Tommy M
Instruments: Drums
Styles: Pop, Rock, Blues, Country, R&B, Gospel, Funk, Hip Hop, Electronic, Soul, Marching Band, Punk
Tommy M
Instruments: Drums
Styles:
Pop, Rock, Blues, Country, R&B, Gospel, Funk, Hip Hop, Electronic, Soul, Marching Band, Punk
Where I Teach:
Ages Taught: 10-80
AA, Community College Aurora, Music Composition Certification, Audio Engineering & Music Production
1997-1999- Competed at WGI World Championships 2000-2005 Performed Sold Out Shows with the band Ransom at the Blue Bird, Gothic, and Ogden.
I got my start playing drums when I was 7 years old, when I climbed into the kitchen cabinets and started banging on pots and pans. This humble beginning led my parents to buy me a drum set, then to joining the drum team in middle school. In high school I became a part of the drum line in the marching band, in addition to participating in the Jazz Band, Symphonic Band, Concert Band, and Winter Percussion Ensembles. During this time I developed my skills in playing marching snare drum, drum-set, marimba, and concert percussion instruments. After graduating from Rangeview High School, I volunteered for a year as the drum line teacher. The following year, I became a paid percussion instructor, leading the group to win several competitions. During this time, I also attended the Community College of Aurora, studying studied Music, Business, and Film. My studies led me to attend the Recording Workshop - School of Audio and Music Production in Ohio, where I earned my certification in Music Production and Audio Engineering. All of these experiences inspired me to start my own record label and publishing company, Vibrato Music Group Inc., giving me the freedom to be a session drummer, songwriter, and record producer. Working with talented musicians every day has been the highlight of my career. My goal as a teacher is to help students go from beginners to professionals, helping them to reach their fullest potential - not just in drumming but in life. The skills I teach my students are tools that they can apply to anything they choose to do in life, and I show them that through hard work and dedication to their craft, they can achieve anything. I help my students learn by providing visual and audio examples, then demonstrating the real-world application of those examples. My students learn in a variety of ways, including muscle memory exercises, practicing playing at different tempos, and playing along with examples.
My teaching experience dates back to my college days when I was an instructor for the Rangeview High School percussion ensemble for two years. This led me to start teaching private drum lessons, live/studio session drumming, and music production. After college I was feeling like that music education was not keeping up with the music business. As a record label own I felt that music education should reflect modern music making, that was the start of my passion for teaching students my drum philosophy.
I teach students biased on my drum philosophy that encompass rudiments, groove, and 4 way coordination. From beginners to professionals we help drummers refine their technique, learn a variety of rudiments and how they apply those to fills and grooves, in addition to helping them to gain 4 way independence. After the student works their way through various a grooves, rudiments, and 4 way coordination exercises then they begin to learn how those skills translate into playing with an ensemble. I like to determine what style of music a student is interested in and teach their lesson around that where they play along with prerecorded music without drums, teaching them how to lay-down a groove and use fills to begin and end musical phrases.
I'm passionate about seeing a beginning student just starting out evolve into a professional musician playing out with bands. I let students progress at their own pace and keep the lessons fun and interesting. I try to find out what inspires and drives the student to play, this allows me to successfully tailor my instruction to their wants and needs. I help students set realistic goals for the progression of their playing so they can avoid frustration. I want students to learn how to put all their feelings and emotions into their playing.
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