Create a Positive Environment
I am one of those rare people that enjoys going to work every day. I love playing the drums, and the fact that I take such pleasure in it is quite obvious to my students. This gives them a glimpse of the fun that can be had from playing music, and helps ease the fear that some of the younger entry-level students might experience during their first few lessons. Communication is also very important; criticism can be as well-received as a compliment if a student is comfortable in their surroundings.

Unfortunately, I've seen some music teachers take a completely different approach, resulting in some students feeling intimidated and uninspired to learn. I've found that creating a fun and stress-free atmosphere always brings great results, for both myself and my students.

Technique
One of the keys to becoming a successful player is the development of a smooth, fluid technique. Without it, a student will never feel at ease behind the kit. I choose to stress the match-grip style because it's the easiest for most beginners to grasp. I also encourage a student to take his or her time to determine what grip works best for them—German timpani, French, or American. I sometimes spend entire sessions stressing the importance such fundamentals—time well spent since it's incredibly difficult to erase bad habits once they've been formed.

Practice, Practice, Practice
Playing on a practice pad every day is an important part of a drummer's regimen. Each lesson begins with a quick warm-up on the pad, consisting of the rudiments that were taught during the previous lesson. A new rudiment is added with each lesson until the student is proficient at all of the 26 rudiments listed by the National Association of Rudimental Drummers, followed by many more of the ones I've learned over the years. Developing good chops on the practice pad directly relates to having good chops on the kit.

Sight Reading
Learning to read music for the snare drum is a must for my students. My first teacher stressed the importance of mastering the snare and I fell in love with it, so I do my best to share that with my students. I recommend Alfred's Beginning Snare Method as a first step in learning to read rhythm. It's my favorite book; it starts off with basic exercises and progresses at a reasonable pace, covering everything the student needs to create a solid foundation for what lies ahead. For the more advanced snare student, I refer to the N.A.R.D. or Wilcoxon solo books.

Drum Set
When it comes to teaching drum set, I prefer to write out beats for my students at first. I enjoy breaking down the beats to their most simple form; it helps the student focus on the core of the groove and keeps them from being overwhelmed. At the more advanced stage, we'll move on to the Carmine Appice Realistic Rock books—a very comprehensive set of rock beats and fills, double bass and hi-hat work. Another advanced-level book I refer to is Advanced Funk Studies by Rick Latham, or The Art of Bop Drumming by John Riley for the student who wants to pursue jazz and be-bop.

Listen...Get Out and Play!
To all my students, I stress the importance of exposing themselves to all types of music—listening with an open mind and trying to expand their tastes to include many different styles. And for the more accomplished players, I remind them that the best way to develop great time, stamina and creativity is by jamming with other musicians. Fortunately, as a young drummer I wasn't afraid to get out and play with musicians that were better than me—feeding off other players continually helped me move to the next level of skill at a more rapid pace.