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One of the obvious challenge of learning any new instrument is discipline. A typical scenario goes like this: We watch a marvelous drummer or piano player, we are in awe at the mastery of the player, the flow, the command he has over his craft. We mull that bit for awhile insideRead More

There is a book out there. It was written by Groddeck, an unusual German psychoanalyst who lived at the time of Freud. The name of the book is: “The book of the it”. What a title, eh? In the book, Groddeck shares his view on people being sick. Now, before anyone screams about hisRead More

There are all kinds of students. Sometimes you get the novice, sometimes you get the pro. You never know what’s in the box of chocolate. But, the ones that are truly fascinating (the students, not the chocolates), are the ones who claim to have no rhythm. What is a drum teacherRead More

Something I pondered. I was looking for a watch. I saw the brand Hamilton, supposedly a reputable American icon… but it’s made in Switzerland now. I got one, nonetheless. It ticks and tocks all right. I would have preferred if it was American though. I got it before IRead More

There is not one way of teaching. There are not two ways either. I think there are a thousand ways of teaching piano or drums. To me, the fascinating part is this: trying to adjust according to the personality and wishes of the student. And I want to adjust so that we meet, soRead More

I just saw a band called Lighting bolt. The drummer is Brian Chippendale. He has a very strong personality. I would even say he’s crazy. Good crazy. Great crazy. He plays loudly on one of these garbage drums made out of some rotten material. He is fast, obnoxious, he throwsRead More

When a student comes for his first lesson, whether he is 8 years old or 88 years old, he is nothing but a big ball of determination. He grabs the drum sticks, or he sits at the piano with a clear gaze and a strong heart. Nothing can come between him and his will to study music.Read More

When I worked with the Cirque Plume, in Besancon, France, I was substituting for the regular drummer. I had to learn to juggle with 3 balls, to play the different instruments of a Samba Batucada (I’ll develop that on another blog, I promise) and to do some clowning. No, notRead More