Top Drum Lessons for Kids in Tolleson, AZ

es, as well as international festival performances in Canada, Norway, and Mexico. His past teaching and performing experiences have really helped shaped the musician he is today.

Aside from preforming and private lessons, he is the founder of his preschool program Wee Rock Music, serves as adjunct faculty at Mesa Community College, and is the Entertainment Coordinator for Tempe Festival of The Arts. As a writer, his work has been published in Phoenix New Times and Modern Drummer, and his new children's drum book, Wee Beats, Wee Eats, is set for release in 2018. And also is an accomplished DJ.

Benard also co-scored the 2012 feature-length documentary, The Immigration Paradox, with Tobie Milford. Active in the music industry for more than 15 years, Henri is experienced in production, artist management, booking, merchandising, copyright, graphic design, promotions, licensing, teaching, publishing, writing, and live and studio performances.

A life-long learner, Henri is always finding new experiences and new ways to connect with his students, as learning comes just as much from the student as it does the teacher. You can always find him around "the music." 

*** Lesson Details ***
Students who study with me can expect for their guitar, drum kit, percussion, or piano lessons to be top-quality, personalized, and above all, extremely fun sessions that will cater to the students musical backgrounds, interests, and needs. I create extremely organized and specifically focused lessons so that students feel comfortable, not pressured, while learning their craft. The lessons I teach are a combination of developmental sight reading music, learning student chosen songs (depending on ability), inspiring and encouraging creative abilities, warm-up and strengthening exercises, proper techniques, listening for internal hearing, composition dynamics, chords, finger-picking (guitar only) and rudiments (drum kit only).

After 3 months of lessons together, students will have started learning several key elements to becoming an outstanding musician. They will have learned proper form and technique, warm-up/skill-building exercises, to read basic notation, and basic rhythms/rudiments. Guitar/Piano students will be able to play at least one song utilizing both melody and chords. For drum kit/percussion, students should have no problem reading basic drum beats and being able to play through a simple song. With proper, steady practice, most students will achieve much more. I also focus on creative thinking, professionalism, and instrument tuning. Finally, the students will have started to develop a solid level of discipline that is required of any aspiring human being! Remember, "practice doesn't make perfect, practice makes permanent."

*** Studio Equipment ***
Electronic Drums, Acoustic and Electric Guitars, Casio CTK-800, LP Assorted Percussions, Protools LE, Logic Pro, Korg Electribe, Reason 3.0, Ion Electronic Drum Set, Chord Charts

*** Travel Equipment ***
I can provide drum sticks, guitar, keyboards, percussion instruments, and all developmental material for students to retain and practice.

I expect my students to be providing the necessary musical equipment as well (guitars, drum kits, percussion instruments, piano/keyboard) for private lessons in home. If they do not have these in the home to practice with, the lessons are much less effective for your student.

*** Specialties ***
I specialize in the following styles of playing:

Rock, Hip - Hop, All Latin, Jazz, Funk, Blues, R and B, Gospel, and Dance. I also have a very good feel for World Music as well. I have a very free-spirit for playing, so I often mesh the above stated styles into a more progressive style of playing. I believe that you must be feeling what you are playing.

I also specialize in beat programming/sequencing, recording, organizing song-writing/song-structure, musical score, live performance, and professional music marketing. I am able to show you how to use programs such as Reason, Logic Pro, Protools LE, and Adobe programs to take your creative abilities to the next level.

I believe that these days, it is imperative for musicians to have four major components in their professional arsenal: 1) Discipline and chops on your instruments (including reading music notation); 2) Know how to successfully market yourself and your music; 3) Know how to properly develop a learning ear to record/produce your songs/tracks as well as for others; and 4) Understand and effectively utilize music production programs.

I look forward to working with you and helping you achieve your musical desires. Thanks so much for stopping by and have a music-filled day.

uraged to be themselves. This is a lesson that continues to mold my teaching style today.
My hard work paid off, and soon his students wanted to learn from me as well. Without even knowing it I was not only taught how to play, but given the gift of being able to teach!
Over the years I've played in many different musical situations from bands specializing in Classic Rock, Blues, Latin Rock, Jazz, and all the varied rhythms needed to play in everything from shows to weddings. With a solid foundation and the freedom to create my own style I have achieved many years of success and fulfillment as a drummer.
In 2007, I moved to Arizona from the East Coast and built my first studio. Since then I've taught countless students of all ages and levels. I teach in a curriculum based program unlike any other that I've seen in books, or DVD’s combining technique, music theory, groove essentials, fill study, and unique exercises, games, and patterns. All combining to create fundamentally sound musical drummers who can play any genre of music with chops!
I've played and been around drumming my entire life. I learned how to play and teach from one of the best. It is a gift that I am very passionate about and I never take lightly.
From being on stage with Buddy Rich when I was five years old, playing and booking my own band at the age of 13, performing with the great Louie Bellson, and teaching others what I have learned through a lifetime of study. Drums have been my passion and inspiration and I look forward to each lesson when I have the privilege of passing that knowledge and inspiration to my students!

