Carlo Longo

As a seasoned drummer and dedicated educator, I bring to my lessons years of experience and fun I had (and continuing to have!) with this amazing musical instrument. 

Whether you're dreaming of becoming a professional drummer or simply looking to enrich your life through music, I’ll be glad to help you realize your aspirations. I strongly believe that every individual has the potential to become a great drummer, and my goal is to provide personalized guidance and support to help each student unlock their musical talents.

In my drumming lessons, you can expect a dynamic and pleasing learning experience tailored to your unique goals, musical tastes and ambitions whether you're a complete beginner or a more advanced drummer looking to refine your skills.

Coming from an Italian family of musicians and music teachers (on my father's side), I've been immersed in music since early childhood. My first encounter with percussion instruments was at age four, during a family friend's birthday party where a couple of congas were present. As you can probably imagine, everyone had to endure my drumming all evening. At six, I began studying piano, followed by guitar, but my true passion was always percussion. Finally, at thirteen, I got my first drum set!

Since then, I've never abandoned this lovely instrument. At the age of 17, I started giving my first concerts around Sicily, and by age 19, in 2013, I earned a scholarship to the prestigious Siena Jazz University, where I graduated with the highest grade in 2018. From 2019 to 2020, I served as the drummer of the Sicilian Brass Youth Jazz Orchestra and concurrently taught at schools in Bagheria  and Palermo (Italy).

In 2020, I was admitted to the Master in Jazz Drums at Codarts University in Rotterdam, graduating in May 2023. Currently, I'm actively involved in four stable projects in the Netherlands: LAC Trio, Hanna Marieke Trio & Quintet, The Midnight Blues, and Peter Gheysen 6et.  

Additionally, I've collaborated with numerous musicians from the Dutch and Belgian scenes, including Andrea Leone, Leonardo Franceschini, Frank Waganèe, Chris Joris, Nico Schepers, Codarts Contemporary Big Band feat. Wiek Hijmans and many others.

I'm currently teaching at MD Music School in Den Haag, and in my private drums studio in Rotterdam.

Key points of my teaching approach:

1. Personalized guidance: Every student is unique, and I tailor my teaching approach to each student learning style, goals, aspirations, musical tastes and time to sit on the instrument. Whether you're a beginner taking your first steps in drumming or an advanced musician seeking to refine your skills, my lessons are customized to meet your needs.
   
   
2. Creativity and exploration: Central to my teaching is the attention to creativity and exploration. I encourage my students to push boundaries, experiment with different rhythms and styles, and cultivate their own distinct musical identity since the very beginning. My philosophy is that wether you know how to play 4 ideas on the instrument or 150, you’ll have to be able to put them together in a musical and expressive way.
   
   
3. Technical tools: While developing creativity is an essential part of my lessons, I also place a strong emphasis on technical skills. Through structured instruction and guidance, I help students develop solid foundations in technique, timing, sound, coordination and music reading and theory. In doing so I use a lot of resources  and educational material including books, sheet music and play-along tracks.
   
   
4. Supportive environment: Learning music should be an empowering and enriching experience. I aim to create a supportive and relaxed environment where students feel encouraged to be themselves, take risks, make “mistakes”, embrace challenges, and grow both as musicians and individuals.

The Studio:

In my eighteen square meters studio there is nothing missing for an effective drums lesson!

You’ll find:

• Drums: Two complete drum sets, one in front of the other, to facilitate the process of teacher example and student emulation/assimilation. Additionally, the two drums setup allows two students playing simultaneously during group lessons.
  
• Educational Materials: A book shelf with more than 50 books and a lot of educational material.
  
  
• Audio Equipment: A powerful speaker to play-along with tracks and listen together to music.
  
  
• Recording Equipment: A microphone (zoom H2n) to record your playing, identify areas for improvement and keep tracks of your progress.
  
• Additional Percussion Instruments: A technique pad, a djembe and small percussions to work in group lessons.

Would you like to have drum lessons in pairs? You can have drum lessons together with a friend or have us select another student to play with. Duo lessons are fun and cheaper than regular lessons.