Edgeware Ct, Wantirna VIC 3152, Australia
Drum Lessons | Percussion Lessons | Aural Lessons, Theory Lessons, Jazz Improvisation Lessons, VCE Music Exam Preparation
Bio
Why learn with Josh?
- 20+ years experience as a musician
- University trained: Bachelor of Music (Jazz Performance)
- Professional educator in both Government and Independent schools across Melbourne
- Supportive and encouraging lesson environment
- Working with Children Check
My Teaching Philosophy
To be able to freely express oneself on an instrument is what I hold to be the highest achievement of a musician, and is therefore the goal toward which I like to push my students.
This means that my lessons place an emphasis on key musical skills such as learning by ear, improvisation, developing rhythmic vocabulary and making creative choices.
However, to facilitate this creativity it is important that a baseline standard of technical ability and theoretical knowledge is attained also. Students of mine will learn how to read music, understand rhythmic terminology, and most importantly will develop effective practice habits that allow them to perform more effortlessly on the drumkit.
The result is a student who has their own musical voice, is capable of learning independently, can pursue self-selected musical goals, and who is equipped with the essential knowledge and methods necessary for technical progress on the drums.
If you’re interested or have any further questions please email joshhlegg@gmail.com
Teaching Info
Seven spaces now available in Semester 2 for enthusiastic and dedicated students.
Whether you are just starting out or already have a few years under your belt, I can coach you in all of the essential skills:
- Beats and Fills
- Learning Songs
- Technique and Rudiments
- Reading & Music Theory
- Improvisation
- Constructing a practice routine
The Lesson Experience
With a duration of 40 minutes, a lot of ground can be covered in just a single lesson at my studio. Our time might be broken down like this:
We begin with some rudimental workouts and drills on a snare drum. This allows us to warm up our hands, and also provides an opportunity to form good technique and posture habits. I will usually employ the use of a metronome and stopwatch here, so we can track the progress of your speed and accuracy from week to week. How fast can you play a single stroke roll?
The warmup branches out into sight-reading, improvisation games and rhythmic challenges. This is the part of the lesson where we discover new rhythmic & theoretical concepts, find out what they look like on paper and how to use them creatively. A fun variety of acoustic and electronic percussive instruments could be incorporated here.
Now at the drum kit, we enter into the main portion of the lesson where we workshop your current repertoire of songs, studies and exam pieces. I’ll ask you questions about your previous weeks practice sessions, any challenges that you may have faced, before observing you perform your songs. My professional-grade equipment and studio speakers allow you to play your music within a high-quality and realistic acoustic environment – no noise restrictions!
After pointing out all of the wonderful improvements you’ve made across the last 7 days, we will discuss any aspects of the performance that are in need of attention. We’ll restrict our focus toward the component that will make the biggest difference to the quality of your playing. This then becomes our next short-term goal. I’ll extensively explain and demonstrate any skills that you will require to fulfil this goal, and instruct you in a patient and encouraging manner until you know exactly how to achieve your aims.
With time permitting, the end of the lesson can be used in any number of ways. Do you have further questions about anything we’ve discussed? Need an album recommendation? Have me demonstrate a Beat or Fill that is totally off topic…or we can simply have a jam on the drums. It’s up to you.
I always make sure that before leaving, you know exactly what and how you ought to practice. I’ll summarise everything that’s been learned that day and how you should spend your time before the next lesson. Available to you will be the online portal and blog, which grants you access to all lesson notes, practice routines and materials.