Why should I take Drum Lessons?
We offer a wide variety of drum lessons or percussion lessons. Most of our students learn on a drum kit. We have both male and female students and typically do not start drum lessons before the age 7 as students need to be able to reach both the pedal and the cymbals. We do have some younger students but suggest they come in for a trial drum lesson to see if they are big enough to get started.
Drum lessons are taught on a drum kit in our studios but students are able to get started practicing at home on practice pads before purchasing or renting a drum kit. Our drums lessons stress proper technique so students become good drummers quickly. Our drum instructors have university or college training and are active performers. Private drum lessons are available in 30 minute, 45 minute and 1 hour lengths.
Why learn the drums?
If your child is interested in learning to play the drums, we're willing to bet you've heard about it already in more ways than one. Whether it's banging on pots and pans or just tapping on anything in front of them, lots of kids are naturally percussive. We channel that excitement and energy into an expressive, fun output.
Countless studies sing the developmental praises of learning a musical instrument, with benefits (eighteen of which can be found here) as wide ranging as better memory and improved math skills. But why the drums, and not a more "refined" instrument like the violin? There are several answers to that question, beginning with the simple fact that it's worth pursuing what is fun for the student. If your child is excited by the drums and not by other instruments, the drums are probably the best place to cultivate a love of music. Additionally, drums are especially adept at developing coordination and an acute sense of rhythm.
Early drumming focuses on keeping basic beats, but drumming can grow exponentially complex as a student progresses, introducing new pieces to the kit, new ways of playing (such as adding feet and asynchronous play), and progressively more complicated rhythms. These are skills which benefit students outside the classroom as well. To paraphrase a study published in the journal Psychology of Music, drumming teaches students to understand and adapt fearlessly to complicated situations both in music and in academics.
Drums are also a very communal instrument. Drums and percussion instruments form the backbone of most modern musical ensembles, from rock bands to symphonies. Drum circles link cultures and people together socially, and the New York Department of Health is among the organizations which espouse the benefits of therapeutic drumming as a healing activity.
This class is 30 minutes length per week, see website for more info and to register.
