12 replies to this topic

[Nate Brown]

Hello OLD,

After much careful planning, testing and developing, we are pleased to announce the official start to our Live Online Drum Lessons!

Realizing that many drummers go without a teacher simply because there isn't a quality teacher in his/her area, or the hassle of having to drive to a music store and wait in the waiting room... Whatever the reason, we wanted to make a way for you to have private one-on-one drum lessons in the comfort and privacy of your own drum kit.

Ed Vallee, who I have personally known for almost 6 years, is heading up the project. A talented teacher with the unique ability to talk to anyone, Ed is perfect to start us off.

To inquire about live lessons with Ed, please email onlinedrummerschool@onlinedrummer.com

Let's do this!

[Cow Face]

I like this. One thought though Nate. Would the teacher be prepared to talk over the lesson in the following days? I had 3 lessons last February and felt the lack of support between tutor and student in the days following a lesson like a black hole in the learning curve. I never expected flowers and a party but an email asking how I was fairing mid way between lessons would have not only given me confidence that my tutor was interested in my learning curve but would have also given me impetus to keep at it knowing mid way between lessons I'd have to have been putting work in, rather than beating out last weeks lesson in the day or two before the next lesson.

This is one reason I gave up lessons with a tutor. My personal development came second to fitting me in for half an hour a week, if I got half an hour.

[Nate Brown]

Well, unfortunately there are many poor teachers. A lot of drum teachers do it as only a side-gig to earn extra cash. There's nothing wrong with earning extra cash, but if that's the personal investment in teaching (earning cash), then more harm than good can be done.

Now, to defend teachers. I think it would be very rare to receive a mid-week contact. I think most teachers check progress at the next lesson after having practiced a week.

Also, there usually isn't enough time. A teacher might be organizing 20-40 (or more) students a week. On top of planning out lessons to teach, having a mid-week email (or two) would be very difficult, especially since most drum teachers work a day job (or a night gig) as well.

However, if you had a specific question and emailed, it would be very reasonable to expect an email back. Any good teacher would do that. (You could also post on the forum! )


On the topic... we'll soon be opening a Live Student Account section where teachers will be able to assign resources from the Live Lesson Repository. There will also be communication features where you'll be able to get help along the way. In short, if you're not learning, we're not happy.

[Rhythmaticus]

You're a pioneer, a gentleman and a scholar, Nate.

+1!

I'd love some lessons too, however I'm across the pond (the biggest pond too, the Pacific!). How does this work when time zones are involved? Is it consistently weekly? How much does it cost? Details!!

[YELLOW_TOAD]

I'd love some lessons too, however I'm across the pond (the biggest pond too, the Pacific!). How does this work when time zones are involved? Is it consistently weekly? How much does it cost? Details!!

It works just fine. No different than if you were across the street (it seems).

Painkiller - who I've been working with for the last month - is in the Netherlands and I'm on Phoenix. It's as if he's in the other room.

[Rhythmaticus]

Speedy reply, YT!

Well that's awesome and answers some of my questions. I guess also, what kind of gear would I need? I have a Mac laptop with a built-in cam, no recording gear, both electronic and acoustic drum sets and I can borrow a simple dynamic mic if necessary. Am I good to go, or do I need some way to make my sound more palatable over the internet, since the internal microphone is tiny and just simply cannot handle the vibrations created by a drum set?

[Nate Brown]

Great questions! I'm going to be developing a detailed page outlining all the necessities. No recording gear or special drum mics are needed.

We've tried it with the standard webcam and webcam mic, which works great!

We've made sure, however, that Eddie's setup is clear in audio/visual, which I think is important so that the student has the best experience possible. He has mics setup to ensure good quality.

Again, it's not necessary (or even expected) that students need all the bells and whistles. A simple webcam will do!

[Nate Brown]

As for prices, we're offering a promotional rate until the end of this year of $20USD per lesson (paid through PayPal).

Since this is a new concept, I've decided that I will personally pay for the first lesson. Eddie is an amazing teacher (period), but I don't want anyone to take my word for it (I'm putting my money where my mouth is ). Schedule a lesson to try the system out, and I will cover the cost (for a limited time of course).

We've tested this out, and Eddie says it feels just like the students he teaches in person. It's like stepping into Eddie's drum room, but from anywhere in the world!

I really believe this is the future of drumming education, opening the doors to easy-access of quality drum teachers. Very exciting!!

[Rhythmaticus]

Well I guess that answers all my questions. Hook me up! First step is sending the email? I'll get right on it.

[Nate Brown]

Yep, anyone interested just email onlinedrummerschool@onlinedrummer.com (wow... that's a long email address! )