About
I graduated Berklee College of Music with Cum Laude honors and with a dual degree - Drum Performance and Electronic Production & Design. In addition to teaching, I perform and reocrd with bands around the U.S., & have performed with internationally acclaimed artists including Nona Hendryx, Simon Shaheen, & Richard Devine. I've also performed in 10 countries in the past 11 years - USA, Canada, Mexico, Cuba, Guatemala, Colombia, Brazil, Ghana, Turkey, & New Zealand.
In 2014, I recieved the "Outstanding Youth Advocate Award" from Berklee College of Music's Community Outreach Dept. for my work at the West End House Boys & Girls Club (Allston, MA).
I've also taught at Indian Hill Music School (Littleton, MA), Boston Public Schools' Counseling & Intervention Center (Roslindale, MA), the Mary Lyon Pilot High School (Brighton, MA) & Somerville Public Schools (Somerville, MA).
I've given music production workshops at A3E, an international music production conference at the Hynes Convention Center as well as at music production schools in Istanbul, Turkey an electronic music festival in Guatemala, and in Wellington, New Zealand.
My students have ranged from total beginners (no prior experience) to professionals.
I'm well versed in Pop, Rock, Funk, Jazz, Latin, African, and rudimental drumming, fundamentals of electronic sound design, recording techniques, mixing techniques, and much more.
I do my best to be flexible with time. While I have a 24-hour cancellation policy, I'd be happy to reschedule lessons/sessions with proper notice (at least 24hrs, 3+ days in advance is ideal though).
If you want a teacher who is deeply passionate about music and an active performer, I look forward to hearing from you!
I love seeing students grow and develop with their musicianship, and seeing where they go with it! One of my music production+music theory students just got accepted to Berklee College of Music after working with me for about 2 years! I also just had a drum student play in a high school jazz big band competition, got selected to move on to play at the Hatch Shell in Boston & won an award for excellent musicianship!
With accomplishments like these aside, I just genuinely enjoy seeing my students progress week to week, month to month, year to year, etc. - it always amazes me how much my students absorb in a relatively short amount of time!
Details
Able to read music
Musical styles
Years experience
Types of drums
Lesson length
Student's age
Student have drums
Photos and videos
Reviews
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Chris H.
David A.
Fred C.
Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
In terms of teaching, I like to first get a sense of the student’s and parent’s (where applicable) goals for the lessons. In addition, I like to know what type of music the student likes and what previous musical background he/she has. I then work on building/refining the foundation of technique as well as playing musical examples to keep things fun and moving in a positive direction.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I took 5 years of piano lessons from age 7-12 at Indian Hill Music School, have taken 11 years of drum lessons (pretty much consistently on a weekly basis), and then went on to graduate from Berklee College of Music with cum laude honors and with two (2) degrees - one in Drum Performance the other in Electronic Production & Design. I also was trained in music education/as a music teacher at Indian Hill Music School (in Littleton, MA), The West End House Boys & Girls Club (in Allston, MA), & the Boston Public Schools' Counseling & Intervention Center in Roslindale, MA.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
30min: $45
45min: $55
1hr: $65
2hr (applicable for music production lessons): $120
*I require a travel fee for in-home lessons (based on specific location)
*Package deals are also available! 15% off full-semester 15-lesson package, 10% off 10-lesson package, 5% off 5-lesson package
How did you get started teaching?
I started playing piano when I was 7 years old as both my parents are amateur musicians and thought learning piano/music is an important part of life and human/child development. Then given my high energy, a constant need to keep rhythm, and after seeing a few concerts, I had a great desire to learn drums so I began drum lessons. I had a few friends at school that played guitar, sang, played bass, and subsequently formed a band. I remember getting handed my first $20 from a concert we played and thought I wanted to keep playing music professionally for the rest of my life, and haven’t looked back since. Around this same time, some of my friends who saw me playing wanted to learn as well so I started teaching them and have found lots of enjoyment in watching students progress and grow through music ever since.
What types of students have you worked with?
I've worked with many types of students from a large array of all different ages, genders, races, nationalities, and some with learning disabilities.
Describe a recent event you are fond of.
After working with a music production+music theory student for about 2 years, he got accepted to Berklee! Also, one of my drum students, who I've been working with for about 4 years, just played at a high school big band jazz competition. His band was selected to move on and play at the Hatch Shell in Boston and he won an award for excellent musicianship!
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
Be sure the teacher is an active performer in addition to being a teacher. Usually the best teachers (and musicians) are actively performing as well as teaching. The reason(s) why a teacher is not an active performer usually means they are not a very good musician to start with, or not very good with people, both of which are why you want to be sure to hire someone such as myself, who is actively performing AND teaching!
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
- What styles of music are of interest to learn?
- What credentials/awards does the teacher have?
- What are the short-term and/or long-term goals for the lessons?