This is me: The Instructor

Welcome, everyone, to my newest website for STIX Drumming Instructing. As it being my first blog post in the STIX Blog, I found it suitable, and necessary, to introduce myself. My name is Dexter Verrill and drumming is my passion. And with this passion to play the drums comes the passion to teach the drums.

A little about my personal life: I grew up in Maine, as did my wife, Rachael, in the next town over. We both still live in Maine together, after being married in August, 2015 (yes, newly weds, as of today, Jan 7, 2016). We have a crazy dog named Winchester, a golden retriever that is as loyal as can be yet doesn't listen to you--especially when the situtation involves food.

I have been playing the drums for 10 years now, and started playing in church (I still do for Victory Christian Church). We have great musicians that play keyboard, bass, guitar and drums (other than me because we switch out every other week). The second drummer is a young guy, Josiah, I've been working with for quite a while. Although he has his own private teacher--which is better for his learning experience, in my opinion, since he is my cousin. When he takes over the kit for the week, I grab the bongos and add another element to the music we provide for the worship service.

I've played in many live settings and actually started playing in such a setting--this was at my previous church I attended, the L/A Church of God which is now closed. I played with an awesome keyboard player, Tim Henry, who I still look forward to playing with when the opportunity arises. Through the years of middle school, I joined the school band which, of course, has a variety of concerts. I didn't join band in high school--it wasn't much of a band (3-5 people at most I believe). Let me tell you; a flute, a clarinet and a drum kit doesn't mix well. But through high school, I played more and was self-taught more. Then I found Drumeo (Drum Education Online). This taught me so much in so little time from the biggest and badest drummers out there which gave me much more of a foundation to be able to teach you guys how to play the drums. Now, I am nowhere near their level of playing, but that isn't my job--to be the best drum teacher for you.

My job is to point you in the right direction, and to help you find your voice within your playing. This is what will make you the best drummer that you can be, and that is what pushes you, so I have learned, to the next level. And eventually, with a lot of practice and dedication, you and I can be at those levels.

I never liked band. I hated rudiments, which seemed to be the only thing that the teacher would hand to me. Creativity was not an option for me because everything I had to play was right in front of me, scribbled (or printed) on white sheets of paper. So I quit band--the worst mistake of my drumming carreer--and started teaching myself how to play by ear. The reason I find this to be the biggest mistake was the lack of practice in rudiments, the lack of disipline to learn something so basic which can later be used, when mastered, to create the most complicated and sophistocated beats, grooves and fills that are out there.

All throughout band, I, of course, played in the church as much as I could. Since then, I have been offered to play at different youth events--mostly involving a youth ministry of the sort--and other occasions such as funerals or benefits.

Now here as a teacher, or an instructor as you will, I am motivated to demonstrate, to you (the drummer), the skills and knowledge I have learned.

#Intro #Instructor #DrumKit #Rudiments