All students–even beginners–have a concept of what they want to learn when they show up to their first drumset or percussion lesson. This is a result, in part, of their exposure to music through recordings, television, live concerts, school, friends, etc., and their innate ability that allows them to be sympathetic to these experiences.

I respect this, and from the first lesson, while establishing certain fundamentals, help them to fulfill that image directly. Most of my beginning students are able to play–within a relatively short period of time–a simple form of a musical idiom, whether it be a rock beat on the drumset or a melody on a mallett instrument.

At a certain point though, after enough information is learned and integrated and musical skills are developed, the original concept itself will expand. At this point I really start to dig in, and in time help the student become a fine percussionist, musician and artist.