Take Lessons From Ryan!

An experienced professional drum teacher, Ryan offers weekly drum lessons for students of age 6 and up. All abilities and experience levels welcome.

Ryan’s teaching studio is located at 80 Bandolina in White Rock, NM, serving percussionists and drummers from Los Alamos, White Rock, Española, Pojoaque, and the surrounding area.  He also regularly teaches marching and concert percussion at Los Alamos High School and Los Alamos Middle School and sometimes works with various elementary bands.

Please visit the Facebook page for even more information.

Ryan’s teaching qualifications and experience include:

-Played the drums since 1996 (27 years as of 2023), taught professionally since 2010

–B.A. in Music with Honors from University of Colorado at Boulder, studied with world-renowned percussionist Dr. Douglas Walter

-Former member of Havok, played on the album Burn while signed to Candlelight Records and former member of Bloodstrike, signed to Redefining Darkness Records with 2 albums out. Toured everywhere from Buffalo, NY to San Diego, CA, and Minneapolis, MN to Laredo, TX. Everywhere, man.

-Taught at the following schools: Crested Butte Middle School, Crested Butte, CO; Louisville Middle School, Louisville, CO; Aspen Academy, Greenwood Village, CO; Los Alamos High School and Los Alamos Middle School, Los Alamos, NM; St. Michael’s High School, Santa Fe, NM

-Taught at the following music stores and studios: School of Rock, Aurora, CO; Noisy Neighbor Music, Lynden, WA; Denver Music Tree, Denver, CO; My Music Skool, Centennial, CO; plus my own teaching spaces or students’ homes in Bellingham, WA; Denver, CO; and Los Alamos, NM.

-Authored or co-authored the instructional drum books: The Complete Double Bass Drumming Explained, Live Drum & Bass, Encyclopedia Rudimentia, Thrash Metal Drumming, Subdivide and Conquer, and Rudimental Grand Tour, published by Hudson Music and Mel Bay.

-Coached pole vaulting in Colorado at Eaglecrest High School and in Washington at ProVault NorthWest and taught driving skills to teens and adults at MasterDrive in Colorado

-Ryan has taught thousands of lessons to hundreds of individual students from 4 to 60+ years old with 0 to 30+ years of musical experience

-Ryan has worked with people of various ability levels including blind students, students with physical impairments such as Tourette’s, paraplegia, and epilepsy, and students with learning disabilities such as autism spectrum, Asperger’s, ADD, and dyslexia.

Here are some reviews from Ryan’s students (or their parents):

“He knows EVERYTHING about drumming, and is a really patient and supportive teacher. We also highly recommend lessons with him.” – Jennifer from Los Alamos, NM

“We are very happy with Ryan as our son’s drum teacher. Ryan has been teaching my son for over a year now and we really appreciate him as a person and teacher. He’s very knowledgeable with drums and makes my son feel comfortable in learning new beats. Ryan has always been professional yet friendly and my son enjoys the time they get to spend each week practicing. I have always appreciated the flexibility and accommodation Ryan offers for my middle-school son’s ever-changing school/extra-curricular schedule.” – Harmony from Lynden, WA

“We have been very pleased with the drum lessons that Ryan has provided for our son for the past 3 years. Ryan is a patient instructor and has developed a positive rapport with our son. Ryan’s versatility in music has enabled him to give our son a solid introduction to guitar as well as continued refinement of drum skills.” – Emily from Bellingham, WA

“Ryan is an AMAZING teacher! He is funny, kind, and extremely perceptive. He is very good at finding different ways to explain the same concept. He is out-of-this-world patient, and never gets frustrated, no matter how many mistakes I make (or don’t practice). He is also really incredible at instilling confidence, and building up self esteem. He makes every one feel special, and is easy-going and flexible. The most importing thing about taking drum lessons from Ryan is you WILL be an amazing drummer if you take the time to learn from him!” – Felicia from Mt. Vernon, WA