TESTIMONIALS

“Scott is a fine, professional musician who does a great job with students. Music teachers clamor to have him come back each year to prepare their students for band and state competitions. He has a great rapport with all ages, can key in on what kids need and take them to a higher performance level. His love of music is infectious. He inspires our students by modeling what it takes to be a professional musician.”

Susan D.

Excel Director
Maine School District #60

“A very special thank you to Scott for all your years of support, encouragement, and inspiration while sharing Johnny’s journey to Berklee. You are proficient, passionate, and generous with your time. When combined, these qualities make an excellent teacher, and a wonderful friend. Thank you for everything.”

Deb F.

Parent of Johnny (age 17)

“To me, Scott Kinnison is first and foremost a good friend, a great teacher, and a fantastic percussionist. I have taken lessons on three different instruments for ten years and can honestly say that the lessons I’ve had with Scott are the best lessons I’ve ever had. Every single lesson is productive and I learn something new every time. This is true because Scott is a great friend who is personally involved in every lesson and cares about a student’s success; he is a lucid teacher who is able to demonstrate anything a student would want to know, and finally; he is an excellent percussionist who can make the worst drum kit sound like pure gold. Even though I’m majoring in percussion performance at UMass Lowell, and have great percussion instructors here, I still consider Scott my drum teacher and I always will.”

Kyle R.
Music Major, UMass Lowell

“You couldn’t ask for a better drum teacher than Scott. My son has learned so much in the year and a half he’s been taking lessons. Scott maintains just the right balance of drills and fun pieces. He challenges his students without pushing them to discouragement and always applauds their achievements! He has taken my 13 year old Metallica fan and helped him discover other styles, good technique and the “nuances” of his instrument. I highly recommend Scott to anyone wanting to learn percussion.”

Melanie M.
Parent of Josh (age 14)

“I have had the fortunate opportunity to work with Scott Kinnison over the past 4 years. I can remember walking into his room the first day of lessons and getting frustrated over even the most simple of tasks. He never once said anything negative to me when this happened. As time went on my abilities grew and grew. I have no doubt in my mind that I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for the hard work put forth by Scott. I was able to transform myself from a beginner to a relatively successful musician, which would not have been possible without Scott’s patience and persistent motivation.”

Brendon L.
Music Major, Plymouth State College

“Scott, I wanted to let you know how much I have enjoyed my lessons with you. Although I have a long way to go, my playing has improved more than I could have imagined since I began taking lessons from you. Almost three years ago I posted the following in an online drumming forum:

  • “If at all possible, take some lessons, (Sooner rather than later.) Working from the books/internet is fine, but you really need someone to watch you and point out what you are doing wrong. (I know I do!).”
  • “Please note that when I do the exercises on my own, I almost ALWAYS do them wrong, and my instructor has to watch me play it and work with me to fix it.”
  • “I have got more out of 1 month of lessons than the year + I spent trying to learn on my own.”

That was written after I taken a mere six months of your lessons, yet everything I said then still applies now. Your dedication to your craft and your students has saved me HUGE amounts of time and frustration in my quest to become a quality drummer. Thank you for taking me in as an “older than traditional”, (now 49 y.o.) student. I still look forward to every lesson that I have with you.”

Pete T.

“I’ve been playing drum set for three years, and I started taking lessons from Scott right as soon as I began playing. He not only helped me out with my playing, but he also helped me learn a lot about music theory and music history. With the skills in percussion that I learned with Scott, I am now majoring in music with a focus in Sound Recording Technology at the University of Massachusetts Lowell.”

Nate H.
Music Major, UMass Lowell

“Scott has the patience to work with young minds and their developmental abilities. He has taught our son not only to play drums but how to read music, which in turn, has strengthened his mathematical abilities in school. Scott individualizes instruction each week to meet the musical needs and interests of our son. This keeps our son motivated. Scott has helped to broaden our son’s musical tastes to include jazz, funk and blues. Scott encourages our son to continue to perfect musical pieces as his skill level increases. The whole family is invested. My husband and I will hear a song on the radio with a great beat and call home to leave a message to download the song.”

Rick & Linda C.
Parents of Noah (age 13)

“Our son has attended music lessons for about 9 months now.  His growth and enthusiasm seems to grow with each lesson.  Scott has a great way of teaching children and keeping their interest.  With his help, our son has developed a strong love of music and self confidence.  It has been a blessing to bring our son here.”

Pete & Lynda P.
Parents of Noah (age 13)

“I Like Mr. Scott because he teaches me hard things and makes me feel like I am ten years old.”

Elliot F. (age 5)

“Scott is a professional musician with a deep knowledge of music and an extremely high level of proficiency. Just as importantly, he is one of the most patient and passionate educators I know. My son loves coming to his lesson and is motivated to learn- largely because of Scott. I am pleased that my son is studying with Scott, and I recommend Scott to anyone who is considering drum lessons“.

Susan V.
Bachelor of Music
University of North Texas
Mother of Evan (age 4)

“One year ago at age 54, I began taking drum lessons from Scott Kinnison, even though I have been playing the drums since I was a teenager. Like a lot of drummers, I was self taught and did fairly well playing in a cover band and then some original punk bands. I played colleges and clubs and even recorded a studio demo that still gets hits on YouTube today. However, I was limited in my drumming knowledge, being self taught. In the past year, Scott has shown me that although my methods were acceptable, there were better ways to go about drumming. From the beginning, I worked on changing my grip, which has increased speed and stamina. I can now read some basic drum music. Scott has exposed me to some music (blues for example) and drummers that I glossed over in the past but have a new admiration for. As a result of using Scott’s student kit in the studio I have made radical changes to my personal drum kit set up. Scott has fulfilled my hopes of expanding what I already knew while learning the things I should have known years ago. I wish I didn’t wait so long to go back to school but now I see no end to what I can learn to do”.

Bob Winslow

“One year ago today I took my very first drum lesson with this awesome instructor Scott Kinnison. He believed in me as I undertook a lifelong dream of playing the drums. It has been a fantastic journey. This was number one on my bucket list. I cannot believe at 53 years of age I would call myself a drummer. But here I am. I was honored to play the drums during mass a few weeks back when someone else also believed in me, Frank Howard. I look forward to many more years of playing drums. Thank you Scott for showing me you CAN play at any age”.

Sharon Nolin

LOOKING FOR A DRUM TEACHER IN PORTSMOUTH, NH?

If you are you looking for an experienced, friendly, and professional drum teacher, or need a drummer for an upcoming live performance or studio work please contact me.

CONNECT NOW

CONTACT

SCOTT KINNISON

Drum Center of Portsmouth
144 Lafayette Rd, North Hampton, NH 03862

T: (603) 339-1620
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