Lessons with Dom Famularo

Dom has created the first Wizdom Drumshed School in the world in Long Island (NY) many years ago. "Wizdom" is a mix of two words, wizard and Dom (For Dom Famularo). Put the two words together and you get Wizdom. These schools are taking place all around the world in collaboration with Dom to ensure that the quality of the studios and the teaching process is high class. The approach is unique and the result is amazing

The Wizdom Drumshed in Canada

with Stephane Chamberland

www.stephanechamberland.com

e-mail: Global2steph@mac.com

Steph offers private lessons and coaching for all levels of drumming. If you live in or are visiting the Quebec City area, private instruction is available. There are also programs for drummers worldwide who wish to travel to Quebec City for intensive study. Students have traveled from all around the world to study with Stephane.

The Wizdom Drumshed in Canada

Steph built a new state-of-the-art drum studio. Into each lesson is fused the passion of 8 years of private lessons, playing with bands, master classes, and clinics. The teaching studio is a free-standing shed type structure. The room contains two full Mapex drumkits with Sabian Cymbals, Evans Drumheads, Audix microphones and Vic Firth sticks. There is also a complete audio-video system with a 40” HD LCD TV and a HD camcorder to record the lessons on DVD. Play along is facilitated by monitoring phones and high end speakers for reference listening. The practice pads are set up separate from the kits, with mirrors nearby for the student’s own reference, a metronome and pairs of Vic Firth Dom’s Pad Sticks. The reading section count two professional marching and classical snares with specialized sticks and ear protections. A wireless internet connection is available in the studio for students who want to surf the web, watch clips, download charts and play-along material or just visit web sites.

The studio is also outfitted with a full range of media for reference, including a complete set of all drum books and DVDs. The room was modeled after Dom Famularo’s Wizdom Drumshed, using the same material. The School is the only official Wizdom Drumshed accredited in Canada.

A few testimonials of satisfied students

“Stephane’s professionalism and passion for the art of drumming are phenomenal. He has created an incredibly learning friendly environment in his Wizdom Drumshed. Steph thoroughly answered all of my questions and was constantly pushing my playing to the next level. Any drummer could benefit from lessons with Steph.”

Greg Estabrooks
Connecticut, USA

“Studying with Steph at his wizdom drumshed is definitely the highest form of drum education I have had so far. Steph is combining his state of the art teaching facility with his incredible knowledge and love of drumming makes for an unforgettable learning experience. He opened my mind to many different ideas, styles, and techniques which allows me to be more prepared for the many varieties of music that I play. Steph always has such a positive and encouraging attitude and pushes me to be my very best. He is always willing to help make my trip easier by finding me a close hotel to stay at or campground seeing as how I live 2000 km away. When I am back home after my lessons he always stays in contact and continues to encourage me in my playing and offers great advice. He sets up the curriculum based on what my needs as a student are which allows me to make great progress quickly. Stephane is the best teacher, player and mentor and has so much to offer. I will be traveling to study with him as long as I can and I would encourage anyone who is serious about taking their playing to a higher level to do the same.”

Tyson Unrau
Magregor, Manitoba Canada

“In spending just six days with Stephane, I learned more than I would have in two years on my own. He is an astonishing teacher and his enthusiasm and energy not only help you learn but make you WANT to learn. If you want to advance every aspect of your drumming to the next level, then this is the guy to go to!”

Akash Thakkar
Fredericton, New Brunswick Canada

Steph’s rates at the Wizdom Drumshed

Instruction rates are 50$/hours. (60$ for international programs)
There is a 40$ inscription fee for regular students.
Courses are prepaid at the beginning of each month.

Please contact our office for further information. E-MAIL HERE

Stephane Chamberland

Stephane Chamberland maintains a diverse career as a drumming performer and educator. Enjoying various styles of playing, he is known to be a versatile drummer, performing, reading and writing all styles of music. He has recorded and freelanced with many artists in conventions and festivals. Steph also performed with many bands in Canada including Rosheen, Phonethemental and Kabir Pecussion. He is now playing with his Jazz band and working on many other projects with freelance musicians.

