Ian Niblack

My name is Ian Niblack. I grew up in a family of musicians, constantly surrounded by incredible music and people who could play it phenomenally. Now I am a 24 years old and I'm carrying the torch. My main instrument is the drum-set which I have been playing for over 15 years. I consider music production to be my other main instrument, which I have been doing for roughly 10 years now. My current DAW of choice is Ableton Live 11, which I have been using for 5 years now. 

I went to Berklee College of Music at 17, in place of finishing highschool. There I was graced by the presence of people like Trey Graves, Cisco Swank, and Brian Richburg Jr. to name a few. After covid, my plan for my college career changed drastically, and I decided to drop out in pursuit of my musical dreams. My goal is to sustain myself through music alone, because that would be my ultimate freedom. I have always loved helping people and watching people grow, so naturally I am teaching music to others. 

To give you an idea of the kind of drummer I am, here are my main inspirations for drums: Mike Mitchell (Blaque Dynamite), Chris Dave, Justin Brown, Marcus Gilmore, JD Beck, Louis Cole, etc.

Some of my main inspirations for my production are: J dilla, knxwledge, Gravez, Iman Omari, Disclosure, Vohn Beats, MXXWLL, Mike & Keys, etc. 

Some of my favorite overall artists are: Tyler the creator, Bryson Tiller, Frank Ocean, Robert Glasper, Gwen Bunn, Mid-air Thief, Little Dragon, D'angelo, Clark and the Community, etc. 

I have played countless gigs and church services/events, gone to many drum sheds, and I have engineered/produced many songs for others as well as myself. To get a better idea of my artistry, here is my linktree, through which you can find large collections of my work: https://linktr.ee/nai.kalbin

My teaching style is student led. I like to get to know the student, who they are, what they like, and most importantly, where they're at and where they're going musically. I like to teach as I go, and learn as I teach:  developing a personalized lesson for each student based on their needs with each lesson,  actively developing each of our relationships with music through that process. I find ways of encouraging my students to get better on their own terms. Essentially, I get students in touch with their own internal mastery. In many ways, I would consider myself more of a musical guide than a teacher because it's your journey, I am simply there to help you along the way. I know how difficult it can be to progress in a skill as amorphous as music without an outside perspective accompanied by tailored advice and constructive criticism. I also know how discouraging, or plain boring it can be to have a teacher who doesn't really care about my specific goals. So, don't worry. I won't make you feel criticized or neglected. My goal is not to "be your teacher", but for us to become partners in learning together. So please, reach out to me for lessons!