Drums with Jeff N.

Hi, I’m Jeff and I have been playing the drums for over 40 years and an instructor for the past 10 years. I began my teaching career at The School of Rock where I spent one (1) year helping the drum students learn to play along to songs from various rock groups such as The Rolling Stones, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Rush, Kiss and Led Zeppelin. We also covered funk artist Sly & The Family Stone, Stevie Wonder, Parliament Funkadelic and James Brown, to name a few. From there, I started teaching at Dale Music, Co., where I served as the Director of Drum Set Studies for the past nine (9) years with a concentration on performing jazz. My personal drumming style has been influenced by Steve Gadd, William Kennedy, Jimmy Cobb, Art Blakey, Steve Smith and Ndugu Chancler to name a few. Utilizing my combined experiences has lead me in creating a course curriculum to help my students develop a full command of the essential skills every master drummer needs, what I call... “The 3 T’s” – Timing, Touch & Taste. My following course outline was designed to work for students as young as 7 years old up to adults and will cover from the beginner to intermediate and also advanced students. It will provide a solid foundation in drumming, allowing the student to confidently play whatever musical style they choose. • The Basics (grip, posture) • Rhythmic Notation and Timing (reading music, working with a metronome) • Stick Control (rudiments, etc.) • Coordination (synchronizing hands & feet) • Musical Styles & Rhythms • Endurance • Advanced Rhythms & Odd Meters • Improving Your Sound (touch) • Drum Tuning • Handle Your Business (musically prepared, proper dress, arrive early) You will be expected to be on time for your lessons and with the proper materials. While my teaching method is relaxed and without pressure, you the student must be willing to do consistent daily practice to achieve results. “Practice Is the Key to Progress”! The question is, how good do you want to be? Take ownership of the results you want to achieve but keep in mind; “you can’t get a full result with half an effort” and “the best shortcut is hard work”. My desire as an instructor is to help you achieve your musical goals and become the best drummer you can be. EDUCATION: My musical training as a beginning drummer started with The DC Youth Orchestra Program and lasted for three (3) years. Later in life, I continued my educational experiences by attending yearly conferences (2 yrs.) of the Percussive Arts Society (PAS), and (3 yrs.) of the International Association for Jazz Education (IAJE) as well as (5 yrs.) of the KoSA Percussion Workshop where I attended master classes and private lessons with some of the industry’s top professionals; Elvin Jones, Ndugu Chancler, Jim Chapin, Joe Morello, Ed Shaughnesy, Steve Smith, Ed Thigpen and Ralph Peterson, Jr., to name a few. By following their lead, I’m determined to practice, explore and seek different training materials as well as teaching methods to continually sharpen my skills as a drummer and educator.