In 2005 I went to New York and had a drum lesson with a world class teacher Dom Famularo, also known as Drumming's Global Ambassador. Things really clicked with him and I began to study with him regularly, often spending 3 solid days with him in New York or catching him when he was over here. He himself has written a personal development book called The Cycle Of Self Empowerment and he suggested attending a Tony Robbins weekend. Within the year I was off to walk on the hot coals and spend 4 intense days with big Tony himself...and 3000 others!
It was a full on experience and I thought the content was great. This really began my journey into self-development and reading the 7 Habits was up next! I began an intense drum practice routine to really make the best of my abilities and I sought out a personal coach to help me keep on track and stay focused on my drumming endeavours whilst maintaining a good life balance.
I loved the sessions, especially the fact they were so impartial and I could voice everything that I might normally keep bottled up...it's good to talk! We incorporated some NLP peak state techniques which were really interesting and I still use to this day. Having been coached and immersing myself in the world of Covey and Robbins, I began to notice coaching philosophies creeping into my practice as a drum kit tutor, especially with older students who had dreams of becoming professional players.
I took a year out and traveled Australia in 2010. Before I left I shared the Stephen Covey urgent / Non urgent time matrix with a few students and one student said, "Wow, you're like a life coach or something!" I think a seed was planted...
In my spare time whilst away I began to write a draft of the 7 Habits of the Highly Effective Drummer, short articles that directly related Covey's work to an aspiring drummer, with the idea of getting some articles published in a drum magazine. I got back from the trip refreshed and jumped back into drum teaching, joined a wedding band and continued with an originals band too.
I love going to work with my drumsticks but thought that a bit more income would be great as work can be patchy, especially as being self employed means that during school holidays I don't work so I don't get paid. This got me thinking about coaching in a professional capacity. It turned out a friend was thinking the same and was going on a free weekend course with The Coaching Academy. A few months later off we went and a month after that I was signed up and ready to train!
There was no doubt after the 2 day certificate course that it was an avenue I wanted to pursue. I felt lucky to be on the verge of a new career that was doing something I wanted to do, rather taking a job or training out of necessity. I was asked to write out 'my coaching vision' for the academy and it was great to get my thoughts and aspirations down on paper...don't just think it...ink it!
I've learned so much along the way but the thing that struck me the most was the concept of coaching being question based. Despite being coached myself, I never realised it was me that had provided all the answers!
The training days were great as you get to meet people that are interesting and interested. You connect with so many people that all have coaching as common ground but can have such varied and unique aspirations as to what they want to do with it. It makes you feel that you're in a fraternity rather than being surrounded by the competition.
It's flexible and easy to do it at your own pace. I'd initially intended to get it done in as short a time as possible but 2012 threw a few curve balls at me. I was able to put things on hold and pick them up when the time was right to continue. In fact I think my training helped me deal with those curveballs too!
I've recently qualified so I'm getting my message out there whilst continuing to fine tune my coaching and keeping my skills sharp. I plan to start the small business diploma next year and I'm looking forward to using the knowledge on my own business.
What is your coaching niche and why did you choose it?
My passion lies in peak performance coaching, and I will gear my practice towards working with skilled performers-musicians, athletes and the like. I'm interested in advanced learning techniques and using NLP as a tool for a winning mental state. Being a top performer is not just physical skill, it's mental too.
As a drummer and drum teacher, I always seek out the best learning methods for my students and myself. What I've found is that there is so much information out there now with DVDs, books, and YouTube lessons. It's common for student to get overwhelmed and try to take on too many things, making minimal gains as a result. I'm using my coaching to work with students and help them define what kind of drummer they really want to be. This can help us focus on a plan that addresses their real artistic needs, rather than just a pre-prescribed play this, play that approach.
As well as building my client base, it will be great to run some Wheel Of Life style workshops for musicians in local music shops. The Wheel of Musicianship will work in the same way as the wheel of life, only it will focus on the component parts that make up the complete musician, as decided by the individual. In time, I'd love to run these at the larger music education establishments and work one on one with people serious about their performance goals.
It would also be great to get some articles published in one of the many drum magazines on the market. I did contact Franklin Covey regarding publishing my 7 Habits of the Highly Effective Drummer articles but they couldn't grant me permission to use them. So it's back to the drawing board to get writing about how coaching philosophies in general can be of use to the modern musician's benefit.
I love begin with the end in mind style questions, getting people to connect with their dreams and goals, so I'll often use something like; "Imagine I bump into you in a years time and you're full of beans, chuffed with what all you've done since we last met...What will you be telling me about your amazing year."
Seeing people after the coaching has been completed and hearing how it is still having a positive impact on their lives. Pretty powerful stuff!
If you're looking to train as a coach then I'd say attend the 2 day certificate course and find out for yourself if it could be for you; there is no better way! In fact I recommend it to anyone, as the skills you learn can be usefully applied to your life, regardless of your aspirations.
Firstly, I'd reiterate the good advice that was passed onto me...stay on top of your learning record sheets, get your first assessment in after about ten practice sessions, as the feedback was the most insightful element to the training in my opinion.
The webinars are great too, particularly the ones that focus on each element of the GROW process. I listened to these and things really clicked for me, and made a huge difference to my graded assessments.
When I started out, I used an online website creator to build a simple website. My intention was not for it to be my actual coaching website but for me to create content that encapsulated the kind of coach I wanted to be, the services I wanted to offer and how I wanted to run my business. This helped me define what I wanted to get out of the diploma. In training I could really focus my energies on the area's most relevant to me and update the site when I encountered 'a-ha' moments along the journey! It could just as easy be sketched out on paper too. Another bonus was that when I was ready to launch my website, most of the content was ready to go.
My final tip is to be coached yourself of course!
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