Recognized internationally as an educator, Steph has given hundreds of drum clinics in schools, retail stores and conventions over the past 8 years and has appeared at The Cape Breton Drum Festival (Nova Scotia, Canada). He is traveling now around Canada doing clinics for his sponsors in music stores. He also maintains a busy private teaching schedule at his studio in Quebec City, The Wizdom Drumshed that he owns with Dom Famularo. The studio is a state-of-the-art teaching facility where drummers from all around the world come to study. Steph his also part of the education team for Vic firth with the PDT+ program.

Stephane studied with several top teachers during many years in New York, New Jersey and Toronto, including Dom Famularo, Jim Chapin, Rick Gratton, Robby Ameen, Jeff Salem, Paul DeLong, Joe Bergamini, John Favicchia, Aldo Mazza, Frank Belluci, also with John Riley and Bobby Sanabria at Manhattan School of Music. He also studied at the Conservatory of Music in Quebec City and with several teachers in the Quebec City area.

Steph’s interest in writing and education has led to him becoming very active in the music publishing world. He is the co-author of the book The Weaker Side with Dom Famularo (Alfred Publishing), and a contributing writer for Modern Drummer Magazine and Classic Drummer Magazine. He has also been featured in Gigging Musician, Drums Etc, International Musician and Percussive Notes. His book was voted number one at the NAMM show 2008.

Steph endorses Mapex Drums, Sabian Cymbals, Vic Firth Sticks and Evans Drumheads. He has worked on various promotional projects for Mapex Drums, co-creating the Mapex Learning Advantage Program, in addition to being engaged to work on educational posters for the company.

The Wizdom Drumshed in France

with Rob Hirons

email : robhirons@free.fr

The Wizdom Drumshed in Marseille France is a state-of-the-art teaching facility created by Rob in collaboration with Global Drum Ambassador Dom Famularo to provide the highest quality learning environment.

The 18 meter square studio is designed with four main teaching stations, based on the same teaching concepts and material as used in Dom Famularo’s Wizdom Drumshed in New York.

The practise pad station includes two Vic Firth practise pads, a metronome, and strategically placed mirrors in front and at the side of the student. Here, the student studies hand techniques using the mirrors to be able to see and correct their movement, and to survey their own development.

The next teaching station is the snare drum study section. Here, the student can apply techniques learned on the pad directly to the snare drum and subsequently progress to advanced reading and rudimental work, perfecting their hand techniques.

The drum set teaching station includes two full drum sets, one for the student and one for the teacher. In this section, the student develops their voice on the drum set and can be guided by the teacher on the second drum set when needed. Both drum sets are fully miked up with quality microphones, linked to a 16 channel mixing desk and a Dvd recorder with HD recording facility to be able to record the drums and listen back for evaluation purposes. There are Vic Firth professional headphones at each drum set to enable play along sessions to music, for example the student’s own mp3 player, and then to record and listen back to the performance so as to analyse how the student sounds with the music.

There is a digital camera in place in the studio to be able to film any one of the teaching stations during study sessions, showing the student at work in real time on strategically placed video screens, and also allowing the creation of a Dvd featuring parts of the lessons that the student can take home for later study.

The studio is completed by the fourth teaching station, an extensive media section including a library of study books, Dvds, CDs and drum magazines. There is also a large selection of drum study books and Dvds available to buy in the studio for enhance studies at home. Direct access to the internet is available in the studio so that the student and teacher can consult the World Wide Web, accessing the entire world of available drumming information. Using the web cam, the student will also eventually be able to participate in future on-line lessons and masterclasses by guest teachers via the internet.

A few quotes...

