Private Lessons

Harvey has been teaching private percussion lessons for over 35 years - since graduating from Trenton State College in 1987. Most students study drums but he has taught several students marimba, vibraphone and bells. He teaches beginner through advanced students in his home studio or in the student's home..

Drum Lessons, Harvey stresses the importance of being a well rounded drummer and musician, teaching snare drum, drum set and auxiliary percussion instruments. One of the most important things for a drummer to do is to keep a steady tempo and he works with the students to develop good timing. Improvisation is also worked on during the drum set part of the lesson. Along with keeping a good, steady, smooth drum beat, drum fills are worked on to enhance the student’s creativity in their playing.

As an accomplished performer, Harvey can demonstrate how exercises are to be played so the student can hear what it is suppose to sound like as they follow along with the music.

Topics worked on during lessons include:
Properly Holding the Sticks (for Beginners)
Warm Up Exercises
Stick Control
Rudiments
Reading Music - Snare Drum and Drum Set
Sight Reading
Syncopation
Variety of time signatures
Dynamics

Drum Beats - Basic to advanced rock, swing, jazz and latin beats are worked on
Full Drum Set Work - exercises utilizing the entire drum set in different note patterns.
Brush Work
Improvisation: Drum Set Fills
4-Way Independence on Drum Set

Various Drum Beats: Rock and Swing/Jazz are Studied In Depth, also work on Blues, Shuffle, Polka, Bossa Nova, Cha-Cha, and more. Work on various tempos for all beats.

School Music - Music for concert band, jazz band and marching band can be brought to lessons to work on.

Writing: Advanced students compose their own snare drum solos and beats for the drum set.

Mallet Percussion Lessons, Harvey teaches all mallet percussion instruments: marimba, xylophone, vibraphone and bells. Both 2 mallet and 4 mallet technique are worked on. For 4 mallet playing, Harvey teaches both the Musser and the Stevens grip.

Topics worked on during lessons include:
Properly Holding the Mallets (for Beginners)
Warm Up Exercises
Scales - Major and all forms of minor, chromatic, pentatonic, blues, modes, etc.
Exercises for scale work - to build up accuracy and speed
4 Mallet Control
Reading Music - Treble and Bass Clef
Sight Reading
Dynamics
As players progress in their ability, standard mallet percussion pieces will be worked on.

School Music - Music for concert band, jazz band and marching band can be brought to lessons to work on.

Piano Lessons, Harvey teaches beginner through intermediate students on piano and keyboards.

Use of standard piano books help students learn the basics, including the notes on the piano, reading notes and note vaules.
Proper posture and finger technique is worked on and reminded at all lessons.
Scales, chords and theory are incorporated into lessons as the students are ready.