Click: Students play in various styles to various click tempos. Rudiments are benchmarked for speed improvement. Exercises in "Groovin' and Fillin'", "Recovery and Adjustment", and "The Pocket and Its Sides" are essential for the professional drummer.

Ear Training Lab: Instructor drills on intervals (one octave); recognizing major and minor scales; diatonic melodic dictation; rhythmic dictation (simple and compound meters); hearing chord qualities (major, minor, augmented, diminished, and dominant).

Jazz Performance I: This is an interdisciplinary ensemble class which focuses on 12 bar blues form in major, minor and dominant keys with 8th-note, 16th-note, shuffle and R&B grooves. The emphasis is on improvisation.

Music Appreciation: This course is designed to expose students to a broad spectrum of musical ideas, concepts, and genres. Emphasis is placed on studying those musical concepts that hold true for all styles of music (form and structure, counterpoint, melodic and harmonic content). Genres covered include: Middle Ages; Renaissance; Baroque; Classical; Romantic; 20th Century; Jazz; Rock.

Private Lesson: Students receive one half hour of private instruction weekly to address areas of technique or theory for which they require assistance.

Reading I: Students are introduced to reading in this class. Note and rest values, dynamic markings, repeats and chart direction will be covered. The student is made to feel at home in the written environment. Each student performs easy-to-read snare drum solos and begins study in Gary Chester's "New Breed".

Rock Performance I: Students from each discipline (guitar, bass and drums) are grouped to perform tunes in all styles from 50's, 60's and early 70's. AIM instructors critique, advise, and work with students.

Styles I: This class focuses on the fundamental knowledge of commonly encountered musical styles. Basic rock, funk, country, blues, Latin, jazz and New Orleans 2nd line are covered to achieve a primary level of familiarity and comfort. This class is closely coordinated with the various performance classes so that the student is prepared to perform the particular style required.

Technique I: Basics in technique are introduced and instilled in this class. Fundamentals of grip, foot position, posture, and stool height are all fully covered. The student is taught standard and Swiss rudiments to develop and improve both control and speed. Bass drum, hi-hat, and snare exercises are included to build coordination and independence at the kit.

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Drummer's Theory: This course is designed to prepare the student with no previous knowledge of harmony and theory to use piano, guitar or bass as an aid when discussing keys, scales and chords. Students learn how to create lead sheets, needed for copyrighting original songs.

Funk I: Students are introduced to some of the premier funk artists and examples of their playing. Independence and groove are cultivated and fortified. Students play with sequences and live players to hone their skills. We experiment with linear and complex coordination patterns. Students achieve a greater vocabulary and a level of comfort for playing the funk style. We do get funky in this class!

Studio Performance II: Students perform together in a recording environment for the purpose of gaining experience as studio musicians. Practice material in the form of charts and recordings is provided. Student recordings will be reviewed by the class.

Jazz Styles I: This class is an introduction to jazz and its fundamentals. It requires extensive listening to both musical form and the interpretation of the individual artist. A study is made of different drummers and their unique contributions to the music. Exercises are designed to expand each student's capability to perform the music. Emphasis is on swinging and independence lies at the core of study. Jazz standards are weekly fare in this class.

Jazz Performance II: Students from each discipline (guitar, bass and drums) are grouped to perform. An introduction into modal jazz with emphasis on improvisation.

Private Lesson: Students receive one half hour of private instruction weekly to address areas of technique or theory for which they require assistance.

Reading II: Further exploration of rudimental snare drum solos, along with deeper studies in Gary Chester's "New Breed" are the core of this class. Students also begin to read drumset solos, along with special exercises composed by the instructor.

Rhythm Dictation: It is essential to have the ability to hear a rhythm and write it. This course begins with single line dictation taken from an instructor playing a snare drum with a click track. The technique is developed until the student is capable of taking full drum set dictation.

Rock Performance II: Student groups will be formed to perform tunes from mid 70's to mid 80's. A staff of AIM instructors will be present to critique, advise, and motivate each student.

Technique II: This class further develops the student's dexterity and comfort behind the set through the introduction and use of the inner body rudiments, trios, quads, and the drumset application of rudiments. The student begins to apply his or her new skills and starts to build his arsenal of chops. This will be a foundation for a career of musical construction.

