Welcome to www.ssdrums.com, the website that introduces Steve Smeltzer's services as a professional drum instructor in Fort Wayne, IN.

For over thirty five years, Steve has been teaching students of all ages everything from classic jazz rhythms to the very latest in current rock beats. He's taught elementary school students who are preparing for middle school band, high school students in marching and jazz bands, college aged students in local rock bands, as well as professional drummers who wanted to brush up on reading skills, rudiments or learn advanced styles. 

On a typical lesson day, you may find Steve teaching one student a bounced double stroke roll, the next student the rhythm to a Beatles song, the next student a fill to a Tool song, and another student a complicated Dave Matthews Band song in an odd time signature. He even figures out the drum machine rhythms to rap and hip-hop. 

Central to his teaching philosophy are three elements.

1. ATTENTION TO INDIVIDUALITY:  Every student has his or her unique strengths, short-comings, immediate needs and most importantly,  personal music interests. Considering these factors, Steve's job is to develop an individual lesson plan that is efficient, interesting, rewarding and applicable to the student's current musical situation. 

2. positive reinforcement: Steve is a great believer in positive reinforcement. No matter how insufficient a student's performance may be, there is always something that is positive and can be built upon. When students learn that they are doing something right, they feel "on track", positive and able to tackle the next task at hand.  

3. RUDIMENTS IN THE REAL WORLD: Drum rudiments are a very important cornerstone of modern drumming. They are basic left and right hand sticking patterns that are practiced by drummers, much like pianists practice musical scales. They help drummers immensely but can be very boring to practice. That's why Steve shows his students, from the very beginning, how to play rudiments as rhythmic musical phrases, not as uninspiring exercises. It's how real drummers play rudiments in the real world of music.    

Using these principles, Steve has helped his students work hard to receive awards, embark on professional careers and even become drum teachers, themselves.     

If you are considering taking drum lessons and would like try Steve's approach to drum lessons, feel free to contact Steve by email or call him at 456-2954. His drum studio is located at Dave's Music Den, 2326 Hobson Road, 46805. Dave's Music Den's phone number is 482-2365.

Thanks for visiting www.ssdrums.com!