Brendan M
Instruments: Drums
Styles: Classical, Jazz, Pop, Rock, Blues, Folk, R&B, Musical Theater, Latin, Funk, Hip Hop, Electronic, Reggae, Latin Jazz, Swing, New Age, Samba, Bossa Nova, Soul
Brendan M
Instruments: Drums
Styles:
Classical, Jazz, Pop, Rock, Blues, Folk, R&B, Musical Theater, Latin, Funk, Hip Hop, Electronic, Reggae, Latin Jazz, Swing, New Age, Samba, Bossa Nova, Soul
Where I Teach:
Ages Taught: 12-80
B.F.A, The City College of New York, Jazz Performance
2013- Scholarship Award for most improved student
2010 - Louie Armstrong Jazz Award
2010 - Best Rhythm Section award
I am a B.F.A Jazz graduate from the City College of New York who has performed with 50+ artists with over 1000 gigs to date, has toured internationally, and recorded as a side man on multiple projects as well as a self lead band. I have studied with some of the top drummer/educators including Nate Smith, Adam Cruz, Michael Carvin, John Reilly and Joe Carozza and want to pass on the 25+ years of knowledge and regimented practice routines that I have gained through them. We will go over enhancing technique, developing a voice on the drums, and applying that to your favorite music. Whether your goals are to purely become better at the instrument, or start gigging and building a community, I can help guide that process!
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. I passed these students on to my own teacher once I moved to NYC for College. I taught some more advanced lessons during and after college, and am looking to expand my student base as I continue to operate as a professional musician.
I use the first lesson to assess the skill level of the student. If the student is a beginner from this assessment, I will ensure they purchase the Stick Control Book by Kevin Barret to begin working on reading for the snare drum. I will also make sure that they begin to understand and practice the 26 rudiments which is essential for every drummer to know. For more advanced students, we would focus on their specific goals, whether strictly related to four way coordination, styles that they want to enhance and support in live or recording settings, as well as mentorship on building a community in music and getting gigs.
Seeing a student progress is the whole reason why we love teaching! I make it a point to give positive feedback as much as possible while still addressing what the student needs to work on. A student will become motivated once they see improvement in themselves. I utilize motivators that I have experienced throughout my career, such as finding a drummer that really speaks to me, and trying to mirror them language wise, or stylistically. Using that inspiration then leads to the journey to developing your own voice, and when a student starts to sound like themselves, it will fuel them on achieving higher levels.
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