Advice regarding drum instructor.

bigd said:

I absolutely expect a teacher to play mallet percussion, timpani and have some idea of latin percussion. Why do people think you should only play the drumset? The more you can play the more job opportunities come along.

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I agree that a teacher should be diverse, but I also believe in specializing. I teach snare drum, drum set, and mallets in my studio. I also have Latin percussion instruments that we will address from time to time.

But I often get calls asking if I do lessons only on congas or timbales. I will direct them to a very good Latin percussionist who specializes in Latin music. I don't even know if he plays drum set at all, but he knows Latin music better than anyone in the area.

I would hope that other teachers would recommend me for specialties such as hand technique and drum chart reading. While I teach a number of topics, those who are preparing for jazz programs, musicals, or cruise ships will often seek me out.

I think that you probably agree with this idea of specialization too. If I remember correctly, your son studies with more than one teacher. Is one classical percussion and the other drum set and hand technique?

Jeff