All of my students today were incredible! Granted, some of them hadn’t had much practice time, but the lessons went great regardless. Everybody seemed very focused and willing to put in their best energy during their drum lesson. Each...
Read moreInspiration
As a drum teacher, I try to inspire my students. It’s been my experience that one of the most effective ways to inspire someone, is to be inspiring. I ask questions, I share my experiences, I continue to try to learn new things, but mostly...
Read morePracticing Without Stopping
During drum lessons, it has been my experience that many people tend to stop after playing something that was not written — a mistake. This could be on the drum set or a snare drum piece. My take on this is that unless it’s the same mistake...
Read moreThat First Drum Lesson
I always enjoy the first get together with a prospective new student. Like many teachers, I offer a complimentary first lesson. At the end of the lesson, students will have a good idea of my approach to the instrument, and I should have a good...
Read morePractice Routine
I like having a practice routine, but it does get interuppted on many days. There are distractions, but also commitments. This time of year, it seems to get even harder for me and my routine. The same goes for students of mine. That’s OK. I...
Read moreDrumming “Tricks”
Recently, I was describing and notating a 3/4 jazz drum pattern for a student. He completely understood it, but at one point he asked if there was a “trick” involved in playing in odd times such as 3/4. (We can talk about...
Read moreBeing Grateful
I play and teach drums for a living. I am grateful for that. I get the opportunity to play music with great musicians. When teaching, I am blessed to be able to pass on my experiences and knowledge in an effort to help other drummers/musicians...
Read moreThe Four Stick Strokes
In order to play with ease on the snare drum, let alone the drum set, I find it very useful to use the four stick strokes. There has been much written about them, so I will not attempt to re-write this material. Suffice it to say, the four stick...
Read morePracticing and Being Consistent
I have been trying to be consistent recently with my drum practicing. It’s something I talk about with my students, and it’s working for me too! Life does get busy with all the “stuff” to do, but there does seem to be a...
Read morePlaying with a Metronome or a Click Track
My students learn early on that I value playing with a metronome or a click track during their lessons. I encourage them to continue this during their practice sessions away from my teaching studio. There are many options to make this happen: a...
Read moreFollow-up to Compliments and Ego
In the last paragraph of my prior post I mentioned that… “I am usually the best person to listen to when it comes time to access my skills as a musician and, more specifically, as a drummer.” Let me augment that by saying that a...
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