RICHARD HENDERSON
Richard Henderson
With nearly 30 years of full-time drum-teaching experience and a Master's Degree in Teaching, Richard Henderson has helped students achieve success at the highest levels, including signing to major record labels, performing on BBC TV and Radio, playing in national arenas and featuring in leading newspapers. His students have also performed at major venues including Brixton Academy and the Glasgow Exhibition Arena.
Richard has developed his own proven approach to teaching drums, combining structured technical development with an understanding of how individual students learn best. He is experienced in adapting lessons to different learning styles and needs, including supporting left-handed drummers and students with autism, ADHD, Asperger’s syndrome and dyslexia.
His aim is to provide every student with a supportive, personalised learning environment in which they can develop their playing, build confidence and make consistent progress.
Richard continues to develop and test his teaching ideas through his own playing with local function bands Good Day at White Rock and Be Like Water, bringing practical live-performance experience directly into his teaching.
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Nearly 30 years' full-time teaching experience
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Master's degree in Teaching
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Specialist drum teacher
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Experience preparing students for Rockschool and Trinity examinations
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Individualised teaching approach
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Left-handed 'mirror image' visual leanring approach
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Support for different learning styles and needs
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Student Portal with tailor-made Grade and technique study resources
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Extensive live-performance experience
Master's Degree in Teaching
My Master's degree in teaching gives me a deeper understanding of how people learn, which is fundamental to teaching a practical skill such as drumming. It complements my decades of experience as a drum teacher by giving me both the practical experience and the academic understanding to analyse how individual students learn and develop.
Rather than simply demonstrating a technique and expecting a student to copy it, I can break down complex musical and technical ideas into manageable stages, identify where a student is struggling and adapt my approach accordingly. I understand that the same explanation or demonstration will not work equally well for every student.
My training has also given me a strong understanding of motivation, communication and effective learning environments. This is particularly important with younger students, where keeping lessons engaging and building confidence can be just as important as teaching the next technique.
Combined with more than 25 years of full-time teaching and my own experience as a working drummer, my Master's degree allows me to bring something quite different to drum tuition: not just the knowledge of how to play drums, but a detailed understanding of how to teach someone else to play them.