My Teaching Philosopy, also happens to be my philosopy on life

Learning to play the drums, or any instrument, is of course about building musical skills, but it’s also about so much more. Taking on a new skill at any age is vulnerable and allows you to see tangible growth through practice, resilience, and accountability. I am a strong believer in the growth mindset and together we will explore how to embrace the learning process, grow from the harder moments, and create a deep sense of joy through your own effort. 

My students learn the fundamentals of drumming and music and they also learn systemic lessons that impact all areas of life. My teaching philosophy is not about perfection, but progress. Together, I work with my students to embrace mistakes and frustrations that come from unwanted outcomes and use them as the fuel and focus to grow. While we learn how to play a specific song and expand into new genres, we will also talk about cause and effect, constructive criticism and how we all can benefit from frustration. We will focus on setting incremental goals focused around effort rather than focusing on a grade or one specific end result. Throughout all of this, we will be fostering joy of music and the instrument. It’s important to have fun while learning.

There’s a lot of focus in our society on grades and outcomes. When I work with students, I stay away from focusing on final assessments. We set goals based on each individual’s personal needs and desires, and then work on assessing our own progress as opposed to needing external validation. This way, you can learn to become your own motivation and teacher. Mistakes are a part of learning music and they’re a central part of life. Through music lessons, students learn how to hear constructive criticism, embrace challenges, and practice autonomous learning. Everyone has the power to learn and thrive through music. 

Through the process of learning drums my students will gain an understanding of the power of commitment as well as a new understanding of the power of the brain and how it can be used to learn any subject. Music is one of the greatest gifts of my life. It is my honor and privilege to share it with others.