Deborah L. music, percussion,drums Nashville, TN

Deborah loves to teach, and has been doing so for the past 15 years. What would you like to accomplish as my student? I am here as your teacher to help you thrive and enjoy your drum lessons. I have taught percussionists in Youth Orchestra's in New Orleans and South Florida, I helped one of my students win an audition at his middle school to become the top level drumset player with his middle school jazz band. I have helped students with his and her rudimental drum solos to win a snare spot with his and her highschool marching band. I have also helped my students learn to play drumset, and my students went onto play drumset in his and her churches. I am here to help you succeed ! I myself recently won a section percussion audition with the Mobile Symphony Orchestra in Mobile, Alabama. I am however, based in Nashville, TN. This is because my husband is a member of the Nashville Symphony. I performed with the Louisiana Philharmonic regularly for 5 years, and I have also played with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra. I recently studied percussion with Marc Damoulakis of the Cleveland Orchestra. I am a graduate of the Manhattan School of Music in New York City with a degree in Classical Percussion Performance.

I would have my student tell me a little bit about his or herself, what musical experience she or he already has, ask what groups he or she plays with at school or at church, does he or she play with a youth orchestra, does my student play in a band with other students outside of school? This starts to tell me where a students interest is, and whether a student wants to start off on drumset, or snare, or mallets or timpani or other percussion instruments. I usually ask what direction my student wants to go in-- most of the time it is pretty obvious after a short time-- I have many percussion instruments in my basement studio-- 2 drumsets, a xylophone, timpani, bells, vibraphone, concert snare drums, bongos. Usually a student walks into my studio and gravitates towards a certain instrument. However, I do like to teach my students at least a little bit of all the basic percussion instruments and drumset. I basically work my teaching in a way that works best for my students personality. For example, I have 4 different xylophone books a student can try, and I will let my student study out of whichever book he or she enjoys the most. If you are a begginer, after 3 to 6 months my student should feel comfortable playing at least 3 different kinds of snare drum rolls, be able to play basic rudimental drum etudes, beginning drum set beats, scales and arpegios and basic reading on mallets, and beggining timpani technique. Of course, I love teaching more advanced students as well.

I am trained to play classical percussion. I have also taken and advanced in percussion auditions where drumset has been a focus. As for teaching, I like to focus on whatever the child is most eager to learn first, that can be snare drum, drumset, or mallets. It depends on the child's interest. The most important thing is that the student thrives under my teaching.

Manhattan Sch of Music - classical percussion - 1989-1993
Lakewood HighSchool - general - 1984-1988

music, percussion,drums