Yan Westerlund Drum Teacher

Introduction: I've had personal experience studying drums and piano with many different instructors throughout my entire life. I graduated from the University of Minnesota Duluth with a bachelor's degree in Music Performance with an emphasis in Jazz Studies. I've been fortunate to tour the world and record drums with several Internationally acclaimed musical acts including: Bowerbirds, Rosebuds, Lost In the Trees, Mount Moriah, Grandma Sparrow, Phil Cook, Canine Heart Sounds, UMD Percussion Ensemble, UMD Jazz 1 and UMD Wind Ensemble. I love the challenge of adapting to all different musical environments I encounter. This is a strong point that I constantly emphasize in lessons. It is so important for drummers to be versatile, sensitive, and creative. Improvising is one of my loves and I constantly push myself to stretch my sound and capture spontaneous ideas that come with each improvisation. Reading Notation, snare drum technique, brush technique, mallet technique, 4 way coordination, drum set styles, composition, improvisation, rhythmic studies from Brazil, Cuba, Ghana, India, New Orleans, etc are all aspects of drumming that I teach. Piano is a tool I use for composition. I write a lot of instrumental music for bands I play drums in (Yandrew, Canine Heart Sounds). It is so important for me to have this outlet as a drummer because It allows me to work in other contexts that deal with melody, form, texture, and arrangement.