Drum lessons with Dennis Davies means you relax in a no-pressure atmosphere in a home based studio. All styles of music are presented and instructed. The lessons cover basic reading, drum kit rudiments including riffs, fills, and accents that are all geared toward the full-fledged performance. TARGET TEACHING
Instruction covers everything needed in order to perform live. Lessons are taught on a full drum kit - When appropriate he will also accompany on guitar. Dennis has over 45 years of experience teaching and well over 55 years playing in all types of different bands. [Some, sort o' famous]
VOCAL instruction is also his pet pleasure to teach - harmonies, \projection , controlling vibrato and pitch.- [ guitar assisted ]
References: (See Testimonials)
Phone (403) 295-1912 Fax (403)295-3680
Email threed1@telus.net
Here are some - TESTIMONIALS - afforded Dennis by students and business associates:
Elayne McWilliams – mother of Dennis Davies' Student
Nobody holds a candle to the teaching ability and talent of Dennis Davies. Melissa (Mel) took drum lessons for 5 years we were able to witness the result of his phenomenal teaching ability the day we saw her win
From Melissa McWilliams - Drumming with Dennis Davies was some of the best experiences of my life. Having a teacher that not only teaches you amazing music but also teaches you a lot about life and the music business is what really got me
where I am today.
I have known Dennis for 25 years, and as a performer and teacher, he is unsurpassed. He engages his students, and magically has them understanding musical concepts in original ways. He truly cares about his students, and I have met many of them. He is not only the best teacher in this city, but probably in the whole country. He is a gift to those wanting to learn the craft of music.
Janan Frances B.Ed M.Ed
GM, Images Unlimited
My son, Jeff studied with Denis for three years. I have never seen such a connection between Jeff and a teacher. Denis is much more than a music instructor; he is a mentor with a real life approach. Definitely the most influential teacher who turned an interest in music into a true passion!
Alain Côté,
We bought Tommy a drum kit at age five and started him in lessons with some kid at the neighborhood music store when he was seven. He dutifully learnt all the pages of his drum technique book, which was great, except
that he could not keep a steady beat, had no idea how to put any of the rudiments together, and found it all very boring. We contacted Dennis Davies who took Tommy on as a student. Dennis started Tommy back at square one with a focus on keeping time and playing actual rock, blues, and jazz rhythms and fills in context.
Tommy's interest soared and his performance improved ten-fold. Dennis takes exceptional care to ensure that Tommy understands where all of the different beats come from and how to put them together as a whole. At 10 years old, Tommy now happily sits at his kit and riffs on what he has learnt well beyond his proscribed practice time.
Last June, Tommy's elementary school was putting on a talent show for a parent's assembly. Each class chose one of their own to perform. Tommy, who was chosen by his class, told Dennis that he was going to enter two lessons before the show. The day's lesson plan was dropped and immediately changed into a performance planning session. Dennis and Tommy went through all of his past lessons and constructed a lively two-minute solo piece. Dennis schooled Tommy on presentation and showmanship and added a snare rudiment opening to fake the audience into thinking that the whole thing was a big snooze fest before tearing into a nice funk grove. He won his classroom and absolutely wowed the assembly. Not bad for his first public performance and it is all due to Dennis' teaching, care for his students, and his focus on the end goal of producing a real world drummer.
Dennis and Tommy get on like a house on fire. I get to see students before and after my son and I am always impressed by how Dennis adapts to the different ages of his students. He is always cheerful and playful with the younger ones and very good at calling a train wreck a train wreck in a way that does not make the kids unhappy.
-Owen