Since 2007, I've been offering private drum lessons to beginner, intermediate and advanced students ages 10 and up.

​Beginner & Intermediate Lessons

My focus for beginner students is having them understand how the drums function in the context of popular songs. Students begin to understand song structure by learning a different drum pattern for each section of a song. I then use an app that allows to me slow down songs and students begin to play along at a reduced tempo with headphones. 

Starting with simpler pop rock songs by The Beatles, Nirvana and Weezer, students become more comfortable with following the music and transitioning from one section to the next. We then begin to explore syncopation and off beat rhythms found in classic r'n'b. Songs by James Brown, Steve Wonder and Sly & The Family Stone challenge students to grasp a more advanced rhythmic approach. Once a solid skill level is established, students are also welcome to bring in songs that they would like to learn!

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Jazz & Improvisation ​

My area of expertise as a working musician is in the field of improvisation. I welcome the opportunity to share my knowledge of this music with advanced drummers with several years of playing experience. These lessons are more collaborative rather than purely instructive, as we will begin by exploring the idea of improvisational flow that began with jazz music. With an emphasis on the creative use of drum rudiments to form improvisational musical phrases, we will begin trading solos and improvising together. For those interested in more musical freedom, we will  expand on this approach by exploring arrhythmic concepts as well as the use of unusual percussion instruments in combination with the drum set. If you're interested in expanding your approach beyond traditional musical genres, this may be for you!

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