Robert H. TakeLessons Instructor Music, Percussion, Drums East Rambler Dr., Southampton, PA

I have been playing the drums and a wide variety of other instruments for the past 20 years while my teaching experience extends to the last 6 years.  I first became drum captain of The Council Rock Indian Marching band when I was 16.  This was a very labor intensive situation where I found my self directing and rehearsing a group of 31 drummers.  The situation soon blossomed into private lessons for members of the group and their friends and family.  At 18 I was awarded a performance scholarship to the well-renowned Berklee College of Music in Boston.  This brought a wide variety of playing experience both in school and out as well as students in the Boston area. 

I had the pleasure of studying with the great Buddy Deppenshmidt. Buddy was Charlie Byrd’s drummer and branched out to perform with Stan Getz (Jazz samba 1 +2) and Tommy Dorsey band to name a few.  The Instruction I received from buddy over about 8 years helped me to become a well balanced and very well versed musician.  I was also lucky enough while at Berklee College of Music to study with the likes of Casey Scheurell, Robert Kaufman, Mike Mangini, Rod Morgenstein, etc. 

As far as playing experience I have an extremely colorful pallet of different experiences.  I worked at Groundhog Studios in PA for about 4 years and was a session drummer for Berklee’s Film Scoring Dept and a plethora of other studio type projects.  National tours have been part of my schedule, as well as jam sessions and my own writing/recording projects.  I was first chair in Regional Orchestra and Band and I have been a part of an extremely diverse arrangement of musical situations. 

Music has been my passion for almost 20 years.  Will you join in the experience with me?

Musicality is always my number one focus, so these lessons are not just for aspiring drummers but anyone that wants a more solid aspect of the rhythmic aspects of music.  Students will learn to read and write music while performing exercises that enhance stick control.  I love to use coordination and stick control exercises as the vehicle to build a solid foundation on the drums.  Although often I work with students to apply these building blocks to the musical situations that they want to have.  We do this by having the student play with and analyze the music of the players that they want to play like.  I have always found this approach more suiting and fun then the dry and stuffy lesson books that many teachers use.  Not that I don’t use the lesson books and examples, but the difference is in the application. 

Let me share my infatuation with music and drums with you, the student.  I will teach you in any style you want to learn and I have the technical skill, training, and passion to do just that. 

Rudiments, reading music, classical, Rock, Funk, Jazz (Big band, combo, and bebop), fusion, Latin Jazz (studied with Buddy Deppenshmidt (stan getz, jazz samba album), afrocuban/brazilian, Break beats and Drum n' Bass

Music, Percussion, Drums