Junior Lessons

StrangeDrumming.com is offering a separate lesson structure for junior students, as their needs and abilities are different than others. With making drumming accessible to youngsters in mind, Derrick has put together a junior drum set. This kit includes an 18in kick drum, 10in snare, 8in rack tom, 14in floor tom, and a super short hi hat stand, snare stand, and drum throne, make all the drums reachable by the little ones. In addition, a $35 lesson rate, and a one hour time slot has been set to make lessons with Derrick more feasible.

The approach to junior lessons is a bit different. However, being able to play in time along with tracks or other musicians is still the goal, but more time will be spent in musical exploration. This unstructured, mostly not-in-time drumming, gives them the opportunity to try new things. This also gives Derrick the chance to assess where they are at musically. During these sessions, Derrick can use their own ideas to help them develop their understanding of time, which can be a difficult concept for young musicians to grasp at first.

The structure of a junior lesson begins by reviewing previous information, and correcting any hand technique issues there might be. Next, a new exercise will be demonstrated and practiced until it is something they can comprehend. New information and exercises are super simple, and are designed to be achievable to help them build confidence as a musician. Then the rest of the time will be spent in musical exploration with Derrick expanding on their ideas, and showing how those ideas can be played in time. This can be very valuable, as Derrick can give them new ideas as well. As always, having fun playing drums, and learning about music in the process, is the MAIN focus of these lessons.

Junior lessons are for K, 1st, and 2nd grade students. By the 3rd grade, they are usually big enough to reach a full drum set, and are able to maintain their attention and energy through a longer lesson. If you feel your young drummer may be on the cusp between junior and regular lessons, please feel free to contact Derrick and he will be happy to find a solution that works best for each particular student. Thanks for your interest, and I look forward to working with your junior drummer in the future!!