Information About Floyer - Maryland teacher

Personal Description:

In 2019 I graduated from the Guildhall School Of Music and Drama with a first in Jazz BMus performance.
I have spent time in different schools as a peripatetic drum tutor/class room teacher and as a voluntary worker with special needs students. Before attending the Guildhall I spent 3 years at Wells Cathedral School studying jazz drums, classical percussion and trumpet.

At the Guildhall I specialised in Jazz drums and was part of many different projects and musical experiences. I am currently part of an exciting trio project which focuses on original compositions and metric complexities. I have also played in numerous Big Band projects at the Guildhall, performing the music of Duke Ellington, Thad Jones, Mel Lewis, Big band leader Scott Stroman and many more.
Before lockdown I spent a lot of time in the studio recording drum tracks for an originals/covers pop band called “The Goodbye Look” and during lockdown I have been keeping busy recording and putting together videos for Jazz/Rock trio “St. Barbe” who have their first EP coming out on the 29th Jan. Our single was released back in December and made its way onto Spotify’s “state of jazz” editorial playlist.

I am a confident reader and encourage reading throughout all ages and standards, as I believe it provides a good platform for future musical learning. However I have found that some students respond quicker to visual aids more than others so I adapt my teaching method to suit them. I also like to focus on the student’s rhythmic ear and groove identification skills. I often choose a track that he or she really enjoys and proceed with rhythmic exercises and groove ideas based on the chosen track. I think it is important that students come up with their own ideas as well, so I encourage simple forms of improvisation, e.g. call and response clapping games in which the student leads.

I have a wide interest and training in many different styles of music including world music (African, Cuban and Brazilian), jazz, pop, rock, funk and also drum line (an American style drum core with multiple marching snare drummers and choreography). I have taught students of all ages and enjoy the challenge of developing students of any standard and experience. I have taken Big Band sectionals and small classes of students at School 21 gaining valuable experience in classroom teaching. I have also conducted various workshops on outreach projects as a part of CYMT (An organisation set up by the Guildhall to aid students at schools that don’t receive enough musical attention).

Tutoring Experience:

Teaching experience

Peripatetic teacher at School21 - Drum kit

At Wells Cathedral School :
- Conducting percussion workshops for deaf students in Exeter.
- outreach project in Hong Kong for young music students
- ‎percussion work with deaf students out in Budapest

Private Tuition

- ‎Private tuition to younger kids 1-1, ranging ages from 7-10 years old
- ‎taking a rhythm masterclass of young adults to seniors on a Classical/Jazz flute course in Tuscany

Guildhall

- ‎Coaching and running a master class as part of CYMT (part of Guildhall). Teaching 6th form students and kids from 5 - 12
- ‎Out reach projects in schools around the City of London area

Tutoring Approach:

Approach to tuition

I look to focus on a relaxed and fluid technique for all my students, although I strongly believe in inspiring students with exciting music listening, learning grooves and concepts from the recordings themselves. I am also very interested in recording techniques and mixing, specifically the way in which this helps to improve ones playing in the studio and the sound that one can get out of the drum kit.

I like to take students through a range of different playing styles, so that they become a well rounded player. I believe it is important to master a range of styles before specialising down to a specific genre of music. Working through exam books is one way of achieving this variety however I think it important to look at genre specific books, such as Afro Cuban, Jazz, funk etc, to really get into the fine details of playing these styles.