Music Teachers on Main: Music Lessons in Alhambra, CA
234 West Main Street, Alhambra, CA 91801 | Phone: (626) 282-7605

Alhambra, CA Drum Teacher Dylan Halacy

Dylan Halacy, Drum Teacher, Alhambra CA At A Glance
Drum Teacher: Dylan Halacy
Instruments and Styles: I offer drumset lessons here at Music Teachers on Main. I teach the following styles: Rock (alternative, classic, metal, punk, pop), Jazz (bebop, big-band), Fusion, Hip-hop, Electronica (drum n' bass, jungle, house), Latin (samba, bossa nova, songo, cascara), Classical (marching, drum corp, contemporary), along with odd-meters, and polyrhythms.
My Students: I accept students of all ages.

 

My Drum Lessons: I teach 30 minute, 45 minute, and 1 hour lessons. I often recommend the 45 minute lessons to students who already have experience playing the drums or to ambitious beginners and adult students. My lessons are one-on-one.

Contact Me To Set Up Your First Drum Lesson:
(626) 282-7605 or email dylanhalacy@gmail.com

Is Dylan Halacy the Right Drum Teacher for You?
Get to know Dylan better with this in-depth, informative interview.

Q: Hi Dylan! Can you start by telling me for how long have you been playing and teaching drums?

A: I have been playing drums for 20 years and have been teaching for 15.

Q: For any student looking to find a drum instructor, what do you feel you bring to the table that distinguishes you from other drum teachers?

A: I feel that I bring customized instruction to each of my students' lessons. I often let the students decide what they will be working on, based on their individual needs.

Q: Tell us the 3 main reasons you hear students stating for wanting to take drum lessons.

A:
1. They think that it would be fun to play.
2. They think learning the drums will be cool.
3. They think that they will be good at it.

Q: What are the most common challenges you've observed beginners facing in learning to play piano?

A: I've often observed frustration due to students' impatience.

Q: What is your approach to helping students overcome this challenge? How can you help them?

A: I have seen students overcome this challenge when I turn the assignments into easily digestible pieces.

Q: How much time should a beginning student be ready to devote to practicing on a weekly basis, if they want to make good progress?

A: Ideally students would practice about 20 minutes per day.

Q: What is your favorite thing about teaching drums to adults?

A: Watching them working out new ideas on their own.

Q: What is your favorite thing about teaching piano to children?

A: Introducing them to new bands and drummers.

Q: For parents, how long, on average, should they expect their child to need to take music lessons before they can play their first simple tune?

A: 45 minutes.

Q: How will intermediate or advanced students benefit from coming to you for further instruction?

A: It is easy to improve an advanced student's abilities by studying the drumming of their favorite players.

Q: What local opportunities are there for your students to play their instruments in a performance setting?

A: There are a lot of students who play various instruments at Music Teachers On Main where it is easy to meet friends to jam with. We also offers recitals, giving students a chance to play publicly.

Q: To take our last question a step further, are there any local musical venues where you have performed, or any local orchestras/groups with whom you have played?

A: I have played at Hollywood's Key Club, The Roxy, House Of Blues, Whiskey-a-go-go, The Mint and other LA clubs. I have also done several national tours and performances for tv shows and commercials.

Q: Tell us about things your students have done that have made you really proud.

A: Several of my students gig with local groups and are successful teachers as well.

Q: When do you know that you've succeeded with a student?

A: I consider it a success when my students are able to jam with their friends.

Q: When did your interest in music begin?

A: My interest in music began when I realized how extensively a music education could be pursued. When I was in junior high school I learned that you could go to school for years to continue the study of drumming.

Q: Please tell us about your formal music education and credentials.

A: I studied music performance with a concentration on classical percussion at the University of New Hampshire, I then studied at Berklee College of Music in Boston where I occasionally go back to teach during the summers. I have since gigged regularly with various signed bands and artists.

Q: What is the style of music you love playing best, on your own time?

A: I enjoy teaching rock the most.

Q: Please share a highlight of your performance/working experience.

A: I performed with a singer named Bleu as the musical guest on the Late, Late Show on NBC.

Q: I understand you're a recording artist, Dylan. Where can I buy your music?

A: I usually recommend books written by my former teachers from Berklee. Some of the material that I've recorded is available for sale, which can be discussed at the lessons.

Q: How has music enriched your life?

A: Music has made it possible for me to make others happy by playing music that they enjoy. It is a lot of fun to make others dance. I have also played in bands that have played a more experimental style of music, which is also very self-gratifying.

Q: What do you want students to get out of getting to work with you?

A: I want students to learn how to teach themselves, and to learn how to pick up ideas from their favorite recordings.

Q: Can you share a free tip that prospective students can benefit from right now?

A: Learning how to transcribe a drum fill makes it easy to recall at a later time.

A little something more about Dylan Halacy, piano teacher at Music Teachers on Main:

Students often have ideas of what they would like to work on, but when they don't, I always have suggestions. I love learning songs that the students chose to play along with, and then teaching it to them. I also enjoy giving advice about drumset gear, tuning there instrument, maintenance, and getting gigs, in addition to info about the vocabulary of drumming.

Contact Dylan Halacy To Set Up Your First Drum Lesson:
Call (626) 282-7605 or email dylanhalacy@gmail.com