Ventura Drums

As a drummer, I have studied, performed and taught all major styles on the kit. In terms of recorded works, most of my professional playing has fallen inside the realm of rock and R&B music, but my experience and ability extends into jazz, country, latin, afro and hip-hop. I form the basis of my lessons around the individual student's needs and interests, but I teach with a consistently open style that encourages the exploration of all genres of music. I transcribe songs the student wishes to play as they develop, but also provide transcriptions of songs that will help them explore the kit and various styles.

My students can expect to learn to develop the fundamentals of sticking technique, time keeping and sight-reading through studies on practice pad and kit. I have developed a method to expand the student's facility on the drum kit through a combination of beat exercises, classic and contemporary songs of various genres that explore specific techniques and approaches, and also by choosing songs the student is interested in learning, which I transcribe for them. As the student becomes more advanced we work through various kit styles (ie. optional jazz studies or comparative genre study) and advanced techniques (ie. moller stroke fills, beat displacement, linear playing, etc). As an additional emphasis I focus my students on elements such as playing with 'feel', understanding song structure, and developing the facility for quickly recovering from playing errors without losing time or tempo. These are less talked about practical features of a good player that are important for real life scenarios players regularly encounter. A student under my tutelage will not just learn how to play drums, but will learn the necessary skills to become a professional musician. Whether or not this is the life path they take is irrelevant. The skills of a professional are life skills that can be applied to many aspects of life, not just the musician's.

I absolutely love my job. As a father/step-father of three children, my life consists of playing music professionally, spending time with my kids, and transmitting my love of music and the drums to my students. I am truly blessed to have such an opportunity in this life. I believe that my love for what I do is a strong influence on how I teach, which more than anything is to inspire my students to pursue their passions and their commitments with a full heart.