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MM, New York University, Jazz Studies BM, Montclair State University, Jazz Studies
2017 - New York University Geller Jazz Scholarship. 2016 - New York University Steinhardt Graduate School of Music Scholarship. 2017 - New York University Robbert Sudick Scholarship. 2012 - Local 802 Musicians Union Scholarship. 2012 - Ramsey High School Luis Armstrong Award.
I have been playing the drums since age 10. Starting out playing rock and roll but quickly started playing Jazz, Latin, Samba, and Show Tunes. After graduating high school, I went to attend Montclair State University's Jazz program. After College I quickly got my masters degree from New York University in Jazz studies as well, where I studied with some of the most important people in modern music, including but not limited to: Lenny White, Lenny Pickett, John Scofield, Alan Ferber, Billy Dummond, Tony Moreno, and more. I have played in rock bands opening up for national acts such as John 5, Gus G (Ozzy Osbourne's Guitar player,) and Dizzy Reed (Guns n Roses Keyboardist.)
I taught my first private lesson my junior year of high school, and never stopped. Throughout college and graduate school I have taught dozens of students of all ages, raging between 5 years old and 50. Private lessons in students homes, my own space, and at several different music schools, including CJC music, and the All Children's art Center in Boonton. I encourage my students to be creative during their practice sessions and to become their own musican, but at the same time I strongly encourage a very strong technical foundation.
I do not limit my students to a predetermined method. I find, through my own experiences, that this is tedious as well as boring. There are many books I use, including Ted Reed's syncopation for all levels of students, but I focus most of my time with a student to finding out what inspires them to want to learn the drums, and go from there. With every student I start with the basics of technique. After we solidify a somewhat solid foundation, I like to start to introduce the application of the drums in music.
Nothing gives me more joy as a teacher than to have one of my students ask me a question. It sounds simple, but a student with questions is a student who wants to learn. I take this creativity and try to sculpt it into passion. I feel that a teachers job is to inspire, and point the student in the right direction of their goals, rather to be overbearing with a book and pencil. With me, assignments are fairly regular, but I leave it to the students own discretion to decide how much time they need to spend on it.
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