Drum Lessons
Learning styles
People learn in different ways. In the first few lessons I aim to find out what kind of learner each student is; visual, aural, kinesthetic, or a blend of these. I consider myself a kinesthetic learner, meaning I need to physically replicate movements to absorb input, sight reading was never my forte but I have worked on it to attain an adequate level of proficiency.
In contrast, many students of mine are definitely visual learners, which means they progress quickly using drum notation, others only need a recording and would find notes on a page distracting; i.e; aural learners. Thankfully, the rockschool syllabus which I endorse takes these learning styles into account and has performance certificates and graded exams to suit different learning styles.
Young Learners
Children and teens generally benefit from a structured syllabus which has the goal of an end of the year performance. A key objective of Drum Academy drum lessons is to get young learners proficient enough to perform with a band. Rockschool exams help them achieve this. There is a great social aspect to being a drummer, be it for a school musical or in a battle of the bands; working on projects and performances like these with your peers is extremely rewarding. As a teen I benefited in many ways being able to work with fellow musicians in school, hence the reason why I encourage my students to do the same.
List of benefitsChildren with special educational needs
In my teaching experience I have taught numerous children with special educational needs, specifically children with ADHD, Asperger's syndrome, and other autism spectrum disorders. Drumming in particular is often advised for such children for the following reasons:
- Social skills
Drumming in itself is a collaborative instrument, be it with other musicians or with the teacher in the lessons.
- Communication
Drum lessons can work non-verbally, by using a call and response method of teaching through the language of drumming. This method works extremely well, and is very fun.
- Motor skills
Drumming requires an extremity of motor skills in comparison to other instruments, you really have to use every part of each limb to generate the music.
- Self expression
The most obvious benefit is the easy of expression with drums. Anger in particular is best expressed on a drum kit!
Adult tuition
Many adults get great satisfaction from building grooves and generating beats on the drum kit. Adult beginners can be the most rewarding of students, those who take the opportunity to sit at a drum kit and learn the mechanics of drumming later in life can really appreciate what a it can offer. Drums are the oldest instrument in the world and have always been known for their stress relieving and therapeutic qualities, drumming in itself is a form of meditation, a quick google will tell you about the many other benefits of drumming.