KSOM Teacher Spotlight: Meet James Chiodo, Drum Instructor at Keen School of Music | Drum Lessons

Meet James Chiodo, Drum Instructor at Keen School of Music

James Chiodo is a Belmont-trained drummer with over twenty years of musical experience. From performances with numerous ensembles across various styles of music to studio work as a drummer, James has built a vast resume across his musical career. As a drum instructor at Keen School of Music in Gallatin, TN, James specializes in percussion and works closely with students to help them find their own rhythm and confidence behind the kit.

We sat down with James to share more about who he is behind the scenes and what shapes his approach to teaching drum lessons.

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Do you have any hidden talents?

James: I make a pretty mean pizza.

Lex: Do you make pizza Chicago style or New York style? 

James: Chicago for sure. I grew up there.

What do you do off the clock?

James: Off the clock, I build websites, make my own merchandise, record, and write music. I have a home studio, so I spend a lot of my time creating.

What are your top 3 artists, bands, or composers?

James: Off the top of my head, Hans Zimmer is one of my favorite composers. I love his scores. For bands, Deftones, A Perfect Circle, and Balance and Composure are the three that I'm vibing on right now.

Why do you teach? What's your drive? 

James: I teach because I feel I need to share my knowledge in whatever way I can. It’s not necessarily that people who take lessons from me need to learn anything. My journey in learning how to play wasn't rooted in being perfect in the classroom. I ran it around playing songs I liked and figuring out how to recreate it. I think not being able to figure out how to do that is what keeps people from learning. It's not that they can't, or they don't have the skill. I enjoy that part, finding everybody's strengths, and pushing those. 

When did you realize you wanted to pursue a music career? 

James: I knew I wanted to pursue a music career when I realized how it made me feel. I just can't really explain it. I want to share the joy I find in playing music, and I hope that anybody would find that same joy.

What is your favorite instrument? 

James: Oh, man, well, drums, obviously, since I play them, but, honestly, a good acoustic guitar, I love the way they sound. There’s nothing more pleasing. I also really love a good saxophone.

Who or what is your biggest inspiration?

James: Life is my biggest inspiration. You can learn a lot from a lot of people that you encounter throughout life, but ultimately, it's what you go through in life that teaches you the most. 

How would you approach teaching students with different learning styles or skill levels? 

James: That goes towhat I said about why I like to teach, everybody's skill level and talents are different, and they approach learning new things differently. The way you learn, and the things you know, make you different from teaching than the person I had last week. It's seeing what people are the strongest at and then exploring those strengths. So, yeah, finding the way that students learn best and amplifying that side of the education, so that they get the most value out of the time we have.

What's one piece of advice you would give a student about performing and practicing? 

James: Just have fun. If you make a mistake, don't dwell on it. No one's gonna remember that mistake anyway. They're too caught up in how amazing the show is. Don't overthink it and just play what you feel. You improve over time as you hone in on your skills, but if you make it seem too much like a chore, it can become a motivation killer. So, just play and have fun. 

What's your go-to warm-up routine? 

James: I have dedicated time to working on hand technique, rudiments, chops, and things like that. Ultimately, my go-to warm-up routine is just to play. Find a song that's kind of easy, get the blood moving, and jam along to it. Increase the difficulty as you keep warming up until you're ready to do what you need to do. 

What are your favorite places that you've played at?

James: I'd say probably wherever I had the best experiences. If I'm gonna say locally here in Nashville, the Exit Inn is probably one of my favorites. The End is also one of my favorite venues to play. Rocketown used to put on a lot of really cool shows a while ago. The community and the people who went to the shows made the venue one of my favorites. It was a cool environment. 

What do you do in the studio? 

James: In the studio, I do a lot of writing, recording, demoing, tracking, pre-production, and helping other people bring their ideas to life. As far as music's concerned, I record a lot of drums and I fiddle around on guitar. I put a couple of songs out last year, and I'm planning on putting a couple more out this year just for fun.

What brought you to Keen School of Music? 

James: What brought me to Keen School of Music? I wanted to share my knowledge and teach other kids how to play and realize their potential, and share the joy that I feel in music. I ran into KK at a local trick-or-treat event in October, and I asked if the school could use a new drum instructor. We spoke for a bit about my background and why I wanted to share my knowledge with other people. Teaching at Keen School of Music felt right for me, and I guess it felt right for KK and Aaron, too. I'm having fun so far. It’s been great, and my students are doing awesome. I just want to teach kids who love music, who want to learn how to make it and play it, and not get discouraged along the way, because it's not an easy road, but eventually, if you've got the drive and the passion for it, you'll find your way around it. 

If you enjoyed reading our interview with James and are looking for drum lessons in Gallatin, TN, James is currently teaching at Keen School of Music. Visit our website or call 615-682-4939 to learn more about working with James.

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