Drums with Greg D.

Greg has been playing drums since he received his first drum kit at the age of 8. His parents helped Greg nourish his abilities by enrolling him in private lessons and starting him in the school band program (which I see has an important aspect to learning, but not necessary). During his junior and high school years, Greg participated in concert bands, youth orchestra, marching band, and played in a variety of high school musicals. His time spent with these ensembles enabled him to travel overseas to London and all over the United States performing in festivals, parades, and competitions. After high school, Greg attended the acclaimed University of North Texas in Denton, Texas where he received his Bachelor of Music in 2002. His studies enabled him to learn history, arranging, theory, and pedagogy. While attending UNT, Greg performed with a variety of performance groups such as: the Symphonic Band, the Mean Green Marching Band, the brass ensemble, UNT Orchestra, the award winning drumline, steel band, Afro-Cuban and Brazilian ensembles, and a variety of modern percussion ensembles just to name a few. He has also spend time teaching and studying in Brazil where he learned a variety of rhythms and patterns to be applied to modern drumset. After college, Greg taught at a number of area high schools and middle schools throughout DFW. He has taught a variety of student levels, from beginners to intermediate. He also has worked with drumlines and small ensembles and judged area competitions. At any given, Greg taught a number of students during the week, ranging from 60 to 80 students a week. Greg taught a variety of different percussion instruments from keyboard/mallet instruments, to timpani, snare drum, hand percussion, drum set and many others. He teaches reading skills, technique, ear training, and playing along with other musicians/drummers. Greg is available for clinics, master classes, and private instruction. Greg has also taught students the basics of guitar and piano on top of his duties as a drummer. He has taught a variety of age groups and has worked with percussionist/drummers and other instrumentalist of all professional levels. He has been able to bring those experiences and lessons to his students. Greg has performed for audiences of 100 to 100,000 people in the various ensembles and groups that he has had the privilege to perform with, and he hopes to share those experiences with up and coming drummers. You can catch him performing with the local variety show VOCAL TRASH throughout the country and DFW metroplex. *** Lesson Details *** Greg is a laid-back teacher. Lessons will be structured around technique, reading, listening, watching, and doing. Technique will be stressed, but understood that it is not the most important element. Reading will be touched upon as it will make learning easier and quicker. Reading will be stressed for those students involved in public school music programs. Listening is an integral part of playing music. Listening will be a huge part of lessons. Watching is also an important part of playing music. Greg can teach anything from drum set to world percussion to orchestral percussion and beyond. Lessons will be structured to what the student wants to focus on and learn. Lessons usually involve a short period of fundamentals and warm-up followed by a short period of theory or other patterns, and then finished up with songs and tunes. Greg shows students how to place different patterns and rhythms on a variety of instruments, from drumset to hand percussion to school-taught instruments such as marimba, timpani, and concert percussion. Emphasis is placed on hearing the rhythm, playing the rhythm, and then seeing what the rhythm looks like in musical notation. *** Studio Equipment *** HOME: lessons in dedicated music room, drum kit and hand percussion instruments / ABSOLUTE STUDIOS: converted office building, drum kit, bass, keyboard, guitar, full sound system *** Travel Equipment *** I can provide hand percussion and practice pads. If students want drum set lessons they will need to have one to practice on, I do not provide extra kits. They can come to my studio to play kit. *** Specialties *** As a drummer I am well versed in many styles on drum kit, mallet percussion, orchestral percussion, and specialize in Latin and Brazilian hand drumming. I have studied in Brazil and extensively at the University of North Texas in theory and performance.