DRUM LESSONS FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT to GROW.

At DALE BAKER’S DRUM STUDIO IN DURHAM, you’ll find a place where you or your child can grow, where heart beats and drum beats meet to make music.

Owner and teacher DALE BAKER has been drumming and performing publicly since grade school in Branson, Missouri, where he grew up.  Over the last thirty years, he’s been a sought-after musician who has shared the stage and recording studio with hundreds of talented artists, many of whom are nationally known.  He knows what it takes to be a musician–the practice, the skill, the touring, the business, the collaboration, the joy. 

Dale has also been a dedicated percussion teacher for the past 15 years.  Using his professional experience, along with his Bachelors in Music Education from University of North Texas, Dale has been teaching students of all ages and backgrounds how to be drummers.  Kids in garage bands.  Grown-ups who love jazz.  Parents who want to try something new.  All sorts.  People who want to drum.

His students value his skill, wisdom, patience, and generous heart, not to mention the fact that he’s a Grammy-nominated, RIAA (Recording Industry of America) award-winning and platinum-certified artist.

  • “Dale is an amazing music instructor. My son (9) started with him knowing zero about drums and in just a few months was able to play an entire song. I witnessed the patience and creativity that Dale displays while teaching. Truly exceptional and highly recommended.”

    —Wilkins Aqiuno

  • “Dale has been our son’s teacher for several years now and his instruction style is incredibly informative, yet easy-going. Our son’s drumming skills just get better and better. Our experience with Dale has been invaluable and we are so fortunate to have met him. Great teacher and a great person!”

    —Virginia Bethea

  • “Dale is a great teacher for persons of all ages. He is an accomplished professional, with a broad background. He is especially good with children, and has a gift for breaking down complex rhythms into their constituent parts.”

    —John Wurzelman

  • “Dale is an amazing drum teacher. I am really happy with how much I have improved with his instruction. My favorite part of the week is going for my drum lesson. It’s a great time. I appreciate that Dale always solves all of my musical problems. I also am grateful that he accommodates my learning style. Dale teaches both kids and adults (I am an adult) and he makes our interaction very positive...I can not even imagine a better teacher. Drum lessons from Dale are better than I thought was possible. And the results that I have had are better than I had even hoped for.”

    —L.G.

NOTES FROM THE STUDIO

Blog
Dale’s Top 5 Graduation Songs
Dale’s Top 5 Graduation Songs

Almost 4 million high school seniors will graduate in the U.S. this year, along with millions of college students. These occasions, both ubiquitous and momentous, are swirls of nostalgia mixed with eager energy for what is yet to come. Clearly, we need a soundtrack. Here are my top five graduation songs and why I like them . . .

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Drumming and Your Shadow Self
Drumming and Your Shadow Self

It can be hard to live up to our own expectations and goals of how good we want to be. Becoming excellent or good at something doesn’t happen over night, and it’s just that - a becoming. It’s a process and a flow. We are becoming the drummer (artist, musician, parent, friend, person) we want to be.

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Greatness and Skill
Greatness and Skill

Often times we believe that we are not “destined” for greatness because we lack certain skills or abilities. However, it may be useful to explore what exactly we seek in our desire for greatness. Is it a need . . .

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