Teaching

Rocky is grateful and dedicated to mentoring and educating students of any age, crafting organized, creative and engaging environments of reciprocal learning, making sure students are having fun and finding joy while fully absorbed in the study of the music. Rocky offers drum set, piano, beginner composition and improvisation lessons, in person and online, in addition to presenting clinics, giving concerts, and coaching rhythm sections and jazz ensembles in Seattle, Chicago, Indiana, New York City, and internationally.

Rocky believes that (you), the student, should always lead your own curriculum, preparing you with tools, resources, and practice techniques for achieving any musical goals. In careful collaboration with students, the aim is to maximize flexibility, posture, relaxation and overall (health/)wellness, cultivate a sense of purpose and life path, and craft a nurturing atmosphere of steady growth through studying and playing music, in addition to developing groove, feel, reading, listening and singing skills, demonstrating how to transcribe any song using ear training, reading, learning rudiments, melodic scales, intervals, sight singing and singing technique, tune learning, memorization strategies, and chart creation to build reliable practice routines that will help students flourish and become more confident and capable musicians and people.

Contact Rocky to schedule a virtual one on one trial lesson here