Teaching philosophy
My teaching philosophy evolves around the fundamentals of snare drumming - if you can't play it on one surface, then you won't be able to play it on multiple surfaces. I strive to develop a basic level of musicianship in all my students that can then be molded and developed in many different directions as they see fit.
The basis of my teaching revolves around facility on snare drum and melodic percussion (primarily marimba). Even though a student may not have any desire to be a great solo marimbist and/or teach at the college level, I believe working on the marimba has many advantages. I try to give students a taste of playing 4-mallets, because this provides one of the only opportunities for them to play harmony and melody in addition to rhythm and dynamics. It is also a great teacher of discipline.
Through the skills learned on snare and marimba, most (if not all) necessary skills can be applied to other percussion instruments as needed. I cover a few of these areas in applied study as dictated by a students need: timpani, vibraphone, multiple percussion, drum set, MIDI percussion, orchestral excerpts, accessory instruments, etc. The goal is for my students to become as "marketable" as possible after graduation, for whatever that means to them. If I get a call for a church gig in need of a percussionist that can play drum set as well as mallets and tambourine, I want to be able to recommend any of my students without reservation.
If a student is interested in a particular area, we try to tailor their curriculum to reflect that in their later years of study, while still maintaining a good hold on the basics when needed. For instance, Music Education majors will work more on 4-mallet marimba and timpani while Music Technology majors will get a few lessons on MIDI percussion and programming. For what it's worth, I require ALL of my students to play ALL of their scales and rudiments for me EVERY semester of study (tempos are set beforehand, and increase according to level of study). If I didn't make them do it for me, they probably wouldn't do it for themselves.
The basis of my teaching revolves around facility on snare drum and melodic percussion (primarily marimba). Even though a student may not have any desire to be a great solo marimbist and/or teach at the college level, I believe working on the marimba has many advantages. I try to give students a taste of playing 4-mallets, because this provides one of the only opportunities for them to play harmony and melody in addition to rhythm and dynamics. It is also a great teacher of discipline.
Through the skills learned on snare and marimba, most (if not all) necessary skills can be applied to other percussion instruments as needed. I cover a few of these areas in applied study as dictated by a students need: timpani, vibraphone, multiple percussion, drum set, MIDI percussion, orchestral excerpts, accessory instruments, etc. The goal is for my students to become as "marketable" as possible after graduation, for whatever that means to them. If I get a call for a church gig in need of a percussionist that can play drum set as well as mallets and tambourine, I want to be able to recommend any of my students without reservation.
If a student is interested in a particular area, we try to tailor their curriculum to reflect that in their later years of study, while still maintaining a good hold on the basics when needed. For instance, Music Education majors will work more on 4-mallet marimba and timpani while Music Technology majors will get a few lessons on MIDI percussion and programming. For what it's worth, I require ALL of my students to play ALL of their scales and rudiments for me EVERY semester of study (tempos are set beforehand, and increase according to level of study). If I didn't make them do it for me, they probably wouldn't do it for themselves.
Where I came from...
I started playing drums in the 8th grade (1982-ish), and from the beginning only wanted to play drum set in a rock band. My early influences were directly from MTV - Rush and Neil Peart in particular. I was convinced to join to the Peachtree High School marching band in my 9th grade year, mostly because I thought it would improve my drum set playing. It did, and I was hooked.
Reading music came somewhat naturally to me, and I took a natural interest to composing my own snare solos and licks as a way of improving my understanding of rhythm and technical passages. When I couldn't drum, I would write drum music. This fascination with rhythm was coupled by my growing interest in music, and I would spend an hour or two every day playing along to Rush albums when I got home from school. "Exit...Stage Left" was the greatest workout...and "La Villa Strangiato" was one of my favorites.
During my senior year, I eventually decided that I would major in music in college. As much as I loved to play drums, I went into Music Education. I realized that one of the things that interested me was the ability to help other people, and to see their "AHA!" moments when they finally "got it." During college, the more I saw, the more I got interested in. 4-mallet marimba, Steel Band, Percussion Ensemble, MIDI percussion...anything I could get my hands on was new and exciting.
Two endeavors in my undergraduate years are a huge part of who I am today: marching snare with Spirit of Atlanta for 2 years (under Mike Back) and following that by teaching the UGA Drumline for 2 years (thanks to Tony McCutchen for trusting me!). Drum corps taught me all the right things about discipline and dealing with hardships, and teaching the drumline gave me confidence and freedom to try new things, as well as the invaluable experience of arranging music for the battery and the front ensemble.
Reading music came somewhat naturally to me, and I took a natural interest to composing my own snare solos and licks as a way of improving my understanding of rhythm and technical passages. When I couldn't drum, I would write drum music. This fascination with rhythm was coupled by my growing interest in music, and I would spend an hour or two every day playing along to Rush albums when I got home from school. "Exit...Stage Left" was the greatest workout...and "La Villa Strangiato" was one of my favorites.
During my senior year, I eventually decided that I would major in music in college. As much as I loved to play drums, I went into Music Education. I realized that one of the things that interested me was the ability to help other people, and to see their "AHA!" moments when they finally "got it." During college, the more I saw, the more I got interested in. 4-mallet marimba, Steel Band, Percussion Ensemble, MIDI percussion...anything I could get my hands on was new and exciting.
Two endeavors in my undergraduate years are a huge part of who I am today: marching snare with Spirit of Atlanta for 2 years (under Mike Back) and following that by teaching the UGA Drumline for 2 years (thanks to Tony McCutchen for trusting me!). Drum corps taught me all the right things about discipline and dealing with hardships, and teaching the drumline gave me confidence and freedom to try new things, as well as the invaluable experience of arranging music for the battery and the front ensemble.
Where I am now...
I am very fortunate to be in my 20th year of teaching at UAB. My job allows me to do many things - percussion ensemble, steel band, applied teaching, conducting wind bands, supervising basketball pep band, writing/arranging for and teaching the drumline, even show design for the marching band.
