ST. PAUL DRUM LESSONS

Kyle Te Poel

Available: 3:00-8:00 Mondays and Wednesdays

Kyle Te Poel is a life-long musician, who began tapping on anything he could get his hands on from a very early age, including his first drums at age 5. He began teaching professionally at age 16, and went on to study music at Saint Mary's University of Minnesota. Kyle has performed on local, regional, and international stages, as a drummer, keyboardist, singer, and songwriter, from Rochester's annual "Down by the Riverside" concert series to London's New Year's Day parade. He has been awarded "Outstanding Soloist" at the Duluth Jazz Festival, and the "Musicianship Award" from Instrumentalist Magazine.

The acts he has appeared on stage with range from frequent Midwest performers like The Johnny Holm Band and John Paulson, to legends of the American music scene like Doc Severinsen (Johnny Carson's band leader on "The Tonight Show"), and Hornheads (Prince's horn section during the New Power Generation era). He also performed for several years with future favorites of The Current like Brian Moen and Mike Munson.
As a player and instructor, his specialties are in the fields of beginner drum and mallet percussion, classical, drum set (jazz, rock, latin), and marching percussion. Kyle teaches the musicality of drums, and believes it is important for the student to understand their role in an ensemble setting (how the drums both interact with and enhance the other instruments).

Kyle's lessons are custom-taught for each individual student, and may include the following:

*Beginner-Intermediate-Advanced level percussion: Snare, bells, concert percussion (i.e. school band and its miscellaneous percussion instruments)
*Beginner Theory, Ear Training, Composition (reading, writing, and hearing music, understanding and recognizing note intervals, chords, etc.)
*Performance Percussion (marching band/corps style)
*Beginner-Intermediate-Advanced drum set: Styles range from rock, jazz, pop, funk, latin, r&b, hip-hop, and more.

Theo Galetka

Available: Thursdays from 3:00-8:00 PM.

Theo Galetka is a lifelong musician who has been playing the drums since he was 9 years old. Theo has played in over a dozen bands and has played hundreds of shows, touring the United States and England.

Theo loves teaching drums! “Bringing my students along their own drumming journey is the most gratifying work I’ve done in my life. I think one of my greatest strengths as a teacher is adapting to whatever learning style that works best for my students on an individual basis. I learned how to drum by ear and by reading music and I teach how to play both ways! I also have a love for all kinds of music! Whether you love Pop Punk, Classic Rock, Country, Rap, Jazz, or you name it, I’ll be able to help you make major strides in your playing and bring you to a higher level of confidence.”

Beyond just teaching styles of music, Theo teaches proper stick technique, finger technique, wrist technique, and foot technique to ensure that his students are able to play whatever their heart desires without your form holding them back. 

“I look forward to our first lesson!” - Theo