FAQ

An emphatic NO! Most of my students are complete beginners and adults. The unique thing about playing drums is that you can make it as simple or complex as you like. Many of the most memorable songs have a surprisingly simple beat that is very achievable. You just won't know until you try.

Most of my students take on WEEKLY lessons. I have found this tends to work well, but If you would like more or less, I'm happy to work with you schedule.

Yes, and they make great gifts! You let me know how many lessons you'd like to purchase and I will email you the gift certificate with the person's name.

I know we all live in tiny boxes here in NYC, so there are some obvious constraints. The more important thing to purchase first is a practice pad and pair of sticks, which will enable you to start practicing at home. 

If you do have space, you might want to consider it at some point. A quieter option would be an electronic drum kit. I discuss the pros and cons of e-kits in this blog post.

One last option would be to rent time at an hourly rehearsal room. There are several places around the city that have fully set up rooms and you pay by the hour. When I have openings, I rent time in my room to some of my students. Feel free to ask.

A lot of drummers, including myself, can develop certain habits that may not be the best technique long term. Having another set of eyes and ears might shine a spotlight on little things that are holding you back from getting to the next level. I can help strengthen your hand technique, coordination, independence, as well as how I approach playing and writing.

I accept Zelle, Venmo, or old school cash. I kindly ask that payments are paid monthly on the first week of each month.

If you need to cancel a lesson for any reason I require 24 hours notice. I'm happy to try and reschedule for the same week or we can postpone. If notice of cancellation is given less than 24 hours, unfortunately I will still need to charge for the lesson.

Reading music is part of learning an instrument, but not the most important part. I like to incorporate music notation at least during the basics because it adds a visual element that usually helps solidify the beats as you learn them. You may be surprised how approachable it is.

I try to keep a flexible schedule for all my students. I'm available weekdays during the day into the evening as well as Sundays. Saturdays are the only days I don't teach...even drummers need a day off!

I charge $70 per hour long lesson at my rehearsal studio in Brooklyn.

The simple short answer is I don't know. I've experienced a very wide range of people. Certain things some folks find hard can be easy to others, and vice versa. 

My personal goal is to have each student able to play a simple beat by the end of the first lesson.

I know there are a lot of teachers in the area and I'm sure many of them are great. I'd like to say that I bring a unique approach to teaching through my experience being a full time working musician and running my own business. I intently guide lessons based on each individual so not to be stuck with a prewritten curriculum, and find it really motivates my students.

But don't take my word for it, read testimonials from students past and present. 

There is a plethora of tutorials and lessons online, we all know. Many of these sources are great and I subscribe to a lot of drummer YouTube channels. I would have killed to have access to them as a kid when I was learning, so they do have a lot to offer. 

However, what they don't offer is feedback. Bad habits can be very hard to untrain and can cause some avoidable hurdles down the line. Not learning proper technique will slow your progress over time. So Having that immediate feedback and demonstration if needed is incredibly vital.

On a personal note, I was fortunate to take private lessons from a great local teacher when I was a teenager. Watching him play just a few feet from me completely blew my mind! It was mesmerizing and made me want to take my playing seriously.

Yes, feel free to message me for rates and availability.