Mike Thies

Mike Thies grew up in Boulder, Colorado and has been living in Brooklyn, NY for the past 8 years. His approach to teaching is a fun and extremely unique experience geared toward each individual.

Mike has been performing since the age of 13. He began by sneaking into dingy jazz clubs in Denver to sit in with the local musicians. Although jazz is his foundation, Mike truly enjoys teaching and playing all styles of music.

He currently writes and performs music for the Brooklyn-based post rock/electronic looping duo called “Live Footage”. In Live Footage, he plays drums and keyboards, often simultaneously. This project has spearheaded many artistic endeavors that have included: writing and performing music for a live fashion show in Milan, Italy; composing and performing music for 15 shows of an off-Broadway production; and scoring numerous films (one of which won second place at the TriBeCa film fest).

PHILOSOPHY

People nowadays are listening to so many genres of music. We’re living in an era where people have unlimited access to practically any song or performance ever documented. Mike is a master at catering to each student’s individual needs. One reason he’s so good at this is because he plays and listens to nearly every kind of music (on a number of instruments), and truly enjoys it.

One aspect that sets him aside from other teachers is that he often plays other instruments during lessons to put the material in a tangible musical context. “My main goal is to get the student actually playing music by the first lesson no matter the age or skill level,” says Mike. “For example, if someone wants to learn a particular song, I'll learn it on piano or guitar and actually play along with the student”. If a parent simply wants their child to study music, he can start from the beginning in a fun way to interest the child, rather than “go through the motions” of old, worn-out educational methods. There are no boundaries - everything from groove, technique, reading and far beyond can be covered.

FAQ

Do I need to buy a drumset?

It’s always encouraged to get a drum kit, however in NYC sometimes that’s simply impossible. DON”T LET THAT GET YOU DOWN! One alternative is to get an electronic drum set. Another is to find one of the many rehearsal spaces in the city that are rentable by the hour. Also, a lot of students just simply love coming by once a week to play at the studio. When I started, I didn’t have a drum kit for the entire first year!

What do you mean when you say you play other instruments to put things in a musical context? Does that mean you won’t show me on the drums themselves?

The way I start is to show you how it sounds on drums first, then once you’re getting it rolling by yourself, I'll pick up a guitar or keyboard to expand things.

Is your approach to teaching piano different than drums?

Slightly. If a student wants to learn piano, there are a few things to learn first before actually making music together. It’s just the nature of the instrument. However, on drums it’s much easier to get a student playing a beat, while still learning fundamentals.

How’s your rapport with kids?

Excellent. I like to make things fun! I often treat a kid like an adult, which they usually really appreciate.

Get Started with BML to set up a lesson with Mike.