Seattle Drum Lessons

Amnesia, Ashkenaz, Mystic Theater and Cafe Du Nord. I play many styles of music. Jazz, rock, funk, punk, blue-grass... you name it. I can show you how to play what you want to play.

*** Lesson Details ***
I believe in a strong musical foundation and that learning to play music should be fun!

*** Specialties ***
Whatever style the student is attempting, I stress proper technique and understanding of theory.

ructing and coordinating the University of Washington Husky Drumline. During my time with UW, I helped propel the UW drumline from regional to national prominence by consistently elevating the level of performance year-by-year while bolstering multiple social media platforms that led to greater recruiting outreach and subsequent response. I was also able to engage the group in similar publicity endeavors with our corporate sponsors such as Remo Drumheads, Pearl drums, and Vic Firth Drumsticks.

In the summer of 2013, I held the position of Percussion Caption Head for the World Class DCI Corps, The Seattle Cascades. We led the Cascades Drum & Bugle Corps to their highest percussion scoring in 6 years, and in any year since. Last but not least, I have also been involved with both the Seahawks Blue Thunder Drumline & Sounders Sound Wave spanning 4 seasons total.

Outside of marching percussion, I've spent significant time fine-tuning a wide array of musical genres behind the drumkit including Rock, Pop, Jazz, Big Band, Funk, Blues, R&B, Soul, Rock Opera, and Electronic, and I've even dabbled in Gospel, Folk, Roots, Country, Musical Theater, Classical, Metal, and Punk.

I currently tour with cinematic-electro-pop band HARPS and over the years have been lucky enough to be involved with Allen Stone, Megan Wilde, Headwaves, Tess Henley, Cracker Factory, and Discs of Fury along the way.

In addition, I've built a sizable following of drumming enthusiasts on YouTube gaining world-wide acclaim from a short series of note-for-note transcription performance videos. Perhaps most remarkable was a very accurate replication of a near 5-minute classic Aaron Spears solo from his performance at the 2006 Modern Drummer Festival Weekend of Usher’s hit “Caught Up”. Spears himself lauded the effort via Twitter within hours of the original upload.

I proudly endorse Pearl Drums, Remo Drumheads, and Vic Firth Drumsticks and mallets.

*** Lesson Details ***
I believe that good teaching revolves around finding the right balance of three things: what the student wants, what the student needs, and what the student can handle.

As your teacher, I will do my very best in making you a more complete and well-rounded musician while helping guide you toward your goals. Whether you're just starting out, or an experienced pro wanting to brush up on a few new skills, I can help you. Over the past 13 years, I have successfully instructed folks from every age range and skill level, both in ensemble settings of various shapes and sizes, and one-on-one. I'd love to have the opportunity to help you, too!

I have a general core curriculum that I like to follow, but also understand when being overly regimented can take the fun out of the experience. I try my best to go at the student's pace while working to expose them to the necessary material that will ultimately allow them to achieve their goals.

My curriculum utilizes recordings, videos, demonstrations, transcriptions, books, play alongs, and the like. I focus a great deal on maintaining great posture with relaxed playing technique, as well as listening, reading, improvisation, and ear training.

Note for those with special needs: I have experience working with kids with the following conditions: Dyslexia, Partial Deafness, and Asperger Syndrome. In all cases, I was able to help each individual overcome these tremendous obstacles and become quite proficient performers within their ensembles. However, I do ask that any parents get in touch prior to booking lessons so that we may have a conversation about the details of each person's respective situation. That way, I believe I can make sure that I am the right person for the job as each situation is different and requires such special consideration.

Also: I do have experience teaching through a translator.

*** Studio Equipment ***
Two drum kits, sound equipment for listening/playalong purposes, metronome, practice pad station (w/mirror setup), video camera, sticks and mallets.

*** Travel Equipment ***
Sticks and mallets, practice pads, metronome, video camera.

*** Specialties ***
Jazz, Rudimental, Drum Corps, R&B, Rock, Funk, Pop

members Bill Frisell, Cuong Vu, Luke Bergman, Ted Poor, and Marc Seales; several Cornish faculty members including Jim Knapp, Jovino Santos Neto, and Wayne Horvitz; and celebrated NYC-based players Wynton Marsalis, Tim Berne, Ralph Alessi, and Andrew D'Angelo. Aside from that, I am a co-founder of Table & Chairs, a new Seattle-based record label, as well as a co-founder of the Racer Sessions, a weekly forum and performance outlet for new and improvised music.

