Lessons

TEACHING APPROACH:

Together, we will create a curriculum especially designed for your development. You will be able to keep track of your progress and organize your practicing to maximize your development. Parents are encouraged to get involved with their children's drum studies and to check on their progress by speaking with me and by reviewing the lesson plans that I give the students.

We work hard in the lessons, but lessons are also exciting and fun. Students are encouraged to bring in songs that they would like to learn, and I do my best to teach the essentials of the songs while making it relevant to their current lessons curriculum. I try to keep my students playing drums for the whole lesson.

I teach all of my students the three R's. Reading, Rhythm and Rudiments. Reading is learning the basic notes and rests. It truly is essential to your development as a drummer. If you cannot read basic rhythms I have no way to pass along the information to you. Rhythms are the drum set grooves that the student is interested in: jazz, rock, funk, punk, reggae, hip hop, or blues. Rudiments are the basic fundamentals. These are the nuts and bolts out of which you create drumming. Paradiddles, rolls, ruffs, and flams, are all essential to your development.

TOPICS:

Snare Drum Technique
Reading (from beginners on up)
Rock/Funk styles (including fills and solos)
Blues styles(shuffles and 6/8 & 12/8 grooves)
Latin Styles (bossa nova, samba and Afro Cuban Songo/Mambo)
Jazz Styles (including jazz independence--based on Alan Dawson's teachings, basic brushes technique, 3/4 jazz waltz )
Soloing (open solos, soloing over a vamp, soloing over the form of a tune, trading 4's & 8's)
Kinka (advanced 4 way coordination using african rhythms)
Rudiments (including Alan Dawson's rudimental ritual)
Time keeping
Studio Drumming (playing for the tune, click tack and keeping in the pocket)
EQUIPMENT & BOOKS:

Students should have a full drum set at home to practice on. For the lessons, I am equipped with a top level Yamaha Maple Custom drum kit, a Mac iBook G4 w/ iTunes, a practice pad, an iPod, drum phones and a metronome. Students are encouraged to record the lesson. I also have all the essential drum instruction books. I will give handouts, but will sometimes ask that students buy these drum books:
1) Progressive Steps to Syncopation For Modern Drummer, by Ted Reed
2) The Drummer's Complete Vocabulary, by John Ramsay
3) Master Studies, by Joe Morello
4) Future Sounds, by David Garibaldi
5) Stick Control, by George Lawrence Stone

FEES:

Weekly lessons
1/2 hour lesson is $25 or $100 per month
1 hour lesson is $40 or $160 per month
There is also the possibility of scholarship for those with outstanding skill, motivation and need.

Payment is asked for in advance of the entire month. This payment is due the last week of each month. If a student decides to discontinue taking lessons in the middle of a month, after the month's lessons have been scheduled and paid for, there will be no refunds.

MAKEUP LESSON POLICY:

Make-up sessions are limited to illness and extreme circumstances only. Only one make-up session a month.

PRACTICE:

There is no prerequisite to studying drums with me. All level of students are welcome; however, I do want all my students to be motivated, organized and focused in their studies. Practice each “subject” for 15 minutes, then move on to the next topic. Time yourself. After completing all topics, then start again with the first. This is equal practicing. If you do not complete all the topics in one practice session, do not start from the beginning. Instead, begin where you left off, so that you develop each area of drumming equally.

CONTACT:

I am always available to answer any questions over the phone. Feel free to call between 9 am and 10 pm. 978-764-2947

Download Info in pdf format:
here.