It’s rare to come across a 14 year old that wants to learn Snarky Puppy songs and drum grooves in odd time signatures but rare is AWESOME at The Jon Ardito Drum School. Neil has been with me just over a month and we are having a blast. If you asked him, he’d call himself boring but in my opinion, Neil is a unique dude with a lot of character. Music is embedded into his world, possibly due to the influence of his grandfather who currently owns a jazz venue in Arizona. Neil plays guitar as well, and has dabbled in the Paul Green School of Rock system. He is clearly invested in getting a music education from all angles, both melodically and rhythmically, and from an array of sources. I love seeing this, as it further establishes the well-rounded nature of a musician in the making and suggests a sincere desire to learn.
Neil also writes for the school newspaper at school and has ambitions to study neuroscience when he’s older. Remember when I called him “well-rounded”? I often write about ties between brain function, health and drumming. In my research, there is a pretty common thread in these worlds so I’m not too surprised Neil possess a skill and interest in both. Keep doing what ya do, Neil. The future is bright!
Jon Ardito 