Information About Preston - Buckfastleigh teacher

Personal Description:

My drumming career has led me to work with artists such as James Hunter, Van Morrison, Viola Wills, Bap Kennedy, Camille O’Sullivan and Astrid Williamson, Neil Mayer, Andy Williamson to name a few. I have been involved in music education for over 20 years and am now a Senior Lecturer in Drumming/Performance at BIMM where I have been guiding students through their development as young aspiring musicians. Originally from New Zealand I now reside in the beautiful west country of England in Devon South Hams with my family.

Tutoring Experience:

I am currently a Senior Lecturer at BIMM and have been involved with that institute since 2004 and was also a Director at Nicks Music Studios in Brighton. As well as working within lecture rooms and helping guide students through their degrees, I have also been a Masters Mentor and have provided support Mentoring for The South West Music School. I currently have limited spaces available for prospective students midweek and on Saturday mornings both online and within my studio space.

Tutoring Approach:

Through many years supporting students through their journey it is through this experience that I steer my students through many of the pitfalls of drumming education. It is not even drumming that we should be concerned about but more importantly a facility we can support and shape the music we engage with. There is too much information to strip back and many misguided students end up believing the most important thing to drumming is the ability to play endless rudimental studies at breakneck speed. Although there should be great respect for the drummer who uses rudiments in their daily playing such as marching/military/pipe/orchestral the drummer who wants to engage with music should be exploring appropriate styles, time, form, coordination, touch, articulation, repertoire and foundational technique. Some application of appropriate rudimental study should be carefully introduced, but none of my students will leave lessons feeling disempowered because they can't recall all of the rudiments. Far from it I would much rather a student leave a lesson feeling they have the confidence in developing their understanding of a song, gaining a skill in making their ride cymbal sound sweet, or improvising a solo which they never thought they could do. There is more to drumming than hands and feet, there is a whole world of music and life to engage with.