Private Drum Lessons | Drum Instruction | Durham, Cary, Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Raleigh, NC

New for 2012

There are some exciting things on the horizon for Durham Drum Lessons in 2012.  

Starting this Spring we are offering Group Drumset Classes and also a 6 week Group Beginning Snare Drum Class. Also, Durham Drum Lessons can come to you and is available to teach group classes for your school, institution, homeschool community, or business! 

If you are interested in finding out more about Durham Drum Lesson Group Classes or are ready to start studying privately, please get in touch!    

Headphone Options for the Practicing Drummer

Below are some options I’ve found for headphones that will block out sound, and allow you to listen to audio at the same time.  Protecting your ears from fatigue and possible hearing loss., they reduce the amount of volume going to your ears which allows you to monitor your music at a much lower level.  It’s important to note that these headphones reduce sound  by muffling the volume and do not offer any noise cancelling properties. (Note:  prices are approximate and I've linked the options to reputable websites where you can purchase these and find out more information about them - links should open in a new window)

Ultraphones

Sound Reduction:  29db

$229.95

 

Direct Sound EX-29

Sound Reduction: 29db

$119.95

 

Metrophones Studio Kans

Sound Reduction:  29db

$97.99

note:  I’ve used these for years, and have noticed that the sound dampening potential of the headphones decrease over time.  These also have a volume knob hardwired onto the headphones, which I have found convenient and useful.

 

Direct Sound EX-25

Sound Reduction: 25db

$89.95

 

Vic Firth Stereo Isolation Headphones 

Sound Reduction: 24db

$50.50

 

Howard Leight Noise Blocking Earmuff

Sound Reduction:  25db

$22.65

The headphone options listed below are more affordable, however, please be aware they do not have the option to monitor music, as they only provide hearing protection.

Vic Firth Drummer’s Headphones  

Sound Reduction: 25db

$22.85

 

Vic Firth Kidsphones

Sound Reduction:  22db

$22.95

You can also find non-percussion related hearing protection. I found the following non-percussion related items while doing a quick search on Amazon.com.  I frequently tell parents of my drum students to look for the “gun muffling” type headphones you can find at sporting goods stores as they will be a good option as well.

Peltor Optime 105 Earmuffs

Sound Reduction:  29db

$21.49

Note:  These appear to be the same “base” headphones as the ones used for the Ultraphones (see above). However these only provide hearing protection.

 

Bilsom T3 Earmuff

Sound Reducton:  33db

$20.95

Note:  Like the Peltor’s above, these only provide hearing protection.

And for those of us listening to the practicing or performing drummer, I suggest wearing hearing protection as well.  Here are some options as well, though I purchase mine usually at a local pharmacy or supermarket.  Also it should be noted that the sound reduction properties of these earplugs vary depending on how well they fit into your ear canal. 

Disposable Foam Earplugs

$6.56

 

FliteMates Earplugs

$5.95

 

Additional earplug options can be found at:

http://www.allearplugs.com/

I hope this list has been helpful and if you have any questions or need additoinal advice please feel free to contact me via my Contact Form.

 

 

Used Pearl Drum Set for Sale

I recently heard from a parent that is looking to sell their child's drumset.  From the pictures and description, this looks like a pretty good deal.  Though I've noticed in the pictures, there are no bottom heads on the drumset (not sure why).  Here is the description, and the pictures will be shown below:

"I have a set of beautiful Pearl Export Drums in awesome condition. Never used outdoors.... 5 piece kit, plus a hi-hat, Zildjian K Splash (worth over $100 by itself), a Zildjian crash/ride, a nice LP cowbell, sticks and a stick bag, tuning key, and extra cymbal stand. everything together is worth well over $1000. My son just left for college and left his drums for me to sell. Do you have a student that might be interested? Asking $700 OBO."

If this looks like a drum kit you may be interested in, contact me via my contact form and I will let you know how to get in touch with the person selling the kit.

"Like" us on FaceBook!

We are now on Facebook!  

Drums for Sale

I used to have this widget featured on the home page of this site, but I thought I'd move it to a blog post in my attempts to declutter and reorganize my site a bit.  (Anyone know of a good web/graphic designer?) 

However I didn't want to "throw" this away, as I think it's a potentially good resource (though random, yes!) for finding drum gear for sale.  So for now, I'll let it randomly find drum deals here on this post (click on the box, and it will take you to a page listing out the items it's currently scrolling through).  I hope it helps you find the drums your looking for!

 

↑ Grab this Headline Animator

Drum Transcription: Hurricane by Need to Breathe

I just finished transcribing the intro and verse groove to "Hurricane" for a student and thought I'd share my notes with you.  Here is a link to the video that I used as my source material:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9X-7sHvOz5E

And here is the link to the PDF of my transcription:

Drum Transcription of Hurricane by Need to Breathe (File Name:  NTB Hurricane Trans.pdf)

North Carolina Day of Percussion

I received this message from the Percussive Arts Society regarding their Day of Percussion event in North Carolina:

The North Carolina Chapter of the Percussive Arts Society will sponsor the annual Day of Percussion at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro , April 24, 2010. Featured clinicians will include Christopher Norton (marimba), Susan Powell (ragtime xylophone), Joe Krygier (world percussion), Scott Herring (symphonic percussion), and Steve Fidyk (drumset). There will also be performances by the professional percussion ensembles Sympatico and Amphion as well as collegiate percussion ensembles from all over the state. The host for this event will be Kris Keeton, Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Percussion Studies at UNC-Greensboro. Make plans NOW to attend this exciting event!

For more information please contact:

Laura Franklin, NCPAS Chapter President, at franklll@brevard.edu 

or

Kristopher Keeton at KSKEETON@uncg.edu.

If you've never attended an event like this, I can't recommend it enough. And to learn more about the Percussive Arts Society, visit their website - www.pas.org

BBC - Music Sense

I recently came across an interactive guide that is featured on the BBC Parent's Music Room website.  It's a web based interactive program that is designed to help you "understand key terms in music by bringing them to life with sounds and moving images."  Below is a screenshot of the page, and here is the link, if you want to check it out for yourself:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/parents/activities/musicsense/index.shtml