Drums with Finn B.

I started my percussion career in the 6th grade and have been playing for 8 years now. I pursued percussion (and music in general) all throughout high school. A big influence on my teaching styles and techniques came from my high school marching band. In my freshman year of high school, as a drumline we achieved 2nd in the state of Michigan overall (out of 44). The years following have been very similar in placement all the way through my Senior year of high school. I also played with an indoor drumline named Farmington United Percussion Ensemble. In State Championship competition, we have led the division in 1st place for the past 4 years (Michigan Color Guard Circuit). We have also made World Finals in Dayton, Ohio for the past 4 years, with a 2nd place medal this past year in Winter Guard International (Drums) Independent A Class.. As of 2 months ago I moved to California to pursue higher level indoor drumlines. I'm currently a part of Vessel Percussion, a World Class percussion group based out of Ontario, California. This coming summer I will also be marching with the Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps, which is a World Class marching band that placed 4th in the world at the top level of competition in Drum Corps International. As a way to help raise funds to pay for these activities, I am hoping to be able to spread my knowledge and teachings on to others who wish to pursue percussion in some way, shape, or form. Lessons will inlude: Concert Percussion (snare, bass, cymbals, toms, timpani, keyboards, auxiliary), Marching Percussion (marching snare, marching bass, marching tenors, marching cymbals), and light exploration of Visual Performance (marching, confidence, fluidity) When I teach, I will be able to provide a Marimba, Mallets, a Marching Bass Drum, and Practice Pads for teaching. I will have spare sticks, but I do prefer if students bring their own sticks. A lesson with me isn't just about playing the instrument and learning a shallow lesson only about rhythms and hitting things with sticks. I heavily encourage and focus on teaching music theory, instrument history, different genres and styles of percussion and music in general, the different techniques and approaches, modern drumming vs. "old-school" drumming, and making sure the student gets a true understanding of what percussion really is. In the words of my mentor, "A drummer knows how play drums. A percussionist knows how to master them."