I remember my first encounter with what at the time I thought was a drum set: I think I was three or four years old and I used to grab my mom’s wooden spoons and put together one big plastic laundry basket (the bass drum, but not having a pedal and having no idea of how a bass drum was supposed to look like let’s just call it a “gong drum”), a couple of smaller ones to have different pitches (one pink and one yellow, to be exact), and to top it off, one or two lids of the cooking pots to have that thunderous cymbal sound (the thin, delicate jazz ride would come much, much later..).
The stage was set in order for me to move on a proper drum kit when I was eight years old, my mom (bless her intuition) suggested I try to go and get drum lessons, once having brought home my hometown’s music school promo flyer made with Word and PicsArt images you could find in the graphic section of the program back then…
I remember having a lot of fun discovering the sounds of the instrument, for what the different components were used, how to read music notation and play along songs.
Fast forward to xxx years later, I still have that joy when I sit behind the drums, music has given me a huge amount of tools to deal with easy and difficult situations, it is my way to convey happiness, sadness, and all the emotions in between.
That is what I want to communicate my students: music is not only an art form, but a language with which we can express ourselves in ways otherwise difficult to be put into words.
Sure it has its rules and codes, the path is tortuous and mysterious, sometimes we even face our limitations when a piece of music or an exercise seem too difficult for us, but passion and perseverance will get us through, discovering ourselves and train us in overcoming difficulties.
It might seem too poetic or somewhat exaggerated, but I strongly believe that Music is a way to learn about life, a playground where we explore our creativity and the role we have in society: if we learn to make Music together with other people in harmony, we will have a better sense of how to live well and happily.
What does this all mean in practice? Why would you choose me as your teacher among the others?
I have a wide range of experience in Music, I studied at the Collective School of Music of New York City and in the Conservatorium Van Amsterdam, I played in a lot of musical situations, from acoustic pop to electronic metal, passing through funk, rock, afro-cuban, Brazilian and jazz.
I have been teaching for more than 10 years in different countries and in all sorts of institutions: elementary school music class, private teaching, band coaching, you name it!
I can put my knowledge and experience at your service and take you step by step in a practical and fun way showing you how to pick up your first pair of sticks, the basics, the grooves, how to read notes, how to play with others, what is your role and how to help other people reaching the common goal in the practice room and on stage, how to work on yourself by showing you how to practice, but most importantly, how to LISTEN!
I offer drum lessons as well as basic piano lessons, music theory, ear training and band coaching classes, preparation to the entrance exam at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam.
I will take you through the main musical styles prioritizing what you like, style analysis, groove mechanics and play on your favorite tunes, reording techniques, drum editing etc etc..
