Drums with Michael C.

Hi! My name is Michael and I am excited at the prospect of teaching you or your child... I absolutely love to teach, but not just because of my love for the drums or my life-long appreciation of music, but because of my enjoyment of people and the learning process itself. I feel that this is important to mention, because if I didn't enjoy what I did and take pride in working with people, then my teaching skills, curriculum, and experience would mean nothing. As anybody who has played a musical instrument can attest to, learning something new is difficult, and having a patient teacher who enjoys working with people is mandatory. Throughout my life, I have had the opportunity to study with some amazing teachers, including Carmine Appice (author of “Realistic Rock” and drummer for Rod Stewart, Vanilla Fudge, Cactus and Jeff Beck), Jason Lingle (Berklee School Of Music), Keith Harris (drummer for The Black Eyed Peas) and Lee Nichols, to name a few. My experiences with these teachers has led to a proficiency in rock, jazz and Latin, as well as the ability to convey these concepts in a manner that promotes patience, personal challenge, and constant progress. Besides teaching private lessons at many local facilities, I have had the opportunity to teach group classes at dozens of elementary and middle schools, including schools in the Westminster, Ocean View and Huntington Beach school districts. I have also aided many students into attending the arts high-school/college of their choice by working with them to properly read and perform all audition material. Whether you are a brand-new beginner or a seasoned student of the instrument, I am confident that I can take your playing to the next level. Oh yeah, we will also have a great time. Maybe you don’t know yet, but playing the drums is FUN. Give me a call and I will prove it to you. *** Lesson Details *** I teach using the Freddie Gruber method, which promotes a natural grip of stick and the idea that we should allow the stick to “do what it wants to do” by using natural and fluid motions. This is an incredibly effective style of play and is used by drummers such as Neil Peart, Dave Weckl and Steve Smith. I teach with an emphasis both on rudiments and hand technique, as well as drum-set exercises and genre study. I encourage practice to be done on a rubber practice pad as well as on the drum-set, and for brand-new beginners, I often recommend that the practice pad be used exclusively for the first several weeks or months to allow for a great understanding of basic grips and hand techniques. This is especially true when the new beginner doesn't yet own a drum-set. I am often asked, “does my child need a drum-set to take lessons?” The answer is always a resounding “not at all!” A pair of sticks and a practice pad will do the trick, and will also allow you, as the parent, to see your child’s level of involvement. Within the first 3 to 6 months of lessons, my students can expect to: - Properly play and understand a handful of rudiments, including the single and double stroke rolls, the paradiddle family, as well as several flam and drag rudiments. - Play and begin properly reading many different drum-beats and rhythms, and connect these beats using fills that are fun and sound cool. - Begin learning songs of the their choice, from Metallica to Miles Davis. I am also inspired by many different educational sources, including the textbooks: - Stick Control by George Lawrence Stone - Rockin’ Bass Drum by Charles Perry and John Lombardo - Realistic Rock by Carmine Appice - The Art Of Bop Drumming by John Riley - The Drummer’s Bible by Mick Berry and Jason Gianni - Haskell Harr’s Drum Method …as well as many other awesome texts that provide both classic and contemporary concepts that are challenging, and most importantly, sound really cool. I teach out of an awesome private studio that features 2 drum-sets (the student never needs to get off the drum-set), recording equipment (lessons are often recorded and cited later) and a great headphone sound system (for effectively learning and playing along with songs.) Simply put, I believe my studio is the most fun and efficient place to study the drums in Orange County. Whether you are a drum-line student who needs help playing a piece, a rock drummer who wishes to learn the basics of jazz (or vice versa), or a brand-new beginner who wants to see what this whole drumming thing is all about (spoiler: it’s awesome), I have the patience, the passion and the skills to help you get the most out of this wonderful instrument. Let’s play the drums! *** Studio Equipment *** I teach out of an awesome private studio that features 2 drum-sets (the student never needs to get off the drum-set), recording equipment (lessons are often recorded and cited later) and a great headphone sound system (for effectively learning and playing along with songs.) Simply put, I believe my studio is the most fun and efficient place to study the drums in Orange County. Check out the photos in my profile for some pictures. *** Specialties *** Years of teaching group classes to elementary and middle school students has given me lots of experience with a multitude of learning styles. My specialty lies in not only conveying lessons and concepts in an easy to understand manner, but doing so in a fun way that encourages progress. Simply put, you will want to practice, simply to see exercises and grooves evolve. While I am most proficient in rock music and have played in many rock bands, I am also very proficient in formal snare playing (marching/classical) as well as standards in jazz and Latin.