As a musician who has studied music pretty much my whole life, and who is not primarily a drummer, I can honestly say that drum lessons are incredibly valuable. I have never had the pleasure unfortunately of taking consistent private drum lessons. I wish I did. I wish I had the time. Obviously as someone who’s not primarily a drummer, I’m just not been able to make it happen. I’ve got so many other things going on. But if you or your child are not in music, lessons, and drums are something you have and interest and or passion for, you should definitely do it.
I have had the opportunity to study drums quite a bit. And I can say without a shadow of a doubt that Drum study has been incredibly significant for me personally, for fun and for joy, and in developing me as a musician. I first took drums in the Summer Band class when I was a kid, and I did it to learn a second instrument (I was already learning trumpet). It was great. We actually used the exact same curriculum that we use here, and I learned all the fundamentals.
Having learned the fundamentals (how to hold the sticks properly, sticking technique, how to bounce and control my bounce in single, double, and multiple bounces) I was able to play drums my symphonic band in high school. I played trumpet in the wind ensemble, marching band, and jazz band, and then I play drums in symphonic and saxophone in the concert band. I actually studied drums again during a summer in college, in a Berklee College of Music Drum Lab, and even played some gigs in college and Folk Life Festival on percussion, but more on that later.
But everything I learned in that drum lab, also just made me a better musician. I had an increased ability to count and subdivide, and I felt music differently. It also gave me a much deeper appreciation for drums and percussion as a whole, and opened up all kinds of music I never would have listened to before.
If you are looking to get your kid interested in the arts (music), which I applaud, music is a great way to go, and of course, drums are so fun. And they will love Eli! So just do it already!
