Gerard Be

The best cure for a sluggish mind is to disturb its routine.

[William D.]

Hello. I'm a professional musician, composer, and teacher of drumset/snare drum. Been doing both for 2+ decades. I've recorded, performed, and toured here in the USA and in Europe. Started my schooling in France (w/Alan Silva)and finished up at UNT (Music Performance) in Denton (w/Henry Okstel, Rick Latham, etc). I've played Jazz and Bebop, Top 40, techno/electronika/rave, rock, heavy metal, blues, Greek & Middle Eastern, some symphonic, pop, various avant-garde styles, "nuevo" flamenco, funk, hip-hop, latin, folky singer-songwriter, reggae/dub, drum 'n' bass, totally improvized music, C&W, and even lizard lounge styles. Currently accepting students from beginner to advanced. Age range of my students= 6 yrs old to early 50's...

Beginning students are those that don't know anything about playing drumset except for the fact that it seems like it would be a fun thing to do. Maybe they have a drumset, maybe they don't. (If you don't have a drumset I can help you find one without breaking the bank...). Maybe they want to further hone the skills that they're learning in school music programs, ie. reading skills,snare drum skills, the rudiments...

Intermediate drummers to Advanced drummers are those drummers that have been playing for a while and have realized that there may be more to playing the drumset than they're currently capable of or even aware of. This includes conceptions of drumming and music, 4-limb inter-dependence, and music styles that may seem "mysterious"...like Bebop (Jazz). Maybe they want to learn how to read and write.

These drummers may have a pretty decent handle on things, maybe play in a band, or have played in several bands but feel like their lack of technique (like stick control,limb control, phrasing, syncopation) is holding them back. They may feel they've "reached a wall" in their technical abilities and/or their musical abilities and expression: same old licks, same old beats, same old fills, etc.

Self-taught drummers may feel the desire to develop more of the "formal" training into their playing (the rudiments, reading, ear-training, snare drum chops, Jazz syncopations/chops, odd meter playing, "flow", etc). Maybe they just want the input of a teacher who ca