Brooks T. TakeLessons Instructor Music Performance, Music Theory, Drum Set, Percussion Miami, FL

Brooks is currently a freelance percussionist/ drummer in the Miami Metro Area, a private percussion instructor, an adjunct percussion instructor at the Palmer Trinity School in Palmetto Bay, FL., The New World School of the Arts in Miami, FL., and The Arts and Minds Academy and Music Conservatory in Coconut Grove, FL., where he also directs the Percussion Ensemble.

Brooks earned the Bachelor of Music degree in Percussion Performance from the University of South Alabama in December of 1998; the Master of Music degree in Percussion Performance from the Music Conservatory of the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University in May of 2005; and is a candidate for the Doctorate of Musical Arts Degree in Percussion Performance at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, where he was Ney Rosauro’s Graduate Teaching Assistant.

Brooks has served as the principal percussionist of both the Mobile Symphony Orchestra, and the Gulf Coast Symphony Orchestra, the latter of which he was a featured marimba soloist in 2003, performing Alan Hovhaness’ Fantasy on Japanese Woodprints. In addition to these two orchestras, Brooks has also played with the Mobile Opera, the Pensacola Opera, the Pensacola Symphony Orchestra, the Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra, the Jofferey Ballet, the American Ballet Theatre, the Miami City Ballet, the Boca Raton Philharmonic Symphonia, the Hollywood Philharmonic Orchestra, and many others.

As a percussionist/drummer, Brooks has had the opportunity to perform with such artists as Lil Greenwood, Bobby Shew, Louis Bellson, Sherwood Mobley, Tony Bennett, Natalie Cole, Yo-Yo Ma, Evelyn Glennie, Samuel Ramey, Andrea Bocelli, The Ramsey Lewis Trio, Paul Potts, Three Graces, Faith Hill, and Elvis Costello, to name a few, and has worked with such conductors/composers as Scott Speck, Peter Rubardt, John Strickler, David LaMarche, Aaron Kula, Helmuth Rilling, Sir Andrew Davis, Russell Peck, and Phillip Glass, among others.

As a student, Brooks has studied solo and orchestral percussion, world percussion, and drumset with John Papastefan, Ed Harrison, Rubén Alvarez, Paul Wertico, Vadim Karpinos, DeDé Sampaio, Darcey Timmerman, Wan-Chun Liao, Shannon Wood, Richie Bravo, Ted Atkatz, and Ney Rosauro.

Brooks is a member of the Percussive Arts Society (PAS), The College Music Society (CMS), and The Vic Firth Education Team (Collegiate Educators Program). Brooks performs with and is a proud endorser of Vic Firth Percussion Products, Remo Drumheads, and Sabian Cymbals.

I try to approach each student on an individual basis depending on his or her strengths, goals, or interests. Because of this, I do not use a set curriculum. I believe everyone is unique in the way they learn or approach a particular instrument. Some students prefer aural aids while others prefer visual ones.  

In general, I strive to keep a laid back, fun atmosphere while never losing the focus or goal of the lesson. If a student has no specific long or short term goals and just wants to learn an instrument, the focus will be on fundamentals of the instrument (tone, musicality, technique, approach, etc...) and learning/improving the ability to read the music for that specific instrument(s). 

"Total Percussion" can include instruction on most percussion instruments, including: drumset (rock, funk, jazz, afro-cuban, brazilian, etc...); Afro-Cuban percussion (drumset, congas, timbales, bongos, shakers, etc...); Brazilian percussion: (drumset, pandeiro, surdo, agogo, tamborim, repinique, cuica, etc...); mallet instruments (vibes, xylophone, marimba); orchestral instruments and preparing auditions (snare drum, timpani, glock, xylo, crash cymbals, triangle, tambourine, castanets, etc...). 

-Mallet Instruments (Marimba, Vibes, Xylophone, Glock)
-Snare Drum
-Timpani
-Multi-Percussion
-Orchestral Techniques on All Instruments
-Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, jazz, rock, and funk drumset
-Afro-Cuban and Brazilian hand percussion
-Reading Music/Theory (Notation, Scales, Key Signatures, Ear Training, Improvisation)
-Audition Preperation (All State, Honor Band, College/University, Orchestral)

University of South Alabama - music/percussion performance - 9/92 - 12/98
Roosevelt University (Chicago College of Performing Arts) - music/percussion performance - 8/03 - 5/05
University of Miami (DMA) - music/percussion performance (ABD) - 8/06 - present

Music Performance, Music Theory, Drum Set, Percussion