*** Lesson Details ***
My pledge to students is to listen. I listen to what their goals are and do my best to insure they achieve them. I expect they work hard to achieve those goals and I match that effort with lesson plans incorporating unique and personalized exercises and demonstrations.
I offer encouragement as we progress from the beginning fundamentals through intermediate and advanced study of the ART of drumming.
Each student will go at a different pace, so my students can expect that I will patiently guide them as they advance.
My curriculum will teach them how to hold the sticks and move the fingers, wrists, and arms so they are fundamentally sound. We’ll learn stick control techniques that will allow them to play dynamically.
Drums are a physical instrument and must be played with proper technique to allow each of us to reach our maximum potential, but proper technique also insures that we are playing the instrument safely. Contrary to what some believe, drums are not just something you beat on! It is an instrument of varied pitch and dynamics and from the very start my students learn the techniques needed to play safe, play dynamically, and most of all… play musically!
I also incorporate play-along games for kids that are not only fun but teach the fundamentals of timing and groove. We use a multi-set configuration so they get to see how I approach a groove, fill, or song. My State-Of-The-Art studio allows for musical and video study, instant record/playback learning and a balanced blend of book study with musical demonstrations and exercises in all genres.
Intermediate and advanced students are evaluated and interviewed where together we identify goals and chart a course of study that will allow them to become the drummer they want to be.
Beginning students will find that my clear and concise instruction of the fundamentals of stick control and hand/foot independence can be sufficiently learned in the first handful of lessons and then we will begin our study of Classic Rock grooves.
From there more advanced grooves and “add-on” techniques are feathered in with additional music theory developing a well-rounded musician.

*** Studio Equipment ***
Private home studio with adjacent waiting area, semi sound proof, multiple drum kits, and seating for parents - SOUNDS GREAT, Video & Audio equipment to record and view lessons and show alternate angles students use to review technique.

*** Specialties ***
The method I teach is a curriculum that starts with the very foundation of drumming. How to hold the sticks, hand technique, reading. Students then progress to moving these techniques from the practice pad to the drum set with a series of books developed to progress through Rock, Jazz, and Latin styles.
I couple book exercises with personal lesson plans depending on the students interests. Demonstrations, Interactive games for the kids, and real world exercises are introduced along with multi-media recording of the student for playback study.

roduction & engineering program) Protools, Cubase, Reason, analog/digital recording techniques, editing, mixing, programming and sound design.

I have just completed five years at the School of Rock in North Hollywood/Burbank Ca. and five years at the School of Rock, Scottsdale AZ... Teaching drums, percussion, bass, guitar, keyboards, vocal and Show Direction for ensembles. Live perfomances at local and national venues.

Prior to SOR I was Dean of Curriculum and drum teacher for the percussion department at The M. Gray Music Academy, a state of the art facility founded by Grammy Award winning artist Macy Gray located in North Hollywood Ca.

On the tour front you will find me performing live with Boston hardcore legends DYS.

Al has performed or recorded with John Zorn, Cypress Hill, Soul Assassins, Martin Sexton, Zora Young, Everlast, MC RAI, Screaming Headless Torsos, the Warm Gunns, Zayra Alvarez (Rockstar: Supernova), Avenged Sevenfold, Lance Lopez, Cycle of pain...

As a performer/ writer/ actor, Al has appeared in numerous films, soundtracks and TV shows (B.H. 90210, Zoolander, Girl, Titan A.E., Bride of Chucky, Excess Baggage, Squeeze, Sex and the City, VIP, Daria, Late Nite w/ Conan O'Brien, Pepsi Musica, MTV's 120 minutes (co host), MuchMusic Live, Little Nicky, LATV Live, Loveline (co host).