I began teaching in 2008, shortly after beginning my studies at the University of Washington. My private students have ranged from total beginners to advanced, each one presenting a unique set of interests and abilities to work with. In addition to teaching my own students, I have much experience as a substitute percussion teacher at Northshore Junior High School (Kingsgate, WA) and Spotlight Studios (Woodinville, WA). I have also presented many clinics and workshops at local schools including Garfield High School, Edmonds-Woodway High School, Ballard High School, Eckstein Middle School, and Holy Names Academy, as well as for Seattle JazzED. For these, the topics covered have ranged from free improvisation to straight-ahead and big band jazz.

*** Lesson Details ***
For beginning players, I like to start with the books "A Fresh Approach to the Snare Drum" and "A Fresh Approach to the Drum Set," both by Mark Wessels. These books do a great job of laying down the fundamentals that all drummers should learn at the outset of their education. Beyond that, what I teach depends largely on any specific path(s) the student may wish to pursue, though of course it is totally fine if the student doesn't immediately know what they would like to study beyond the basics. In that case, I would do my best to construct a rough curriculum that I think would work well for the student. The following books are all ones I have worked with and have found to be excellent at improving unique things: "Syncopation" (Ted Reed), "Stick Control" (G.L. Stone), "The Drummer's Complete Vocabulary As Taught By Alan Dawson" (John Ramsay), "Patterns" (Gary Chaffee), and "Portraits in Rhythm" (Anthony Cirone).

I prefer lessons to be focused on a curriculum, however customized it may be, as I have found that approach to be the most efficient, especially with younger players. While I believe that it is very important to learn the fundamentals of drumming, I also believe that some of the most rewarding experiences a student can have may be achieved through realizing their own unique creative potential. Thus, I find it great to set the curriculum aside for part of the lesson, either to allow the student some time to show me what else they've been working on, listening to, watching, thinking about, or perhaps to just jam and have fun. I also expect students to make progress on their own between lessons, though I understand fully from my teaching experience that the amount of progress I can expect is different for each student.

*** Studio Equipment ***
Two full drum kits

*** Travel Equipment ***
Sticks, practice pad, books

*** Specialties ***
Jazz, rock, pop, many Latin and African styles, free improvisation

to a brief tour (3 months) with Victor Zembrusky and his Polish Eagle Orchestra (a major polka band, polka is an
early form of Punk Music). As a member of the "house rhythm section" at Dangerfields Club in New York I was privileged to
play dates for many headliners including Peggy Lee, Al DeMeola, Mel Torme, and others. I was also fortunate to have been
selected to play for Peggy Lee during a brief 6 week tour throughout New England. (Peg's regular drummer had to leave her
tour in NYC. Regrettably he returned in great health despite my having consulted a voodoo priestess to insure otherwise.) I was
a member of the Connecticut Hurricanes Senior Drum and Bugle Corps durring their 1966-1967 National championship
seasons.

Since moving to Washington in 1984 I have played and recorded jazz, pop and classical sessions all over the Northwest.
Notable local Artists I have accompanied include: Anne Pell, Denny Gore, Peter Toyne, Ken Olenforf, Johnny Z, Lee Brumley,
Hans Bremmer, Chris Smellow, Richard Thompson and Bonnie Murphy pianists. Bud Hellner, Alan Simcoe, Joe Euro, and
Peter Toyne guitarists. Peter Manning, Niel Conaty, Ted Enderly, Paul Lewis, and the late Leroy Vinnegar on Bass. Local
vocalists whom I have had the privilege of supporting include: Bonnie Bridges, Trish Hately, Jenny Davis and Toby Schnider. I
have also played for many community performing arts organizations including The BPA, The Bainbridge Chorale, Bainbridge
Orchestra, Orchestra Northwest and various musical productions.

My pedagogic method is to build my students' technical and intellectual vocabularies. Thus I teach "from first principles". I
believe that in order to make musical sense of an instrument that can play no definite pitches the musician must be fully
equipped to express herself in terms of all of the possibilities for expression the instrument possess.
Philosophically, it is my objective to fully prepare my students to enjoy the music making process. We study musical styles,
history, song construction, criticism, and ensemble playing.

Adjudication experience:
Drum Corps International, Drum Corps Associates, State level solo and Ensemble competitions.

Professional Organizations:
Percussive Arts Society, National Association of Music Educators,United States Association of Rudimental Drummers

nds.

For 9 years I have been playing music professionally with many ensembles including the Charles Street Messengers, Titanium Sporkestra, Federal Way Symphony Orchestra, Freudian Slurp, Spencer Glenn Band, Champagne Honeybee, and Minami and the Cyclophonics. I also produce and perform electronic music with a band called Kaplundafunk, and I do freelance sound design and music for video games.