"I am so inspired when I meet someone who is so dedicated to performing and teaching! Rob Hirons has been working with me on both areas! As a player, he is constantly challenging himself to grow and create. As an educator, he is always willing to seek out new ideas for assisting students to reach a higher level of expression! This is totally empowering! Rob and I are working together to raise the fun factor in drumming and assist drummers everywhere to enjoy the adventure of musical expression! I am excited about what Rob offers to everyone who enters his Wizdom DrumShed!"

Dom Famularo – Drummings’ Global Ambassador, New York USA

“Rarely have I seen the talent and enthusiasm that Rob possess. My experience with Rob have proven him to be reliable, energetic, always prepared and showing great discipline. Rob's overall attitude is very positive and he is an all around professional person and musician. Be sure to check him out...it's inspiring!”

Stephane Chamberland – International Clinician and Educator, Quebec, Canada

“Rob, as well as being talented, has an essential quality - the passion to transmit knowledge. It is rare to find someone who will go so far to help you understand something perfectly, to find that critical point that makes everything become clear. As well as this, Rob’s analysis of movement and hand position is particularly advanced, allowing him to explain in depth the techniques required to master the drum set.”

JB Raynaut – Student at the Wizdom Drumshed Marseille and drummer of Babylon Pression.

Rob Hirons

Rob Hirons is an independent drumset performer and educator based in Marseille in the south of France.

Rob began learning drum set in the UK with respected drum teacher Ray Payne at the age of 13 and later gained an honours degree in Jazz Studies at Leeds College of Music where he studied with a number of renowned teachers including Ronnie Bottomley, Dave Hassell and Tony Faulkner. He was subsequently employed by the college to teach other students and at the same time, developed an extensive private teaching roster as well as remaining firmly active on the live music scene as an independent drummer, touring in Europe and the USA.

Since then, Rob has been working in France with many musicians including eclectic group Watcha Clan, blues group Hofmann Family Blues Experience, hard rock group Les Squaws, blues soul group Muddy’s Street, electro - tzigane singer actor Rona Hartner, producer Mike Aubé, rock group Isis Child and jungle / drum ‘n’ bass project What Else.

Rob’s ever expanding teaching career has developed over the last 20 years and he currently maintains an extensive teaching schedule, educating drummers both in the region and from further afield with his abilities to motivate and facilitate the development of aspiring students.

Recently, to be able to offer the best teaching situation possible to his students, Rob has built his own state-of-the-art private teaching studio ‘The Wizdom Drumshed’ in Marseille, France in collaboration with Global Drum Ambassador Dom Famularo. Here at the Wizdom Drumshed, students come regularly to study with Rob and develop their art form to their highest level.

Rob also performs clinics, masterclasses and drum demonstrations and is endorsed by Pearl Drums, Sabian Cymbals, and Vic Firth Drumsticks.

The Wizdom Drumshed in Washington (USA)

with Garey Williams

email : garey@gareywilliams.com

Drum lessons art taught out of Garey's state-of-the-art Drumset Artistry teaching studio.

Included in this facility:

·Drum Workshop and Pacific drumsets with DW hardware

·Sabian cymbals and Remo drumheads

·A snare drum/practice pad station for classical/rudimental work with mirrors

·A TV/DVD/VCR player and a Digital Camera to record lessons

·A complete sound system for listening and play-along

·Internet hook up for web reference and video conference lessons

·A library of educational books, videos and DVDs.

·All in a spacious room with a vaulted ceiling, sky tube light and a return air system

·The studio is soundproof

" Garey Williams displays a beautiful touch and emotion in his drumming. He performs with a strong technique and a keen sense of what to play in a studio situation to achieve the correct balance within a jazz/rock trio setting. His cymbal work is very expressive... "

Modern Drummer

" Garey, I'm sure you know what a great teacher you are. But I've trained school teachers and also adult trainers in companies for over 30 years, and I just have to tell you what a pleasure it is to watch you working with Jeremy. Your ability to find him being successful, pull the best out of him and encourage him to do things he's afraid he can't do are extraordinary. I'm so happy that we found you, and it's exciting to see how he works with you. I'm feeling that you're exactly the right person to take Jeremy further."