As a touring musician, Al has shared the stage with Kiss, Ozzy Osbourne/ Black Sabbath, Anthrax, Metallica, Pantera, Cypress Hill, Kid Rock, Pharcyde, Korn, G Love/ Special Sauce, Marilyn Manson, Method Man, Slipknot, Henry Rollins, Snoop Dogg, N.W.A., Limp Bizkit, Primus, Everclear, Slayer, Filter, Static-X, Ozomatli, Juanes, Julieta Venegas, Charo, Los Lonely Boys, Rob Zombie, Incubus, Stone Temple Pilots and tours of North America, Canada, Europe and Japan with Powerman 5000.

"The primary goal is to educate students in the art of music, have a general understanding and be able to create your own grooves, songs and develop your musical voice"

Product Endorsements:
TAMA drums/hardware,
Zildjian cymbals,
Vater Percussion(sticks/tape)
Remo drum heads
E-Pad practice pads /accessories
Rhythmtec percussion.

ils ***
I put my focus on inspiring students to explore their own creativity with the tools and techniques that I give to them and nurture.
I think it is very important to cover the basic skills that the school districts expect from their music students (sight reading, proper technique, note recognition, rudiments, timing, feel, etc.).
I also feel it is important for a student to find his or her style and an ability to use the fundamentals to create music that they enjoy.
He has written a method book based on the fundamentals of playing a rhythmic instrument with an emphasis on allowing the student to find their niche and lead a group through a piece of music or tastefully support it.

My studios are fully equipped with sound systems, the latest recording gear, acoustic and electric sets, hand drums and dozens of other percussion instruments. I believe that the more resources a person can draw from, be it intellectual or physical, the more fulfilling the learning experience will be.

Each lesson, my students will take at least a page of music that represents the concept that they are focusing on, and a goal set to accomplish by the end of the week so that they can build upon what they already know in an effort to put the big picture together. Ultimately the student will learn when and how to utilize the concepts that they are practicing.

*** Studio Equipment ***
A Yamaha electronic drum set in my Mesa Studio allows me to control volume and dial up any sound imaginable. I have full acoustic drum sets in other studios that I use for recording and private lessons. Often I will integrate guitar, keyboard, or other instruments in to the lessons if needed.

*** Travel Equipment ***
Sticks, Practice Pad, tuning kit, binder and books with teaching supplements.

*** Specialties ***
Music, Drums, Percussion, Theory, Composition, Piano and Guitar.
Drummers should be well versed in all genres of music. Rock, Jazz, Latin, Swing, etc.
Most of my students begin with concert and marching styles on a practice pad, then advance to the drum set.
I teach note recognition and placement, rudiments, linear playing, moeller method, rhythm theory, sub-division of notes and time, and the sight-reading to support these techniques.

d reading sheet music, but for just about anything else, the lesson plans will be more customized to the taste of my students and will not require music reading ability in most cases. After the first few months, my students can expect to have a solid understanding of music, their instrument, and what steps to take to reach their long term goals.

*** Travel Equipment ***
I travel with my own guitar and bass guitar, but for piano and drum lessons, the student will need their own instrument and a quiet area to get the most from the lessons.

*** Specialties ***
While I have a degree in classical guitar, I have several years of experience with blues and classic rock, specifically on the electric guitar and drums. Aside from those, I enjoy all genres of music and have plenty of musical experience outside of the aforementioned genres.

errado. She has played hundreds of events including weddings, memorials, private parties, festivals, and church fairs; Kierstyn was also the accompanist for all three choirs at her high school. She was the principal pianist for Northminster Presbyterian Church for four years and rocked the house as the pianist in the ASU Latin Jazz Combo for two.

Kierstyn just graduated summa cum laude with Bachelor's of Music in Composition at Arizona State University. She has studied with James DeMars, Rodney Rogers, and Kotoka Suzuki. Since attending college, she has been commissioned by Ironwood and Imagine Prep high schools, The ASU Barrett Choir, The Phoenix Art Museum, The ASU Art Museum, and Voices for the Voiceless. In 2014, she won the Four Seasons Women's Composers Competition, and her string quintet "The Monarch" was performed in September by their professional orchestra and her score for the play “Poseidon's Regret” received a nomination for a 2016 ariZoni Award!

lid foundation, and have a great time in the process, then you just found your drum teacher. :-)

LESSONS
I tailor lessons to the student's interests and ability, but in general we'll spend time on technique, reading music, playing music, recording music, developing good meter and groove.