Drum Lessons in Upton, NY

Instruments: Drums Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion Latin Percussion

My two favorite books for all my beginning drum students are George Lawrence Stone's Stick Control and Ted Reeds Syncopation. These books, and the rudiments are a great place to develop the basics of the instrument. After learning the foundations, I develop an individual program to meet the students needs and desires, making the instruction both educational and fun. I learn from them what techniques, styles, and other drummers interest them, and tailor the lesson towards helping them learn the skills that will keep them interested. Read More

Instruments: Drums Orchestral Percussion Latin Percussion

The main books that I like to work on for a beginner student are stick control by George Lawrence Stone Realistic Rock written by Carmine Appice I also do a lot of work with the 40 drum rudiments also I find it very enjoyable to use books by Chaz w i l k o z I have also written a book which has many many contemporary drum pills about time and many of the Great drummers styles which I will use to teach I also like to use transcriptions from some of the favorite recordings of all time led Zeppelin Rush and many other popular bands of our time you can ask you as a student can decide on which bands and which drummers that you want to cover I also enjoy working with great play alongs music minus one tracks that are very very cool to play without the drums so you can get an idea of how to actually play with a band Read More

Instruments: Drums

We start by doing proper warm up exercises followed by learning or practicing rudiments. We work on our grip of the sticks and our movements while drumming. In other words, I teach economy of movement for maximum energy. If a student is flailing their arms, we talk about a more fluid movement by utilizing the wrists and incorporating finger control. Then we move on to reading out of instructional books which is then followed by practical application on the drum sets.With a beginner student I find Basix Syncopation for Drums by Alfred Publishing to be a very effective tool. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Drums

I love to have fun in my lessons. No single student understands the same thing the same way so I take the time to listen/understand them as a person and as a musician. While it would be wonderful if all of my students became virtuosi musicians, I understand that sometimes math class may be at the forefront of their attention. That said, practice is still required. Like a doctor, I prescribe solutions to students to help them achieve their goals and will do everything I can to help them to succeed but if they dont take the remedy, success is can be quite slow. Read More

Instruments: Drums Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion Latin Percussion

For beginning students, I will start off with some basic rhythm sheets that I have created, and begin to asses the competency and understanding of basic rhythm. I firmly believe for any instrument that everyone needs a strong foundation of rhythm in order to progress into more advanced levels of playing and reading. At this point, I will begin to use Alfred’s Drum Method Books 1 and 2 interchangeably, eventually leading to Podemski’s Standard Snare Drum Method at the advanced level along with Rolls Rolls Rolls. Read More

Instruments: Drums Orchestral Percussion Conga Latin Percussion Djembe

A New York native and life-long professional drummer, I played Dvorak at Carnegie Hall, punk and ska music at CBGB's and classic rock at Wetlands in NYC all during high school. After furthering my studies in percussion performance at Berklee College of Music in Boston, I founded progressive jazz quartet Schleigho, hit the road in 1991 and toured nationally until 2004 , releasing 5 CD's and playing over 3000 shows with the likes of jazz great John Scofield, funk legend Maceo Parker and rock icons The Allman Bothers Band, who signed them in 1998 to their record label, Flying Frog Records. Read More

Instruments: Piano Drums Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion Conga Latin Percussion Keyboard Djembe

I make sure that my students go at a pace that works for them. I try to find out what kind of learner they are and then I tweak my curriculum to best accommodate them. I always do my best to make sure that my students are having fun over anything else. Incorporating songs from both my library, and ones that the student already knows, we develop ear training skills by playing along and trying to copy the pros! Read More