Music and Drumming: Becoming a Confident Personality Behind the Kit

From 36 £ /h

Becoming a confident musician is a skill that requires discipline, dedication and hard work. However I strongly believe that whether you wish to progress your skills on an instrument to a professional level, simply get the most out of playing In a band with friends or jamming along to your favourite playlists, the art of learning an instrument is an incredibly rewarding skill.

In our lessons we will focus on building a solid foundation across the basics of playing the Drum Kit. We will discover the rich and diverse history of the instrument and move through the jazz, funk, rock and pop era's of music. While I am happy to tailor all of these lessons to the student's needs, I do believe having a basic knowledge of where the instrument and it's vocabulary came from is essential and will have a positive impact on the students playing.

Listening is important! We will work through a number of landmark recordings that carve the path of the Drum Kit's evolution and continue the listening process all the way to your favourite songs and how the drums affect that music and the rest of the band! I am also happy to work through ABRSM, Trinity Guildhall and/or Rockschool exam grades.

Music is all about communication, and being able to fluently communicate ideas on any instrument requires time and practice. However, like with your very first English lessons in school, over time you can develop the skill of communication to a point where you can exchange many different ideas and create interesting conversations (this time between musical instruments rather than your friends in the pub!).

Although I understand music is a not a career for everyone, I strongly believe that learning how to play any instrument properly with discipline and good practice will enhance your life is more ways than anyone who doesn't play music will understand.

Extra information

For lessons on Zoom, please ensure your microphone is of a good enough quality to capture your playing.

Location

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At student's location :

Around Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Online from United Kingdom

About Me

I have been fortunate through my time as a student so far to be surrounded by teachers who are incredibly passionate about their craft and communicating it to their students. As a result, this passion became something I developed early on as a student and it positively impacted my progress as a musician and as a teacher when the time came.

I enjoy teaching with a relaxed but focused atmosphere. Lessons must have enough stimulus to remain engaging but have enough space to digest and retain the information we discuss. Through my own time as a student, I have found that taking a step back from exercise-specific lessons (eg: how to play single strokes on the snare drum) and focusing on the bigger picture of how this affects "the music" we are playing, is very beneficial to aiding progress. Since I have experienced this first hand, this idea is something I do with all of my students.

I have never lost passion for mastering the basics of playing Drums and Percussion. I see every small step for a student as a victory. Although many people do not want to pursue music as a career, I firmly believe that learning an instrument and the discipline of proper practice is a skill that will positively impact one's life. The first step is getting yourself a good teacher!

Education

The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS)
2019 - 2023
Bachelor of Music Performance (With Honours of the First Class)

Edinburgh College
2017 - 2019
HND Music

Lasswade High School
2011 - 2017
One SQA Advanced Higher
Seven SQA Higher's
Seven SQA National 5's

Experience / Qualifications

External Qualifications :
Trinity Guildhall Grade 8 Orchestral Percussion (With Distinction)
Trinity Guildhall Grade 8 Theory of Music
Trinity Guildhall Grade 7 Theory of Music
ABRSM Grade 5 Theory of Music

Experience (As a Drummer):
Imagine Theatre: "Jack and the Beanstalk" (2023)
Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2018, 2019 and 2022: A. selection of musical theatre productions including "Sister Act", "Godspell", "Little Woman" and "Making a Murderer"

(As a Percussionist):
The Scottish Concert Orchestra (Multiple Performances)
"The Phantom of the Opera" (Limelight Productions)
Mediterreanen Opera Studio Festival 2023 (Caltagirone, Sicily)
RCS Symphony Orchestra, Opera and Wind Orchestra Performances
The Soul Establishment (Established Entertainment, Weddings/Functions)

(As a Teacher):
Four years of private teaching.
National Youth Brass Band of Scotland (2022 Summer Course Tutor)
National Youth Orchestras of Scotland ("Engage" program in partnership with East Lothian Council)

Age

Children (7-12 years old)

Teenagers (13-17 years old)

Adults (18-64 years old)

Seniors (65+ years old)

Student level

Beginner

Intermediate

Advanced

Duration

60 minutes

The class is taught in