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Updated
February 24, 2010
It has been my great privilege to teach private
drum and percussion lessons to students of all ages and abilities, including
beginners, college music majors and adults, since 1999. Private lessons are taught in my drum studios at the
Keeney Bros. Music Centers located in Moscow, Idaho and Clarkston,
Washington. Lessons are held Monday through Friday at the Moscow
location and on two Saturdays per month at the Clarkston location. My percussion studio maintains an enrollment of approximately 30 to 50 students between the two locations.
Here are a few questions that I receive about drum lessons from new
clients.
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO GET STARTED WITH DRUM
LESSONS?
Students
will need to purchase a pair of Vic Firth SD1 General drumsticks,
a practice pad and a dedicated 3-ring notebook. This is the minimum to
get started with drum lessons. Additional supplies for the advancing student include a metronome, stick bag, snare/bell kit, drumset, brushes, drumset sticks and assorted drumming books.
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WHAT AGES AND LEVELS OF STUDENTS DO YOU WORK WITH?
Age and experience matter less than interest and dedication. I have experience working with students from as young as three years old to adult and of all ability and experience levels.
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WHAT ABOUT PROTECTING MY HEARING?
You can take too approaches. One is to muffle or reduce the amount of sound your drums produce, the other is to wear some sort of hearing protection device. You can find hearing protection information at EAR.com and hearnet.com. Some great hearing protection devices are at Vic Firth and Etymotic Research. HQ Percussion makes some great drum mutes.
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HOW LONG ARE THE LESSONS?
I
recommend a minimum of one 1/2 hour drum lesson per week. Students can schedule longer lessons if desired.
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HOW MUCH DO THE LESSONS COST?
Drum and percussion lessons cost $20.00 per half-hour lesson.
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HOW MUCH SHOULD I PRACTICE?
You should only practice on the days that you eat!
I recommend a minimum of 15 minutes a day. As the student collects more materials in their lessons, this time will naturally increase. It
is better to practice a little everyday than a lot every few days. Try to
schedule the same time of day and always practice in the same place.
This way you can make practicing a natural part of your life.
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SHOULD I BUY A DRUMSET RIGHT NOW?
A student need not own a drumset to start lessons.
The purchase of a drumset is a considerable financial commitment and should only be made when you are ready personally, musically and
financially.
The biggest concern that clients voice to
me is "What happens if we buy a drumset and six months later (student's
name) isn't interested?" If you share this concern, wait on the purchase of a drumset until the student has shown regular dedication to practicing for a couple of months.
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WHAT IS YOUR LESSON PHILOSOPHY?
I believe
that students will become successful lifelong drummers by introducing them
to the fundamental techniques of all of the instruments in the
percussion family. Student's can then apply this knowledge to the pursuit
of any style of music and achieve great success.
Lesson topics have included
all styles of drumset, snare drum, mallet percussion, hand drumming, timpani, concert
percussion and marching percussion to name a few. If a student expresses interest in
another area of drumming and percussion, I would be more than happy to offer what
guidance I can.
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ANY
OTHER QUESTIONS?
Please
contact me with any other questions you might have regarding drum and percussion lesson curriculum, availability
and rates.
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Moscow Drum Lesson Schedule
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MONDAY |
TUESDAY |
WEDNESDAY |
THURSDAY |
FRIDAY |
4:00 |
Cooper |
Alec |
Greg |
Ryan F. |
Owen |
4:30 |
Amber |
Cameron |
Kurt |
Daniel |
Brooke |
5:00 |
Anna |
Gracie |
Connor |
Ian |
Dan |
5:30 |
Jason |
Ryan C. |
Jonah |
Erik |
Bob |
6:00 |
Greg G. |
Chandler |
Emily |
Sam |
Jennifer |
6:30 |
Robert |
Tov |
Cem |
David |
Bruno |
7:00 |
|
|
Will |
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Clarkston Drum Lesson Schedule
SPRING 2010 |
I will be student teaching in Spring 2010 and consequently I will not be able to teach drum lessons on the weekends in Clarkston.
Shawn Smith will be taking over drum instruction at the Clarkston location from January through June. If you are interested in continuing your study, send me an email and I will forward your information to Shawn. You can read more about Shawn here.
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DRUM LESSON CALENDAR
Drum and percussion lessons are taught Monday through Friday in Moscow. There will be no lessons taught on the dates in black. Lessons will be
taught in Clarkston on the dates in gray.
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JANUARY 2010
MON |
TUE |
WED |
THU |
FRI |
| |
1 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
18 |
19 |
20 |
21 |
22 |
25 |
26 |
27 |
28 |
29 |
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FEBRUARY 2010
MON |
TUE |
WED |
THU |
FRI |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
15 |
16 |
17 |
18 |
19 |
22 |
23 |
24 |
25 |
26 |
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MARCH 2010
MON |
TUE |
WED |
THU |
FRI |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
15 |
16 |
17 |
18 |
19 |
22 |
23 |
24 |
25 |
26 |
29 |
30 |
31 |
|
TOP
APRIL 2010
MON |
TUE |
WED |
THU |
FRI |
| |
1 |
2 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
19 |
20 |
21 |
22 |
23 |
26 |
27 |
28 |
29 |
30 |
TOP
MAY 2010
MON |
TUE |
WED |
THU |
FRI |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
17 |
18 |
19 |
20 |
21 |
24 |
25 |
26 |
27 |
28 |
31 |
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TOP
JUNE 2010
MON |
TUE |
WED |
THU |
FRI |
| |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
17 |
18 |
21 |
22 |
23 |
24 |
25 |
28 |
29 |
30 |
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