, classical percussion, and music theory. I attend the Peabody Conservatory of Music for Jazz Studies for a year. I then transferred to the Frist school of Music at the University of Miami, where I received my undergraduate degree in studio music and jazz drumset performance. Read More

Instruments: Piano Drums Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion Conga Latin Percussion Music

My method of working with drums and percussion is to first get a sense of what the student's goals are. These include both goals involving general drums/percussion and career/performance goals. We will then work together to form a plan to achieve them. This will include exercises tailored directly to the student's needs and desires within drums/percussion as well as overall musical standings and guiding the student to repertoire that will both be fun for them to play and will teach them more about the concepts we are working on. Read More

Instruments: Drums

I teach basic stick technique using George Lawrence Stone's Stick Control, and I have numerous hand exercises based on patterns from that book that I warm up with every lesson. Starting with snare drum and basic hand technique also will incorporate rhythm reading, and basic limb independence. When my students start behind the kit, they will start by applying some of those hand exercises to the drumset, and also learn how to orchestrate and play basic grooves. Read More

Instruments: Drums Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion Conga Latin Percussion Djembe

As a recent graduate, I consistently taught many students throughout my experience studying higher education. During this time, I was able to teach 60-80 students both privately and within an ensemble setting. Encouraging students to become motivated and inspired in a variety of creative ways is one of my main key points that I love to emphasize for younger students, as it tends helps students to progress and gain a passion for the instruments they're working with. Read More

Instruments: Piano Drums Bass Guitar Latin Percussion Keyboard

If the student relates to the material, everything will come much easier. I usually begin with music the student likes, and often use that same piece to pivot into learning drum notation. Once the student grasps the concept behind rhythmic notation and subdivision, presenting them with additional, more complex material is simple and becomes increasingly more rewarding! For younger students presenting them with drum notation as simple number counts and times where 2 or more instruments play simultaneously has worked wonderfully in my experience. Read More