Information About Leigh - Leamington Spa teacher

Personal Description:

Leigh is a professional drummer, musician and teacher based in Leamington Spa, UK with years of live, studio and tuition experience behind him.

Leigh started playing drums at the age of 14 in Bournemouth, UK after many years listening to and obsessing over classic rock and heavy metal, playing his first show with a band after only about 2 weeks of having owned a drumset. After playing in several local rock bands around the area, Leigh began to study drums at school with the now iconic Tony Nash before heading to the University of Warwick in 2007, and studying drums at an advanced level with world-renowned players and educators such as Benny Greb, Thomas Lang, Derek Roddy, Tommy Igoe and Travis Orbin. It was at this time that he also began taking on students of his own, teaching around the West Midlands and also giving workshops and demonstrations at the University.

After this period of intensive and passionate study, Leigh graduated in 2011 and was immediately welcomed into The Rhythm Studio faculty where he quickly rose to become one of the principal staff in the drum department, teaching private drum lessons to numerous students spanning a wide age, interest and ability spectrum.

Launched in late 2012, the drum stream of The Rhythm Studio's new flagship Rock & Pop Academy courses have been taught and assessed exclusively by Leigh, with much of the material being modelled on his own personal teaching method. The students on this course have progressed astonishingly well, and under his guidance Leigh's private students continue to excel, with a 100% pass rate with Distinction for all grade exams taken after tuition with Leigh.

Whilst he continues to share his knowledge, away from education Leigh's primary focus is his progressive metal band, Beneath Dead Waves, which he co-founded. After years of composition and cultivation, Beneath Dead Waves released their debut album in mid-2104 and are currently touring to support the release.

Leigh also composes and performs with London-based rock outfit Hellcat Molly, who have an EP in the works, and has also performed several recording and live session duties with UK shock rocker Al B Damned, providing drums for his last 2 records. His live session history also includes shows at prestigious venues such as London's SCALA club. During his time at Warwick, Leigh played live with several other artists, playing shows in Birmingham, Leamington Spa & Coventry. He also continues to teach students in the area via Skype.

With**Removed By Admin** about to launch, Leigh's schedule now allows him to take on many more private students, and he has recently joined the Drumsense network with Colin Woolway, which is fast emerging as the world's premier programme for drumset education. He is also currently constructing his own personal website, which will contain much more information and media, will host a wealth of instructional material on also act as his online educational vehicle, with plans for an online drum school/video lesson curriculum in their formative stages.

If you would like to study with Leigh in the comfort of your own home or studio, please contact him through this site.

Tutoring Experience:

A passionate and experienced drummer and teacher, I am looking to expand my student base and seek fresh tuition opportunities with new players and students. I have several years of tuition experience (both privately and through music schools), and also a wealth of live and studio experience with various artists.

A confident teacher with methods of proven success, I am able to cover and enjoy teaching most modern styles of music to students of all ages and abilities (from 6-year-old new starters right through to veteran touring players twice my age, and everything in between!) and specialise in contemporary rock and advanced drumset playing.

Below is some more information regarding my tuition experience and my educational method:

PRIVATE TUITION/DRUMSENSE:
• I've been teaching privately for several years, initially around the Coventry and Birmingham area before relocating to London and establishing a student base in areas such as Ladbroke Grove, Holland Park and Euston. Whilst visiting these students in person, I continue to teach students in the USA and Canada – via Skype (please contact me to discuss online tuition). Now back in Leamington Spa, I continue to visit my London students and schools a couple of days a week and am now available for tuition in Warwickshire again.
• Able to travel pretty much anywhere in Warwickshire, I currently teach my students in the comfort of their own homes (though I am currently taking steps to acquire my own teaching space) from my own materials, which have been carefully assembled and are based on experience amassed from not only teaching, but also live and studio performance.
• More recently, I have become a fully certified instructor of **Removed By Admin** teaching programme, which I have integrated into my own methods to provide a comprehensive and enjoyable learning experience.

As a tutor, I offer:
• A clear, structured learning approach with an emphasis on focus and setting goals
• All rhythmic theory and technique to advanced levels
• Years of experience teaching all ages and levels across a full spectrum of styles and subjects
• Genuine enthusiasm for helping beginners take their first steps on the instrument
• Relaxed, informal attitude and commitment to helping my students develop to their own full potential

THE RHYTHM STUDIO:
Aside from my private **Removed By Admin**tuition, I am also currently a leading member of the **Removed By Admin** drum faculty. My responsibilities and contributions here have included (but are not limited to):
• One-to-one and group drum instruction across a broad spectrum of ages (with students as young as 6 and some as old as 50) and abilities, having taught those who have never held a stick before right through to seasoned touring professionals.
• Course instructor and content contributor of the Rock and Pop Academy course (tiered, graded syllabus of music performance skills), I alone have taught and assessed the drumming portion of the course since its inception. I am responsible for all instruction and grading of all students in the drum stream, with much of the course material being based on my personal teaching method which I have been using with my students for several years.
• I am the first member of teaching staff to deliver group drum lessons. After much success and great popularity, this developed into the aforementioned Rock & Pop Academy drum syllabus.
• I also pride myself in holding a 100% pass rate with Distinction for all my students who enter into Rockschool grade examinations with The Rhythm Studio.

