Drumming, Meditation, And Learning To Flow

You probably can’t find a better drum teacher in all of Northern California. Gabe brings together a broad musical background in drumming, guitar, bass, and a whole bunch of weird instruments I don’t even know how to spell to really teach people, rather than just some simple tricks. In addition to being a fantastic musician, Gabe is an incredible teacher, something all too rare in the music teacher world. And he’s a pretty fun guy as well — highly recommend giving him a try.

Gabe is an incredibly talented musician with a profound talent for sharing his expertise and enthusiasm. His brilliant mind, genuine humanism, and talent for communicating make for a music education experience unlike all others.
I’ve been visiting Gabe’s ocean-​front music studio for just over a year now to study bass guitar and I always looking forward to our lessons. Gabe has a progressive teaching approach; one that encourages questions and self-​direction while providing just enough «push.»
We’ve crafted my studies in theory, performance and technique around learning the funkiest grooves I can find. Luckily, Gabe is a wiz at transcription because the songs I tend to choose are never available in tablature or sheet music. It’s awesome to be learning songs that I dig; it’s a constant source of motivation and inspiration, particularly when the lesson is a difficult one.
Gabe’s open forum style is a far cry from traditional music education approaches which operate through fear and embarrassment. While I can’t say I’ll ever enjoy making mistakes, I can trust that Gabe will seize the opportunity to make my err worthwhile. Even so, Gabe is able to pick up what I’m missing and then make things clear for me, before I even notice I’m lacking something!
Meditation speak is a newer aspect of my lessons and I really enjoy it. Both during and sometimes after lessons, Gabe and I talk about the parallels between mindfulness and musical flow (being-​in-​the-​zone, in essence). This framework is taking me from simply knowing how to play the bass to learning how to perform, both alone and with others, in a way that’s technically accurate and intellectually solid.
Studying with Gabe like apprenticing with the Wizard (a la Disney)– just minus the catastrophe and the blue hat and everything. It continues to be the singular most enriching experience in my life.
Coming from someone who’s had private, group and self-​lessons at various stages and contexts in life, I can confidently say that Gabe’s really onto something here. He’s really smart, talented and thinking outside the box with music education. Whether you’re new to music playing or looking to consult on what you’ve already got going, Gabe is sure to meet you where you are and take you the next level.