Guitar Lessons in Santa Rosa, CA

Instruments: Drums

What advice do you have about practicing effectively?
In order to practice effectively you need a few things in order to make sure you get the best out of practices and one of these things is consistency. By allowing yourself to create a schedule or routine and stick to that method you are laying the very foundation of familiarity in practice while solidifying your playing. The second thing is efficiency. By practicing the right things for your level at the right tempo, you train your brain and muscle memory to effectively play what you need to be played.

How do I know if my child is ready to start lessons?
This is one of the harder questions simply because all children develop at different rates. Some would argue that its never too early to begin lessons of some sort no matter how simple they may be while others argue the opposite, that they need to be developed enough in order to correctly soak up the information given to them. I would say when you notice that your child's capacity/curiosity for music outweighs their ability to do regular things other than delve into music, would be the time to consider lessons.

When will I start to see results?
Results vary but you could actually start to see results in as little as a few days! Each person learns, absorbs and adapts to material thrown at them differently so there is no guaranteed time that could be realistically given right away to gauge it. While there cannot be a guaranteed time there can be a lapse of time considered or timeline that most people can be categorized into. In that sense most people who are expecting to see results, (if consistent in their practice regimen ) usually see results within a week or a little more.

What do you think is the hardest thing to master on your instrument?
The hardest thing right away is limb independence. Drums require you to be able have essentially 4 different limbs, do 4 different things (5 if you count your voice as an extension) Because of this, tackling the drum kit right away can seem like an impossible task. Most people have trouble rubbing their stomach and patting their head! (I think I got that right) So imagine trying to get your mind to do 4-5 separate things at once while trying to maintain a solid groove, solid time, and knowing where the song is headed. Pretty tough.

Does music run in your family? Tell us a little about your musical family members.
Music has been in my family for as long as I can actively remember. While I was young, my mother sang in our local churches choir as well as my uncle. I would always just watch the musicians play whilst mimicking the drummer. I eventually inherited the singing from them but drums was the instrument that spoke to me at the very early age of 5. My mother would constantly listen to jazz around the house, day in and day out. There wouldn't be a day when I didn't hear smooth jazz or classical jazz which influenced my sound heavily.

When did you decide to become a professional musician? Was it a gradual decision or was there a defining moment for you?
I think I've always known that being a professional musician was something that I always wanted to. Ever since I was 5 years old, beating on pots and pans, I believe it was just my "calling" if you will. I would say if there was ever a moment that could be considered defining, then it would be in 2012 when I was attending The Art Institute for Media Arts and Animation. I thought that it was what I wanted at the time and when I realized that no matter how many hours I put into it, I would still hate it, I knew that moving on was the best approach.

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