Yuichi H.

General Info

• Certified Music Teacher

  Certified Music Teacher

  Our rigorous hiring process requires a completed application; an interview with our professional recruiting specialists; personal and professional reference checks; and annual criminal background checks for the duration of each teacher's employment with us.

  
• Background Check Complete

  Criminal Background Check

  In order to ensure the safety of our students, all teachers undergo a thorough criminal background check, which includes: Social Security number trace, multi-state criminal search and a nationwide sex offender registry search.

  
• Levels: Beginner to Advanced

• In-Home Lessons: Yes
• In-Studio Lessons: Yes
• Ages: 5 & up

Subjects Taught

Bass Guitar, Drums, Music Theory, Percussion, Guitar, Piano

Education

The City College of New York - jazz performance - the spring of 2000
Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA - diploma in professional music - the spring of 1995
Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan - commerce - the spring of 1991

Specialties

drums, percussion, electric bass (beginning to intermediate level), music theory, guitar and keyboard (beginning level)
Rock, Pop, Jazz, Blues, R&B, Funk, Latin includes Afro-Cuban, Brazilian

Lesson Details

After so many years since I grabbed a pair of drum sticks for the first time, I still get the same joy and excitement when I play music with drums nowadays. The better I have an idea about music, the more fun I get. It seems that my drumming gets better as long as I have specific goals every time I practice playing drums, and that keeps me wanting to play more.
By teaching how to play drums, I like to share this fun with you. In order to do that, I will make an ideal practice plan ... specifically designed for you.
If you know what songs you like to play, then I will show you what to practice on drums and how you are doing. It might be helpful if you understand the song in terms of what it consists in term of verses and choruses, chord changes, instrumentation, etc. Whenever you like, I can talk about these things as well. You could take it as a kind of music theory, but I keep in my mind that your primary interest is getting better on drums.
If you do not have particular songs in your mind right now but you want to play drums, No problem. I will be happy to introduce you many different kinds of songs/tunes until you find one to play.
Or if you just want to play some hot drum solos, I sure got some great stuff to work on to it.
Either playing a song or playing just solo drums, I will show you many different techniques to work on, and I will keep watching how you are doing on drumming.
I look forward to meeting you and starting work on building your fun with music!
Thank you for visiting my profile site!
Yuichi (pronounce 'you-each-ee')

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About

Yuichi H. was born in Tokyo, Japan. His musical career started at age 10 when he performed marimba in a music recital. He started playing drum set at age 14 and joined a wind ensemble, a few rock bands, and a jazz big band. With some of these groups, he performed at several live music venues in Tokyo. In 1991, he composed the music and performed drums and percussion in a production of Othello, at The Globe Tokyo Panasonic Theater.
In the fall of 1991, with a full scholarship, he attended ... Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA. He studied jazz drums mainly with Joe Hunt and Jon Hazilla, and orchestral percussion with Dean Anderson. Also, he took many classes in jazz composition and arranging with Gregg Hopkins and Jeff Friedman. He was the recipient of "The Cuccinello Percussion Award" and the "Berklee Percussion Department Achievement Award." Outside of the school curriculum, he joined several bands and performed at several venues such as the Willow Jazz Club, Middle East Cafe, and Copley Square Hotel. With one of these bands, he appeared at a jazz festival called "Jazz Improv." in Kingston, NY in 1993.

In the spring of 1995 he earned a Professional Diploma in Performance and Jazz Composition from Berklee College.
His ambition to learn and play music made him move to New York City. He continued his studies at The City College of New York, CUNY, NY, and earned a Masters degree in jazz performance in the spring of 2000. There, he studied jazz and contemporary drums with Charli Persip, Kim Plainfield, and Mark Walker. Also, he studied jazz ensemble, and arranging with Grammy award winning bassist Ron Carter.
Currently, as a full-time freelance drummer, he appears at various live music venues in New York City, and around the tri-state area as well. His own jazz band has performed at Arthur's Tavern in Greenwich Village every Tuesday since September 2001, and he has also appeared at the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York in 2003, 2004 and 2005. He has also been touring in Tokyo and Kyushu, Japan.

As a sideman, he has performed at the Birdland Jazz Club in New York with the Morris Brothers Band in 2000, and also at the April Jazz Festival in Finland with the Jay Sweeney R&B Experience in 1999. With his wide-ranged interest in music, he plays not only jazz, but also rock, R&B, funk, blues, country, Brazilian and afro-Cuban.
John Scofield, Larry Carlton, John Abercrombie, Robben Ford, John Petrucci (Dream Theatre), Percy Heath (MJQ), Ron Carter, Donald Byrd, and Barry Harris are among some of the more notable musicians that Yuichi has performed with.

Yuichi is an excellent and experienced educator. He taught drums at the National Guitar Workshop since 1997 and also at the Roosevelt Island School in 2004. His students range from 9 years old to experienced adults. He has clear objectives and a passion for all lessons, units, projects, and is able to share these objectives with his students very clearly. Also, with his skill to plan instruction programs for music that meets individual needs, interests, and abilities of students, he worked for the Jazz Workshop in Yamaguchi, Japan in 2002, 2003, and 2006. There he played a very important role as a program coordinator as well as a translator. At this workshop, he worked with jazz legends, Barry Harris, Richard Davis, and Lewis Nash.

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