A drum teacher for children in London

Little outside London - The Academy of Contemporary Music in Guildford may be able to point you in the right direction. The son of a mate of mine belongs to an award winning punk band as a (partial) result of tuition via the ACM, (they call it punk but IMOH it bears no resemblance to the likes of Mr Rotton et al - must be an age thing)

Will, have you acquired a drumkit for your son to practise on? I've been playing drums for quite a number of years, and whilst tuition has its value, good tutors are fairly difficult to find and by their very nature quite transient* and so building a long-term relationship can be tricky. If you buy your son his own kit, it means that he can practise at his leisure (and your inconvenience ) and explore things on his own. I always found it easier to work things out in my own time, and having a kit from 'early on' really brought me on significantly as a player.

The other thing is to get a tutor who will emphasise the benefits of rudimental technique, without getting too tied up in it - it's a fine line one must walk as a tutor (I have taught in the past). Technique is important but in itself isn't enough. It's crucial to get a tutor who (as you say yourself) inspires. That's a rare thing.

Get your son to listen to different kindsof music and see if he can get involved in the school orchestra/band/etc. - and in time he might move onto regional orchestras or jazz bands. It's a great way to meet new people as well, so there's a social element to it to. I was involved in a youth jazz band for a few years as a teenager and it brought my technique, understanding and crucially my ear on a long way.

Lastly, don't underestimate the benefit of books - there are lots of good ones out there. "New Breed" by Gary Chaffee is a particular favourite of mine, though it is more advanced.

Please do ask any further questions if you have them as I think it's vitally important to set your child off in the right manner when it comes to the drums - it's an atypical instrument as far as tuition and learning is concerned, but it's a great instrument**.

John

* Transient as the best drummers are professionally in demand and may have to travel a lot - prepare to abandon the notion of a 'regular slot' and be flexible if you want your son to study with a real pro.

** If I could start over, I'd learn upright bass, as I started off on one all those years ago (when I were 8) but abandoned it due to the rather eclectic nature of the tutor and his intensity. A bit much for a kid, so always keep in mind the fact that a kid is a kid and pressure might be counter-productive. Music is for enjoyment; it's not a competitive sport!

Will

I used to play drums when I was younger, not very well, and I only had lessons for a few years.

My drum teacher was a chap called Rick Finley. It seems drum teachers are hard to come across, so when I told my school music teacher that I was getting private drum lessons, they gave Rick a job to teach other kids at the school.

Last thing I heard, Rick was playing drums in the Orchastra for Blood Brothers in the West End every nite for about 5 years!

I will try and track down his details.

Simon

This is the chap

Mr Rick Finlay
25A Rosslyn Avenue
East Barnet
Hertfordshire
EN4 8DH
0831 376175

Rick Finley

From what I recall, Rick was a nice guy and an encoraging teacher, he taught me whe I was about 12-14 years old, some 12 years ago.

My best recolection of him were his Jazz FM t-shirts, of which it seemed he had 100 different varieties, and his self inking stamp with the words "Count out load" which he used to stamp all over any sheets of music if you didnt.

Hope this is of use.

Simon

Guys,

My apologies for the delay in replying, but thank you very much for your help! Definitely some good insight, and, Simon, I will be giving Rick a call!

tke cre,
Will