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THE BERNARDS-RIDGE CONNECTION
APRIL/MAY 2015
! " # !"# !"# ! " # $ $ %& "' ! $ % $ #& JEFF COGEN DRUM LESSONS 973-537-7426 rhythmstck.wix.com/jeff-cogen By: Jeff Cogen Jeff Cogen Teaching has always been a passion of mine and remains to be something I truly enjoy. My goal has always been to inspire students to strive for excellence while having fun and grasping the true concept of drum performance. I under- stand that each student is a unique individual and I focus my teaching on the individual’s strengths, as well as use a unique approach to help them overcome their weaknesses. I also like to create a relaxed environment for all students; going into each lesson my goal is for the student to feel that they have accomplished something new. Not only do I teach my students simple to complex beats, but I teach them how to become true musicians. My message to my students is that you don’t necessarily have to be the fastest player with the craziest licks. It’s about control, as well as learning to listen and play with other musicians that truly make a successful drummer. The greatest reward for me is to begin to see each student morph into a musi- cian and express themselves as an indi- vidual through music. Why should your son or daugh- ter take Music Lessons? • There is also a causal link between music and spatial intelligence. • Students of the arts learn to think creatively and to solve problems by imagining various solutions, rejecting outdated rules and assumptions. Questions about the arts do not have only one right answer. • Recent studies show that students who study the arts are more suc- cessful on standardized tests such as the SAT. They also achieve high- er grades in high school. • A study of the arts provides chil- dren with an internal glimpse of other cultures and teaches them to be empathetic towards the people of these cultures. This development of compassion and empathy, as opposed to develop- ment of greed and a “me first” attitude, provides a bridge across cultural chasms that leads to respect of other races at an early age. • Students of music learn crafts- manship as they study how details are put together painstakingly and what constitutes good, as opposed to mediocre, work. These standards, when applied to a stu- dent’s own work, demand a new level of excellence and require stu- dents to stretch their inner resources. • In music, a mistake is a mistake; the instrument is in tune or not, the notes are well played or not, the entrance is made or not. It is only by much hard work that a successful performance is possi- ble. Through music study, students learn the value of sustained effort to achieve excellence and the con- crete rewards of hard work. • Music study enhances teamwork skills and discipline. • Music provides children with a means of self-expression. • Music study develops skills that are necessary in the workplace. • Music performance teaches young people to conquer fear and to take risks. • An arts education exposes chil- dren to the incomparable. www.theconnectionsnj.com