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Charting: Students listen to various styles of music. Short-hand charting skills are taught to ensure a professional approach to auditions, rehearsals, and recordings. These skills, along with detailed charting skills, produce charts worthy of publication for use by professional drummers worldwide. Students develop the ability to chart various styles of music.

Ear Training I: Course content is based upon the development of relative pitch and awareness of basic scale and chord structures. A brief course outline includes: intervals (one octave); recognizing major and minor scales; diatonic melodic dictation; rhythmic dictation (simple and compound meters); hearing chord qualities (Major, Minor, Augmented, Diminished, and Dominant).

Jazz Styles II: This class is a continuation of the Level I Jazz Styles class. The listening menu here, however, consists of more advanced material. The melodic and rhythmic composition of the music becomes more complex and interesting. Students are required to make a study of a chosen artist's style and follow up with a performance based on the concepts derived from their analysis. Additional exercises are studied to help the student develop greater physical expertise at his or her playing.

Jazz Performance III: Students from each discipline (guitar, bass and drums) are grouped to perform. An introduction into jazz and latin standards.

Latin/Fusion: In this class we study musical styles that have been created out of a mixing and melding of many different musical influences. Music that crosses international and cultural borders to become part of a new and different sound is what this course is about. Much attention is focused on learning and performing rhythmic patterns with awareness of each pattern's stylistic influences. This class requires extensive listening to compositions that are written and performed by contemporary groups and artists in jazz, rock and pop idioms. Students perform with play-along recordings.

Private Lesson: Each drum student will have a one-hour private lesson each week to address the areas in which he or she would like additional assistance and instruction.

Reading III: Snare drum solos in different time signatures are performed to hone the student's ability to read in situations other than 4/4. Students study displacement, left hand cymbal techniques, and advanced drumset solos along with extensive chart reading and play-alongs.

Studio Performance III: Students perform together in a recording environment for the purpose of gaining experience as studio musicians. Practice material in the form of charts and recordings is provided. Student recordings will be reviewed by the class.

Rock Performance III: These classes move into more advanced material. Level III students will perform songs by Stevie Ray Vaughn, Joe Satriani, Edgar Winter and more.

Soloing: This course is designed to bring out what each student does best: it teaches the student how to compose a solo. Students will explore connecting skills and grooves as well as changing meter and intensity. Duets and soloing with a theme and form are discussed and performed. The student will leave this class with a sense of compositional and stylistic identity.

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Jazz Performance IV: Students will perform pieces assigned to them in fusion class. The rhythm section will be comprised of AIM faculty who will assist in the performance of the new material.

Music Business: Students will learn about the music business through a series of seminars. Copyright and contract laws, band management and various forms of entertainment contracts are discussed.

Popular Styles Performance: The Popular Styles Performance Class introduces students to four different styles of songs that they are very likely to encounter when doing gigs and going to jam sessions. The styles covered are reggae, samba, funk, and odd meter. This is a level four class with some fun and challenging songs.

Private Lesson: Each drum student will have a one-hour private lesson each week to address the areas in which he or she would like additional assistance and instruction.

Drum Econ: Drum Econ offers insight into a variety of topics designed to improve the sound, feel, and overall effectiveness of even the most experienced drummers. Topics include ergonomic drum setup; drum tuning for rock, jazz, funk, and other styles; best practices for drum set staging and tear-down; cymbal maintenance and repair; hardware maintenance and repair; and instant-fixes for catastrophes on the gig.

Reading IV: The pinnacle of our reading program brings the student to a professional level of performance. Students study composite independence on the kit, snare drum solos involving 26 standard rudiments, and play-alongs that demand high levels of proficiency.

Studio Performance IV: Students perform together in a recording environment for the purpose of gaining experience as studio musicians. Practice material in the form of charts and recordings is provided. Student recordings will be reviewed by the class.

Rock Performance IV: Students will now perform advanced compositions by Steve Vai, Van Halen, Rush, and original material.

Career Objectives: This is a lecture/discussion class in which students are taught the realities of the music business as experienced and observed by seasoned veterans of the music and entertainment industry. Topics include keeping passion alive throughout the rigors of the business, post-education practice methods and routines; getting started in business after graduation; marketing; getting studio and tour gigs and endorsements. In addition to the instructor's weekly lectures, students will hear first-hand from guest artists, performers, and other relevant industry experts who are invited to speak to the class at various points during the quarter.

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