Additional responsibilities:
• Admission assessments
• Progress reports for children
• Helping with organisation and co-ordination for all school showcase concerts
• Running classes for underprivileged children through the Rhythm Studio
Foundation
• Member of the Faculty Band
• Keyholder and money handler

GUEST TUITION APPEARANCES:
• Guest tutor by invitation at the 2010 International Guitar Foundation (IGF) Rock Camp at the Guitar Institute in London, delivering a self-written one hour masterclass; 'Rhythmic Subdivision & Manipulation in a Contemporary Metal Context'.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/OTHER DETAILS:
• Confident and experienced performer and educator
• Several years of teaching experience, and also a seasoned touring player, having toured nationwide with a variety of bands and artists
• Studied privately for many years with world-reknown instructors such as Thomas Lang (private tuition and Bootcamp attendee), Benny Greb (Mastersession attendee), Travis Orbin and Tony Nash
• Specialist drumset technique instructor, teaching modern concepts such as advanced foot technique and multi-pedal/double bass drum playing, contemporary coordination, independence and interdependence, and also rudimental studies with a view to increasing improvisation skills and creativity
• Able to record and/or program professional drum tracks to order
• Strong knowledge of modern day electronic drum sets, e.g. Roland V-Drums and Yamaha DTX

I also hold the following additional certificates:
• Full enhanced DBS certificate
• Bush Fire Safety and Awareness Training Course - pass mark 100%

My fees are as follows:

• 30-minute home-visit session: £20.00 (£15 lesson rate + £5 to cover time and expense of travel)
• 45-minute home-visit session: £27.50 (£22.50 lesson rate + £5 to cover time and expense of travel)
• 60-minute home-visit session: £35.00 (£30 lesson rate + £5 to cover time and expense of travel)

I am also happy to teach longer sessions and run week-long intensive courses - please contact to discuss rates.

Discounts are also available for large block bookings - please contact to discuss.

All listed prices include student handouts and all supplementary lesson material (given either to the student during sessions or sent via e-mail), such as practice charts, summary sheets and playalong tracks.

Tutoring Approach:

A passionate and experienced drummer and teacher, I seek fresh tuition opportunities with new students. A confident teacher with methods of proven success, I am comfortable teaching most modern styles of music to students of all ages and abilities.

I teach the following genres/styles:
• Rock
• Pop
• Funk
• Fusion
• Heavy metal
• Drum N' Bass
• R n' B
• Jazz
• Bebop

Also providing specialist technique studies:
• Rudiments
• Hand & foot technique - from basic grips to advanced systems such as Moeller method and constant-release kick technique
• Contemporary coordination concepts; independence & interdependence
• Sight reading & rhythm knowledge

In addition, I can also offer my students:
• Gear maintenance lessons, advice and support (this includes full kit set-up and tuning service)
• Assistance with realistic goal-setting, and creating effective and practical practice schedules
• Audition and examination preparation sessions
• Long-term mentoring and advice on further education/career options

I am able to cover and enjoy teaching most modern styles of music to students of all ages and abilities, from 6-year-old new starters right through to veteran touring players twice my age, and everything in between!

I am happy and confident in delivery any kind of drum lesson to any kind of student, whether it's your first drum lesson and you need to throne lowered so that you can actually reach the pedals, right through to instruction on contemporary coordination concepts, independence and interdependence, and cutting edge, high-end 21st century drumming techniques.

I do not force my students to enter any sort of grade exams or follow their systems, as I feel my own teaching method combined with the Drumsense programme provides a comprehensive and enjoyable learning experience, in which all areas in syllabii such as those of Rockschool and Trinity Guildhall are covered.

I feel my method not only covers that material, but also educates the student on a much deeper level (covering subjects which some grade exams do not), and also holds (in my opinion) far more relevance to modern day music, having a much more readily available contemporary application. In fact, many of my students who have followed my methods have requested to occasionally be entered for such exams (for school entrance, etc.), and are immediately fluent with the material - all passed with distinction.

That said, I am happy to follow Rockschool and Trinity Guildhall syllabii from the outset if you wish.

I am also available for tuition via Skype, and already teach many students in the USA, Canada (and even some students in the Midlands) via this platform. This is useful for mentoring, progress reports, exercise dictation for the more advanced player and general career advice. I also use this platform to monitor some of my students who currently board at specialist music colleges.

As with tuition in person, this service also includes emails of exercises and practice routines in .pdf form, and I can also offer online tuition via video exchange - that is, the student records themselves playing and talking about their progress/asking for help etc… and then I record a video response back to that student, commenting on their initial video and providing support.

Please contact me to further discuss this service/rates.