Jada Playing at the Children’s Hospital in Calgary

Time and time again, I have seen so many kids start music lessons at a young age and continue playing until adulthood.

When students begin, parents are so excited about the possibilities of this new musical experience. They are unsure where these music lessons will take them but they want to give their child the opportunity.

One thing is for sure, parents want their child to grow up having music in their lives and continue playing as an adult. Parents want their child to develop key skills such as perseverance, self-discipline, problem solving and creativity.

Many parents want their child to have a healthy outlet that they can use to handle stress and relax as they get older. Finding a teacher who can inspire and be supportive is really important. With the help of our teachers, we have seen many students continue to play music.

Some move on to study music in University, play piano as a volunteer, mentor other music students or become music teachers themselves. One long time student even became a well-recognized DJ.

Here is a wonderful letter from one student, Jada who started at age 7 and is now a University student. It is heartwarming to hear that Jada just celebrated her 5th official anniversary playing piano as a volunteer at the Alberta Children’s Hospital.

Only amazing things to say about Imagine Music! Both my brother and I were students at Imagine Music for over 12 years (in guitar, voice and piano lessons). Now, I am now able to more confidently play in front of audiences and in various settings. I was also fortunate enough to be able to get connected with various institutions to play and acquire volunteer hours (retirement homes, different venues/events). While the opportunities were numerous, I was only able to commit to one long-term position at the Alberta Children’s Hospital. In summary, the company is affordable, convenient, the teachers are knowledgeable and I am very grateful for the years I was able to practice music with them!

JadaImagine Music Student

Peter has been a teacher and drummer for over 30 years.

He has been teaching with Imagine Music Inc for over 10 years.

I decided to interview Peter about drums lessons to inform anyone new to drumming what to expect.

Here is what I found out in my interview with Peter:

Jennifer: What can a beginner expect in their first lesson? And during their first month of lessons?

Peter: Fun! Learning to keep a basic beat, being able to play around the drum kit and learning the parts. The best thing is when the student learns the four basic beats to play in a band and ultimately can play to recordings.

Jennifer: Do you need to practice and How much time should you spend practicing?

Peter: Practice is necessary to improve. When you get better it becomes more fun as you can do so much more! Depending on your age, practice should be 20 – 30 min. a day for 4 days a week. As I said, the more you practice, the better you get, and the more fun it is!

Jennifer: I am often asked “Should we buy or rent?”

Peter: Renting has become very popular. Electronic kits and acoustic kits can be rented monthly. Electronic kits are much easier on parents and the neighbour’s ears. 😊 To rent first is a great option especially for the young student who might start on a small drum set and move into a bigger drum set. It’s also a great option if you aren’t sure if the student will really like the instrument.

Jennifer: Are there different sizes? What do you need in a drum set?

Peter: Acoustic kits can be of various sizes. Electric kits are usually a standard set up: three tom pads, a snare drum pad, a kick pedal pad, ride cymbal, crash cymbal and hi hat.

Jennifer: What is the most challenging part of learning the drums?

Peter: Anyone can learn to play the drums. However, everyone’s skill level can be different. It really depends on the student. The more a student practices or plays, the better the student becomes. It’s like a sport, the more you put in, the more you get out.

I started playing the drums as I thought it looked interesting to do. I still think so

Quote from Peter
– Imagine Music Drum Teacher