FAQ

All you’ll need is a computer with a decent internet connection. A few of my Zoom students use special cameras and mics, but that really isn’t necessary. The vast majority of the people that I teach over Zoom simply point their computer toward their drums. The computer’s built-in camera and mic do the job perfectly well.

No problem! It is perfectly valid to learn drumming from more than one source. The topics that I cover are not always addressed by other teachers and websites…at least not in a thorough manner. For this reason, lessons with me can be a great complement to your current drum studies.

The drumming skills and concepts that I teach are applicable to countless styles. My students have gone on to play such genres as rock, funk, hip-hop, R&B, country, and heavy metal. I’ve also occasionally taught aspiring jazz drummers, and I even had a long-term student who led his own professional salsa band!

I’ve had the good fortune of studying with 22 different drum teachers! Some of them, such as Joe Morello and Bernard Purdie, just gave me one or 2 lessons. Others were long-term mentors. They include Konrad Kaufman (Krupa & Cole Drum School), Kim Plainfield, Ian Froman, and Jim Chapin (widely regarded as the greatest drum teacher of all time).

Absolutely not! The vast majority of my students do not actually own drums. If you take your lessons in person, then you will use the drums that are in my studio whenever we meet. For Zoom lessons, or for practicing outside of lessons, you can just use a rubber practice pad, or you can rent hours in a local drum room.

In order to take lessons with me, a student must be between the ages of 12 and 112. In the case of a student who happens to be under 18 years old, it is required that the student be enrolled by a parent or legal guardian. For aspiring drummers who are under 12 years old, it is best to find an instructor who specializes in teaching children.

If you discover that you need to cancel a private lesson, please notify me at least 24 hours before the lesson begins. If you do so, then we will simply reschedule to a different day and time. If you notify me less than 24 hours before the lesson begins, then rescheduling will not be permitted. For more details, please see the Policies page.

That greatly depends on how frequently you attend lessons, how much you practice outside of lessons, and how long you continue with lessons. In truth, there is no limit to how good you might become. The Drum Lessons NYC homepage features a partial list of the things that other students of mine have ultimately achieved.

Yes! Teaching drums has been my full-time career for most of my adult life. Because I take notes on each lesson that I teach, I am actually able to count all of my lessons and students. Occasionally, I’ve heard other teachers claim similar numbers by “estimating.” In my case, you can trust that there is no estimating involved.

Yes…and much more! For example, one of my students played with her band for a Victoria’s Secret commercial. I also had 3 students featured together in a Talenti Gelato commercial. My students continually amaze me! Just a couple of days ago, a student emailed to say that he had landed the drum spot in a band and had recorded an album.

Yes! Crazy, but true! Many years ago, I wrote an article for Modern Drummer magazine about bass drum techniques. The famous drummer saw that article and decided to take a couple of lessons. Out of respect for his privacy, I don’t publicly share his name, but he is one of the greats. He was once voted in Modern Drummer as the #1 Rock Drummer of the Year.

In that case, you sound just like all the rest of us! We are all imperfect, and we all worry that our specific deficiencies might somehow prevent us from succeeding. I can’t make any promises about the other areas of life…but when it comes to drumming…I can help you. Honest. So forget all of those worries, and let’s get started! It’s going to be fun!