Carl
Parent of student

“It’s great to experience your great talent. Your playing is terrific. You're extraordinary. Really, really absolutely terrific...your playing is sensational.”

Jim Chapin

"Williams sounds like a combination of Vinnie Colaiuta and Peter Erskine through his careful attention to the orchestration of each section of the tune. His relaxed, flowing style suits the music, yet he is always pushing the other players to new heights."

Percussive Notes

Garey Williams

Garey has studied (Attended a Clinic, Master Class and/or Private Lessons) with the following: Billy Cobham, Steve Smith, Efrain Toro, Bernard Purdie, Louis Bellson, Jim Chapin, Chester Thompson, Dave Weckl, Jeff Hamilton, Mickey Rocker, Bill Goodwin, Jerry Steinholtz, Kenny Aronoff, Michael Shrieve, Larry London, Chuck Silverman, Mike Baird, Stewart Copeland, Vinnie Colaiuta, Chad Wackerman, Lenny White, Dom Famularo, Liberty Devitto, David Garabaldi, Bobby Rock, Jack DeJohnette, Gerry Brown, Deen Castronova, Sonny Emory, Tony Williams, Rus McKinnon, Randy Boughton, Charles Dowd, Freddie Gruber, Richard Bailey, Tony Verderosa, Casey Scheurell, Colin Bailey, Rick Latham, Gregg Bissonette, Bruce Becker, Steve Houghton, David Friedman. Peter Erskine, Carl Allen, Virgil Donati, Billy Ward, Joe Morello, Chet McCracken, Freddy Gruber, Ed Shaugnessey, Omar Hakim, Cindy Blackman, Tommy Igo, Gary Chaffee, John Riley, Hilary Jones, Thomas Lang, Bill Stewart, Clayton Cameron and Zoro.

Garey Williams has steadily built a reputation as both a world-class drummer and uniquely gifted educator. With over thirty years playing experience and over twenty years teaching experience, Garey has received attention from International publications and well known drummers.

With a Master's degree in Percussion Performance and Jazz Studies at Central Washington University, drummer Williams has been a fixture in the Northwest scene, having performed with such musicians as Diana Krall, Kristin Korb, Bud Shank, Barney McClure, Howard Roberts, Joe Williams, Bobby Shew, Jay Thomas, Clay Jenkins, Milt Jackson, Cedar Walton, Ray Brown, Eddie Daniels and Dizzy Gillespie. In 2001 he re-formed Ecstasy In Numbers with guitarist Mike Mattingly and bassist Rick White. The band became a hit on the underground scene and for three years have toured and performed in Seattle and the Northwest to standing-room-only crowds. The bands progressive-jazz/rock sound has been gaining the attention of clubs and promoters, as well as the ears of a small but growing European fan base.

Garey has released a wealth of teaching materials under his own publishing company, Drumset Artistry. He has available three educational DVDs: Developing a Solo Vocabulary, Rudiments Applied to the Drumset, Get A Grip, The Strokes and Motions of Drumming, two method books, Contemporary Drumming Essentials Volume One, Contemporary Drumming Essentials Volume Two and an educational CD. He has been published in Rhythm Magazine, Modern Drummer, Percussive Notes, Band World and the Warner Bros. publication, Turn It Up and Lay It Down.

Williams' teaching experience includes private lessons, master classes and clinics at public schools, drum schools, jazz camps, percussion festivals, music stores, drum shops and serving on the music faculty at Central Washington University, Yakima Valley Community College and Olympic College. Williams is an active educator conducting clinics for DW drums, Sabian cymbals, Vic Firth sticks, Remo drumheads and LP Percussion.

Video of Garey's studio: http://www.gareywilliams.com/lessons.html