Drum Lessons in Westchester, CA

Instruments: Drums

In my lessons I use snare drum method books such as Mitchell Peters Intermediate Book or Stick Control by George Stone to teach reading and basic hand technique.  Once I feel the student is proficient in reading and technique I move on to drumset coordination books as well as learning drum parts to the students favorite music.  I also teach techniques for xylophone, tympani and other classical percussion instruments.  I have an extensive library of music books and techniques so if one method doesn't work I have no problem customizing my lesson plan to fit the student's need. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Drums Bass Guitar

I believe that motivation begins with excitement and there is no better way to help a student stick to a practice routine than teaching him or her to play their favorite songs. Of course, a knowledge of music theory is very important, but I always make sure that we don't get bogged down in minutia, and that each student is allowed to proceed at his or her own pace. A practical and usable knowledge of music's fundamentals is employed to get results and keep the student motivated and actively learning. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Violin Drums Bass Guitar Ukulele Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion Conga Latin Percussion Music Acoustic Guitar

Drums and Percussion: Alfred's Kids Drumset Course-Dave Black and Steve Houghton Elementary Drum Method-Roy Burns Intermediate Snare Studies-Mitchell Peters Alfred's Beginning Drum Set Method-Sandy Feldstein and Dave Black Primary Handbook for Mallets-Garwood Whaley Violin: Suzuki Method Guitar: Hal Leonard Guitar Method-Will Schmid and Greg Koch Ukulele: Kid's Ukulele Course-Ron Manus and L.C. Harnsberger Bass: Hal Leonard Bass Method Ed Friedland As students begin to grasp more on fundamentals, they will be introduced along the way to various repertoire relating to their skillset or challenging them to go to the next level. Read More

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

For beginning students who are children, I typically start with fundamentals: rhythm, melody, harmony, and dynamics. Once the student has progressed to have a grasp of the fundamentals, I will begin to introduce solo repertoire appropriate for their first recital performance. For adults, I try to find out what the student is interested in, and guide my instruction accordingly to keep the lessons engaging and fun, no matter their ability level. Read More

Instruments: Voice Cello Drums Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion Latin Percussion

In 1984 I was a music instructor for the Canadian Forces School of Music in Esquimalt British Columbia. Over the last three decades I have taught one-on-one lessons and ensembles at all levels including Elementary, Middle, and High School levels. More recently I founded MusiCali Kids with my wife, servicing families with the award winning program Music Together. I recently taught for the Crestwood Music Education center in N.Y. where I had over 30 students, as well as served as Conductor of the string orchestras and percussion ensemble. Read More

Instruments: Drums Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion Conga Latin Percussion Djembe

I use patience, clear communication, and having fun to get knowledge across to my students! To me music is about connection and expression, and my goal is to get my students to feel that! I also understand that learning new things can make you vulnerable and frustrated so I try to be more relatable as opposed to an authority figure with my students. However, if I see that a student is not respecting themselves and their goals (not practicing, discouraging behavior) I will be a bit more strict in order to motivate them. Read More