“My son had a wonderful experience with David as his drum instructor and mentor. Davidβs expertise and enthusiasm for the drums and jazz theory matured my sonβs drumming and techniques beyond expectations. As a parent, David was approachable, responsive, and a positive person to work with. Thanks in part to Davidβs influential teaching and encouragement, my son earned a spot as drummer for his high school jazz band. David is an asset to the artistic and music community in his ability to teach and inspire others.”
— Laura, mother of Kaden (15)
“Through the challenges of the drum lessons, I learned how to not only apply myself to the drum set mechanically, but musically. Everything from the dexterity of linear grooves to simplistic, grid-locking beats were discussed and performed to continue opening up opportunities of creativity, individuality, ensemble application, and development of even time.”
— Reid, current Berklee student (20)
DRUM LESSONS:
I am available for private lessons and instruction.
I have experience teaching students from ages four to sixty, and a fluency for all skill levels. I pride myself on versatility as an educator, catering to each specific student's personality and particular needs. I do not utilize a one-size-fits-all approach. Particular areas of competency regard timekeeping, feel and groove, and specific mechanical techniques for consistent control of tempo. I'm also interested in advanced phrasing concepts in soloing, and various other pyrotechnical things that will probably get you fired from a gig.
I studied under Ed Soph at North Texas for two years, in addition to receiving private instruction from Fred Knapp, Tim Froncek (Western Michigan University / Grand Valley State faculty), Robert Kaufman (Berklee), and Keith Hall (Western Michigan University), as well as individual instruction from Steve Houghton (Indiana University), Robert Briethaupt (Capitol University), Steve Rucker (The Bee Gees, University of Miami), and Jason Thomas (Snarky Puppy, Marcus Miller).
