About the Role: We are seeking an innovative and enthusiastic drum teacher who believes in teaching music the exact same way we learn our native language: by listening and "speaking" (performing) before learning to read and write. Rather than starting beginners immediately with sheet music our program focuses on helping students deeply internalize music so they can play by ear, improvise, and become independent musical thinkers.
Key Responsibilities:
- Teach "Sound Before Sight": Guide students to build a rich internal listening vocabulary by teaching them to understand and perform music by ear before introducing written notation or tabs.
- Lead "Off-the-Instrument" Activities: Incorporate chanting, and fluid body movement into lessons. By having students physically feel the groove before playing the drums they internalize the music first and treat the instrument as a natural extension of their musical mind.
- Foster Creativity and Jamming: Treat improvisation like a musical conversation. Encourage students to create their own music, transpose familiar folk or rock songs, and arrange pieces from their very first lessons.
- Teach Functional Harmony: Help students hear and understand how different chords work together to build a song (such as "home" and "away" chords), and use that skill to play a drum part that fits the song.
- Promote Healthy Technique: Teach tension-free playing by ensuring students breathe naturally and avoid physical rigidity while playing. Help them use proper grip and movement.
- Introduce Reading with Comprehension: Transition students to reading drum sheet music only after they have developed the physical playing skills and the ear to truly comprehend what the symbols sound like.
Qualifications:
- Strong ability to play by ear, improvise grooves and fills, and hear musical elements on the spot.
- Comfortable singing, chanting, and using body movement as core teaching tools (you do not need to be a trained vocalist, just willing to use your voice!).
- Open-minded and willing to step away from traditional, reading-heavy method books to embrace a "sound to notation" philosophy.
Pay: $35.00 per hour
Work Location: In person
