Introduction: First I’d like to thank you for considering me as a drum instructor. It is a privilege to work with musicians of any age, to share in that world wide conversation wherein we may learn a little something new about music. If we end up working together I hope the lessons might not only give you a few new licks and ways to orchestrate your rudiments, but also play some role in developing the way you think about music in general.
There are many players out there who provide honest, heartfelt instruction. Intending not only to give students technical facility on their instrument these instructors promote a students responsibility to the tradition of their instrument. When we play from a state of responsibility for that tradition, our role in the ensemble becomes much clearer. Whether we choose to counteract that tradition (give the drummer the melody!) or we play to the more expected role (and then give it back to the horns…) I have found that playing from a place of responsibility ensures that the music of the ensemble is primary. And ultimately thats why we take lessons. We take lessons so that we learn: when we’re on stage, whatever that may look like, we, as an ensemble, are making music together! In other words, the most important part of playing music is the music itself. We are not just playing a lot of notes quickly because it’s “cool”; we’re not telling the rest of the musicians to “stand aside, it’s about me now!”, we are inviting strangers to share in a moment, and it is the responsibility and privilege of the players to make the most of that moment. And we do this through the sounds we play.
