Percussion lessons focus on shaping a student into a versatile drummer who can perform comfortably in numerous genres of music including rock & roll, dance, disco, jazz, Latin, Afro-Cuban, reggae, progressive rock, etc. An emphasis is placed on a musical approach to drums where all elements of music-making such as phrasing, dynamics, pulse, meter, sound colour, and dynamics are of an equal importance. The program of study is crafted according to personal needs of each student such as musical background, prior exposure to certain types of music, interest area, and musical potential. Those who follow the program carefully, work diligently, and practice the required material become fully equipped with all the musical tools and knowledge that is required of a professional drummer today. The following are general areas of study covered during lessons:

	•	Stick control and basic rudimentary technique
	•	Expansion of rhythmic vocabulary
	•	Development of musicianship (steady time, rhythm, meter, sensitivity)
	•	Building rhythmic patterns and solo playing on various meters with an implied steady pulse such as duple simple, duple compound, triple simple, triple compound, quadruple simple, quadruple compound, and various additive meters
	•	Dynamics and timbre (sound colour) in playing
	•	Brush and soft mallet technique
	•	Playing and supplying beats by ear, feeding back from the rest of the band
	•	Function of a drummer in a small combo and a larger ensemble
	•	Practice strategies