Drum Lessons in Twin Falls. Amazing Teachers.

Hello Students,
I have been playing most of my life. I started playing professionally at 17, playing with a number of professional bands playing all over Michigan. I have been teaching drum students since the age of 19, teaching well over 500 students to date.

Teaching students has been one of my passions with music. I hope to motivate my students to learn to play and love the drums as much as I do.

I work with each student on an individual basis to help them learn and understand drumming technique using books and techniques that will help to develop instinctive skills and ear technique.

I work with snare drum / rudimental technique with all my students and drum set technique, as most students want to learn how to play a drum set. Many of my students are in school band learning snare drum and percussion technique. Basic snare drum technique is important for any student to master and understand to learn to apply to snare drum and drum set technique.

Building a solid

The drum set is a important instrument for every musician to try out, and it can be a ton of fun! A beginning student can expect to play along to many of their favorite songs in just a few weeks. An intermediate to advanced student can expect to have a skillset that will propel them into auditions with bands in whatever genre most interests them. This would entail an understanding of polyrhythm, feel (swing vs. straight, for example), consistent tempo and the ability to replicate basic drumbeats in any genre on their instrument. Any drum beat can be simplified or made more complex to suit the students ability level, so we can delve in to whatever kind of drum-beats inspire you!

My teaching technique is learner-centered. I work with students to help them build a strong vocabulary of drum rudiments and have them apply their newly acquired drumming knowledge to the songs and genres that interest them most. I have found this to be ideal for those at the beginning and intermediate levels. For the advanced drummers out there, I may be able to assist with some minor application of technique or perhaps deviate from standard drumming practices to acquire a fuller awareness of the body's interaction with not only the drumsticks and drum set, but how to maintain total postural awareness.

For those interested in flamenco, I have a lifetime of experience with the rhythms of flamenco, am a professional cajón player, and study/perform flamenco guitar.

My goal is to unlock your creativity! As an active musician, producer, and teacher, I love helping people learn to read, write, and play the music they love and envision. My teaching philosophy is that every aspect of music is connected and therefore to really get it, you have to learn it all! I take a wide ground up approach inching away at rhythm, melody, theory, technique, and feel altogether, advancing all musical skills equally over time.

My approach to teaching drums will have you playing within the first few weeks of lessons. I teach with the focus on getting students ready to play in any sort of ensemble. Jazz, rock, pop, funk and free styles will all be discussed.

My lessons are both fun and educational, with flexibility to honor each student's needs and goals. During my time as a drummer, I have had the pleasure of studying music with Dr. Richard Ripani, Eddie Bell, and renowned big band drummer Duffy Jackson in Nashville, TN. I graduated in May 2017 with a degree in Studio Music/Jazz Performance at UT Knoxville, studying with Professor Keith Brown. I want to pass on all the knowledge I gained from them to you! See you soon!