Meet Joe, a dedicated Drums and Percussion Teacher passionate about helping students of all ages discover their rhythm and musical talent. As an experienced Drums and Percussion Teacher, Joe combines his expertise with a fun, engaging approach to inspire students and guide them toward achieving their musical goals.
Quick Facts about Joe
- Teaches Drums, hand percussion, concert percussion
- Teaches all experience levels
- Experienced working with students on the spectrum
- I specialize in music from the 20th and 21st centuries, with artists ranging from Miles Davis to Taylor Swift. Open to any style.
- Studied drumset and percussion with Dave Elitch(Mars Volta), Paoli Mejias(Santana), Allison Miller(Brandi Carlile), Dafnis Prieto(Fulbright Scholar), Zoro(Lenny Kravitz)
- Over 20 years of teaching experience
- High School Diploma from Perpich Center for the Arts 2008
- BM in Jazz Performance from Cornish College of the Arts 2012
Learn more about Joe
General Teaching Style
I build individualized lesson plans for each student that will help them build the skillsets to reach their goals as quickly as possible.
Curriculum
I often use song based learning to help students build a personal connection to the instrument. Texts include: Snare Drum Plays the Zoo, Groove Essentials, Stick Control, The Art of Bop Drumming, Gary Chester's New Breed, and many more!
Focus & Goals of the First Lesson
I like to start by asking questions. Finding out why a student is interested in playing drums will help me to give them the best possible information to achieve their goals. Any new student can expect to start playing songs right away, regardless of age.
Most Inspirational Music Moments and Experiences
Seeing Prince in 2004 on the Musicology tour. That moment was when I knew that I wanted to pursue a life in music.
I have many years of performance experience, touring throughout the United States and Europe and performing at venues ranging from 50-20,000 person capacities. This has taught me about what actually works in many different applications of performance.
Open-Minded and Intuitive Teacher
I don't come into the classroom with preconceived notions of what a student needs to learn. I believe that learning an instrument is a very individualized path, and that path is discovered by getting to know who each student is and by what their interests are.
Top 3 Desert Island Albums
Aja-Steely Dan
Ahmad Jamal at the Pershing- Ahmad Jamal
To Pimp a Butterfly-Kendrick Lamar
