New Zealand's Premier drum and percussion education program

Bucket Drumming. Drumline. Drum Set.

We do it all!

about Chris

Drumming is my life. I’ve been doing it for the last 30 years, and I’m passionate about passing my knowledge on by making it accessible to anyone.

I first started teaching drumming at Drum City in Balmoral, Auckland, way back in 2004. After ten years of working there, I began hosting my own drum tuition classes, and have been tutoring at high schools throughout Auckland for the last ten years.

I have a Bachelor of Performing Arts (1st Degree), a B.Mus Honours (1st Degree), and a Masters in Music Performance, so there is so much for me to pass on to my students.

Although I love teaching, at times it has felt like I’m mainly teaching kids who have to do music as a subject at school, rather than children who really have a drive and hunger for drumming.

My online courses are aimed at those kids – the ones who can’t stop tapping their fingers on tabletops.

“Making dreams accessible for everyone”

Say Hi

Waiuku, South Auckland

021 624 839

chris.jazzdrummer@gmail.com

DESIGN AND MAINTAINED BY Campbell Phillips © 2024 Chris Dawson

What do I need to start lessons?

We don’t require our students to have a drum kit in their homes.  At a minimum, we do recommend that each drum student has a pair of Sticks and possibly a bucket and/or a practice pad that they can practise on at home. 

A practice pad allows the student to play loud without annoying the rest of the house . When they play on the bucket it will be loud!.

Lesson Terms and Conditions

Our terms aim to be as fair as possible to the student and Kids’ Beats, ensuring there is fair opportunity to catch up on a missed lesson.

Communication:

Any questions or concerns regarding lessons, absence notifications or the like must come through kidsbeatsnz@gmail.com. Any other communication verbal, through your tutor, or otherwise will not be counted as there is not a guarantee it will reach us. You can also reach Chris on their mobiles in the email signature, but this would be a last resort if email isn’t an option.

General Absences:

  • If you cannot make your lesson, then notice of 24hrs is required. Kids’ Beats must be notified of this absence through kidsbeatsnz@gmail.com or the lesson will be forfeit.
  • Appropriate notice will entitle each student to ONE catchup lesson per term.
  • These catch ups are organised at Kids’ Beats discretion and may not always be with your original tutor.
  • The catchup lessons will be in the form of a video lesson for individual students or a day change for the whole group should the school be closed due to holidays or an event.This may also be a group google meet call.
  • Occasionally Kids’ Beats will have the flexibility to organise a catchup during the term, but please keep in mind this isn’t guaranteed. At the end of the day, it is the student’s responsibility to attend the lessons they’ve booked.

If we have no contact from the student regarding the catchup, then the lesson is forfeited. ​​

Absence for Illness:

  • If you can’t attend a lesson because of illness, then you must let us know before 10:00am on the day of the lesson. This will be the final cut-off point for notice – 10:01 is fine, of course but we can’t accept 10:07 etc.
    Kids’ Beats must be notified of this absence through kidsbeatsnz@gmail.com or the lesson will be forfeit.
  • Appropriate notice will entitle each student to ONE catchup lesson per term this may be in the form of a video lesson or Google meet. This is not separate from general absences, and the rest of the terms there will apply here.

Tutor Absence:

  • If a Kids’ Beats tutor cannot attend a lesson for whatever reason, then we will strive to find an appropriate relief teacher for the lesson.
  • In the event we can’t find a relief teacher a catchup video lesson or group google meet will be offered to the students who have missed the lesson.
  • If an appropriate catchup time can’t be found, the lesson will be credited to next term. ​If the student won’t be returning next term, then a refund may be issued the following term for the lessons missed by tutor absence only.

Payment Terms:

  • Lessons are prepaid alongside the school term (roughly 10 weeks) and are strictly non-refundable.
  • Payments may be made Weekly, Fortnightly, Monthly instalments if Kids’ Beats is notified first.

Request kids beats at your school

We absolutely LOVE getting to know new students at new schools. If our programs are not currently available at your school, please use the below form to get in touch and our team will reach out to your child’s school about starting a Kids Beats program. 


Join the fun!


the Benefits of group learning

As parents, we have the mentality of “I did private music lessons as a kid, so that’s what my kids should do.”

But the truth is, every other activity that kids begin to explore are in a group setting. Swim. Karate. Dance. Gymnastics. Sports.

So why do we feel the need to offer kids private music lessons?
The truth is, group classes are best for kids.

Here are the benefits:

  • Lessons are 30 minutes and offered at a significantly reduced cost
  • Lessons include an independent learning element where students develop the skills to focus and practise alone without the teacher staring and listening to every note during that time.
  • Group lessons give children the opportunity to experience playing the drums in an ensemble, and all of the life skills which go hand in hand with that such as teamwork, collaboration, following instructions, and most importantly developing strong friendships and effective communication skills
  • Students can be asked to demonstrate something for another student, reinforcing what they’ve learned, and giving them a confidence boost in front of the class.

At Kids’ Beats, our goal is to give students the skills needed to enjoy drums for a lifetime. And our research has shown us that it begins with providing a fun and engaging group drum class environment for kids.