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Levels: Beginner to Advanced
In-Home Lessons: Yes
In-Studio Lessons: No
Ages: 5 & up
Subjects Taught
Drums, Music Performance, Music Theory, Percussion
Education
University of Florida - Ethnomusicology - Aug. 2004 - currently ABD
University of Illinois - Musicology - Aug. 2002 - May 2004 (Master's degree received)
UW- Eau Claire - Music Theory/Anthropology - Aug. 1997 - June 2002 (Bachelor's degree received)
Specialties
Drum set– I can play any popular style and my strengths are in jazz, rock, funk, hip-hop and latin. Latin percussion– congas, bongó, and other Afro-Cuban instruments; pandeiro, zabumba, repinique, surdo and other Brazilian instruments; Guatemalan marimba. Orchestral percussion– timpani, mallet percussion, cymbals, tambourine, triangle, snare drum, and bass drum. I was taught in the rudimentary tradition (see the Percussive Arts Society's list of International Drum Rudiments) and that
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has a strong influence on how I teach, no matter on what specific instrument the student wishes to focus. I also center my teaching on proper technique, relaxation, and muscle usage.
I believe music is both serious art and serious fun, so I feel that the lesson environment should be laid back but focused on creating the best music (and the best musician!!) possible. Everyone learns in his/her own unique way and I design each lesson around my student’s age, abilities, and musical interests. Learning, in and of itself, is also a dynamic process so I am always looking for ways to adjust to each student’s learning style.
Each lesson, whether 30, 45, or 60 minutes, will
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involve each of the following: 1) TECHNIQUE– Where it all begins. Grip, muscle usage, posture, and movement. Playing percussion is also a physical experience, perhaps more so than other musical instruments, due to the size of what we play. Therefore, like any other physical exercise, playing drums requires good technique. 2) EXERCISES– Between the technical and the art. Warm-ups, PAS Official Rudiments, and various other exercises to increase speed, strength, and ability. This is where daily practice (for how long depends on you) is essential. As Vince Lombardi once said, “Practice does not make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.” 3) PERFORMANCE– Making Music!! Learning tunes, beats, styles, and, most importantly, musicianship. What do you want to learn? Who do you want to play like? Let’s learn it! A good drummer is able to play by ear as well as read and notate music. Good music is like a good conversation among musicans and their listeners. Therefore, a great musician listens as much as he/she plays.
My lessons are a mixture of what you want to learn and what I know you need to learn to be the best musician possible. We’ll be working together to plan your lessons, incorporating the music you want to play with the skills and techniques you need to play it. Also, some students have textbooks from school (e.g. Essential Elements) and we can tailor your lessons to focus on the techniques you're learning in band/orchestra. Above all, we need to have fun! We’re playing music! After just a few months of lessons and diligent practice, we should be able to look back and see a noticeable, documented progression of your musical skills. Teaching is a two-way street and I will meet you every step of the way. Let’s get drumming!
Thanks for checking out my profile! Since my parents set the pots and pans out on the kitchen floor, I’ve been tapping out rhythms on anything and everything. I love playing music, especially rocking a beat onstage!
I’ve been playing drumset and percussion for twenty-two years and some of my favorite drummers include John Bonham, Clyde Stubblefield, Bernard Purdie, Tony Williams, Max Roach, and Dennis Chambers. If you study with me, you’ll hear a lot about these guys. I am a
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well-rounded percussionist and my specialty is drumset. I play many different musical styles but my favorites are funk, jazz, rock, and hip-hop. I also love playing different latin percussion styles– especially Brazilian samba and forró/baião, Afro-Cuban rumba, salsa, cumbia, and Guatemalan marimba. My current musical projects are with Más Critical (latin/funk/jazz/rock-en-español, based out of Milwaukee) and Dear Adora (rock-n-roll, based out of Chicago). Listening-wise, I’m all over the map and I’m constantly trying to learn new music. My ipod has everything from Miles Davis to The Clash, from Tito Puente to De La Soul, from Funkadelic to Beethoven.
I’m a proud product of Milwaukee’s strong tradition in music education and I consider it an honor to give back to the musical community that brought me up! I began taking lessons with southeast Wisconsin legend John Ruka in 5th grade, studied with Carl Storniolo (current Director of Percussion Studies at UWM), performed with the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra (where I also studied music theory with Dr. John Downey) and Carroll College’s Project Create Drum Brigade (working with Jim Sewry, Barry Applewhite, and John Ruka)– all before I graduated from Tosa West in 1997. I consider myself extremely lucky to have grown up in a city that supports music and all the arts.
I earned my bachelor’s degree (magna cum laude) in music theory and anthropology from UW-Eau Claire in 2002, where I studied percussion/drums with Ron Keezer and music composition with Dr. Michael Cunningham. While studying at UW-Eau Claire, I learned about a field called ‘ethnomusicology,’ which is the study of music and musicians from an anthropological or cultural perspective. I began studying the Guatemalan marimba in 2001 and have since spent two of the last ten years living in Guatemala (por eso, hablo español muy bien!). I earned my master’s degree in musicology from the University of Illinois in 2005 and I am currently writing my dissertation on ‘marimba orquesta’ music (google it!), graduating with my Ph.D. in ethnomusicology from the University of Florida in 2012.
