When it comes to learning a musical instrument the top questions I get from fellow
parents are,
- · Will learning an instrument help develop better academic or creative skills in my kids?
- · Can kids get credit in their college application for private music education taken?
- · How long does it take for a student to learn the drums or a musical instrument?
- · What is the best teaching model or methodology to learn instruments like the drums?
Thus, I thought I would write this blog
to provide my perspective to these questions
Yes, learning Music or a Musical Instrument can develop better academic
& creative attributes!
I. Develop a Creative Spirit that not only enhances a child’s
brain and development long term but also stays with you as a lifelong ability
than can become your way to enjoy a wonderful social life adding joy to your
near and dear ones!
Iam sure you have seen such people around you.. that
Dad that can sing like a Rockstar at New Year bash, or a Mum that teaches an
Instrument at her home etc. These
‘accomplishment’ or ‘milestones’ add a lot of good memories and experiences as
one paves through the journey of life! See this blog post I wrote for more details
II. Becomes an example to showcase a Student’s well
roundedness in preparation for your college application process. This requires
being able to show consistent perusal of the art form and some notable
accomplishments (Certifications, Notable concerts or Ensemble performances etc)
along the way to be a real talking point in your application
There are plenty of online College Application
planning sites that talk to this subject in more detail. All parents who are
planning their kid’s higher education journey should proactively spend time to
read these details and then build this road-map. Just google to get started on this
subject 😊
III. Builds foundational facility of Harmony, Ear Training
& Theory that are required aspects if one is aspiring to pursue a
professional career in the Music Arts field
Getting into a top music college like the Berklee
College of Music or similar prestigious musical programs requires years of
learning and practice as depending on your art form or musical instrument of
choice the availability and acceptance rates can be very small
Learning the drums or any musical instrument is a lifelong journey, focus
on what your goals are!
At Kidsdrum we focus on taking our
kids through 5 levels of learning, practicing and enjoying the art form. This
can be completed in 4-5 years depending on how regular the students are at
practicing the art! Focus areas are,
1. Learning Drum Rudiments : a rudiment is one of a number of
relatively small patterns which form the foundation for more extended and
complex drum patterns. The Percussive
Arts Society has defined 40 International Drum Rudiments. These consist
of the traditional 26 rudiments along with a number of drum corps, orchestral,
European, and contemporary drum rudiments
At KidsDrum students are taught how to play rudiments
from the basic to the more advanced ones on the Snare drum first, then around
the drums and finally with various beats and in fills/rolls in musical
situations
2. Understanding and Interpretation
of Time Feel: In
musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece or subsection
thereof, how fast or slow. Tempo is related to meter and is usually measured by
beats per minute. The ability of understanding and interpreting the various
common time signatures is a foundational requirement to be a strong musician
and drummer
At Kids drum we focus on setting up a strong
foundation on the popular music genres in both common and odd time signatures
with a focus on being able to perform and play the same in a musical setting appropriate
to each learning level
3. Reading Drum Notations:
Percussion notation is a type of musical notation indicating notes to be played
by percussion instruments. As with other forms of musical notation, sounds are
represented by symbols which are usually written onto a musical staff
We learn Basic Drum representation in Level 1. Then
begin to read foundational notation books like Stick Control and Syncopation
from Level 2 onwards. Key focus we have at KidsDrum is to get the student truly
excited and serious about playing the drums along with reading and writing
aspects of musical notations
4. Playing Musical Song forms: The
ultimate joy to most musicians is the ability to be able to play along with a
piece of their favorite song or better still play in a band their favorite songs!
Learning song form structure and being able to interpret it in their playing
often shows how good a drummer is
At KidsDrum we introduce students to Rock in Level 1
and progressively two more new genres at each new level. Additionally, they
start reading and writing and performing with song structures in Level 3 but are
encouraged to be playing along with songs right from Level 1 to develop their
listening, counting and feel skills
5. Performing a unique piece
of drum music: Performing
a new unique piece of music is really about putting your best feet forward i.e.:
Playing your favorite drum beats and rolls within a clear musical structure that
has a beginning/middle/end and tells a story or is a Question/ Response act
Students at KidsDrum are expected to be building their
unique pieces of music/solos etc by end of level 5. We aspire to see one of our
students being recognized at competitions like the Guitar Center Drum-Off or better still making it big with their own band 😊
I hope this blog provided insights
into getting engaged on this wonderful musical learning journey. You can get in
touch with us by clicking here now to
get your child started on the drums!
