II had the good fortune of
being Normie Wayne's student for many years.
Normie was the founder of The Drummers'
Workshop. He was not only my first drum teacher,
but a mentor and good friend as well. As far as
music is concerned, he taught me the importance
of reading, listening, being creative, being
musical, and having fun at the drums. Throughout
the years, Normie introduced me to many
different styles of music and rhythms, and
his versatile teaching style helped me
tremendously; his enthusiasm and patience
also helped shape my playing. There will never
be another teacher like Normie, but I would like
to keep the tradition going by inspiring others
the way he inspired me.
I have been playing drums for over
twenty years. In addition, I hold degrees in
Music Performance and Music Therapy. I have
experience working with people of all
ages and skill levels and have been teaching
for over ten years.
I teach a variety of musical styles,
including rock, metal, jazz, Latin, as well
as reggae, ska, rocksteady, Jamaican rhythm
and blues, dancehall, hip hop, and rap. I
also encourage students to bring
in music that they want to learn.
Currently, I play in a reggae/ska band
called The Rudie Crew. We recently played
the VP Records Caribbean Music Festival
(June, 2010) and The Brooklyn Music Festival
at Floyd Bennett Field on the July 4th
Weekend. Here is a link to one of our live
shows.
