Drum Lessons in Whitestone, NY

Instruments: Piano Voice Drums Recorder Keyboard

Because every student has his/her own learning style, my lessons cater to those styles. I figure out a student's strengths and weaknesses. I acknowledge the accomplishments caused by the strengths while I focus on developing the weaknesses. For example, if a student excels melodically but has trouble maintaining accurate rhythm, I will engage the student in listening to and playing many interesting melodies that require him/her to pay close attention to counting the rhythms in order to master playing the melodies. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Drums Bass Guitar Double Bass Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

I began my musical journey on the drums, which quickly led me to the guitar and bass guitar as well, all three of which I studied with Matt Thompson in Frederick, MD. In high school, I ended up gravitating towards the bass as my primary instrument, and a growing interest in jazz caused me to add the upright bass to my collection of instruments. Little did I know that this would become an even bigger obsession of mine! Read More

Instruments: Drums

Nothing is more rewarding than seeing one of my students develop a passion for music! Therefore, it's important that each student progresses at his or her own pace. I encourage this by setting realistic goals for my students at each lesson. Acknowledging accomplishments helps fuel a students desire to progress and makes students eager to learn more. By trying to find out what inspires the student, I can successfully tailor my instruction to their wants and needs. Read More

Instruments: Drums Latin Percussion

I use many different methods but most importantly I tailor the lesson to fit the student's needs. I like to write out lessons, but I generally start my students off using Benny Greb's "The Language of Drumming." I like to teach the student how to play the instrument as if it were a language, in the form of an alphabet. It's a great method in building a strong foundation with the instrument. Read More

Instruments: Drums Orchestral Percussion Latin Percussion

There's nothing worse than buying a drum set to start learning to play, only to have your teacher tell you, "You won't be ready for that for a year."  I like to get eveyone playing something fun and interesting as soon as possible.  Some examples of books I like to use with beginning students are the "Breeze Easy Drum Method," "Alfred's Drum Method," and Ted Reed's "Syncopation."  Songs we may often start lessons with would be "We Will Rock You" by Queen, "Kashmir" by Led Zeppelin, "Back in Black" by AC/DC, etc. Read More

Instruments: Drums

For beginning students, I start with a method book that provides them with both aural, visual, and kinesthetic instruction. In addition, I work with my students to develop a curriculum that is high individualized and caters to their needs and, more importantly, their interests. For intermediate and advanced students, I focus on repertoire, etudes, and coordination studies, in order to build technique while learning the standard repertoire pieces. All of my lessons are student directed, and thus each lesson is unique. 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