Tag: Drum lessons

  • Getting serious.

    Once you have decided to study the piano, it’s time to find a teacher (I know a great one, by the way!) and an instrument. More often than not, for the latter, people start their journey with an electronic keyboard. They consult with a teacher or a knowledgeable friend and, depending on many factors including…

  • Practicing: keeping the emotions in check.

    There is a strange alchemy going on when one practices. Sometimes you cannot help but feel absolutely powerless. But, and it needs to be highlighted, a veteran musician knows to keep his feelings out of the learning process. Easier said than done. We are, after all, being of emotions.  I confess that, confronted with the…

  • The giving musician.

    ‘Tis the season! Here we are, when families and friends get together. Is it always rosy? No. But there are ways to ease up the tension. Music could be one of them. I advise my students to chose a moment in the celebration to set a little concert for the people assembled. If they play,…

  • Did you know?

    It has been a long time since I’ve produced a trivia blog. So, in the spirit of Christmas, I’ve decided to write one. Did you know that the cover of “London calling” by the Clash is commonly known as the best one ever? I’ll embed a link right there (I have learnt to embed things…

  • Embeding

    Hello Friends, I’ve got big news. I’ve just discovered how to embed a link to a picture, a website or a video! I know, it’s pathetic on my part. I’ve been blogging since before the dinosaurs and I’ve never even tried that function. The button was right there, though, it had a very explicit logo.…

  • No rhythm.

    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 teacher to do with someone…

  • The hard makes it good.

    Every time I want to learn a new skill I become humble. Because I studied music, I know not to take for granted the skill I want to acquire. I know that there will be some different steps in my journey, some expected like in technique or sight-reading, some not so obvious like the ones…

  • Teaching approach

    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, so that…

  • Planned determination

    When a student arrives for their first music lesson —whether they’re 8 or 88 years old—they are ready to learn. With eager hands on the drumsticks or perched at the piano, their eyes shine with excitement and anticipation. It’s clear that they are ready to dive into learning music. For a music teacher, seeing this…

  • The unsuspected power of the drummer

    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, not that kind of clowning, but…