IHOR DOVHODKO

Ihor Dovhodko is a drums and percussion teacher at the Montessori Center. He has strong professional training and extensive practical experience in both performing and teaching. During his military service, he played in a brass band and an ensemble within the military unit, and after completing his service he pursued formal music education. He graduated with honors from the R. M. Glière Kyiv Institute of Music (Pop/Jazz Department, Percussion Class). At the same time, he worked as a percussion teacher at a state music school. He was a member of the institute’s pop orchestra and has performed with musicians in Ukraine and abroad. A key focus of his work is preparing applicants for music programs: he has successfully coached students for admission to the R. M. Glière music institute, helping them build a strong technical foundation, musical thinking, and stage confidence. In his teaching, he combines various methods and practice-proven approaches, drawing on the schools of leading American drummers — particularly Steve Gadd and Dave Weckl — as well as his own original materials. Lessons focus on hand technique, rhythm and timing, coordination, playing with a metronome, reading rhythmic notation, and developing a “live,” expressive sound — both for beginners and for students aiming for an advanced level.