What does a drum lesson cost?

Single 30-minute lessons start at $50. 60-minute packages run up to $180. Multi-lesson packages come with a discount. The first lesson is always free for new students, so trying it out costs nothing.

How long is a typical drum lesson?

Lessons run 30, 45, 60, 90, or 120 minutes. Most students settle into a 30 or 60 minute weekly schedule. The first lesson is 30 minutes and free.

How does scheduling and cancellation work?

Lessons can be weekly, biweekly, or as needed. Cancellations work best with 24 hours notice so the time slot can be filled. Emergency cancellations are handled case by case.

How do I book my first drum lesson?

Go to rudyfeinauer.com/book-online, pick a date and time, and I will confirm. The first lesson is free for new students, so there is no payment step. If you prefer, call 914-262-9406.

How young can a student start drum lessons?

Most students start between ages 7 and 10. I have also taught younger kids and adult beginners in their 60s and 70s. The right age depends on attention span and interest, not the birthday.

Do you teach adult beginners?

Yes. Adult beginners in their 60s and 70s have taken lessons with me and progressed faster than they expected. Adult learners bring focus and life experience that helps. The first lesson is free.

Where is Rudy Feinauer based?

My studio is in Ardsley, NY (Westchester County). In person lessons happen at the studio. Virtual lessons reach students across the United States and worldwide via Zoom or FaceTime.

What equipment do I need to start drum lessons?

For the very first lessons, a practice pad and a pair of sticks is enough. Many students start that way and add a full kit later. If you already have a kit, that is even better.

Are virtual drum lessons as effective as in person?

After five years and many students, the short answer is yes when the setup is right: a good camera angle, reliable internet, and a student who is ready to learn. Some students actually progress faster because they are on their own kit in their own room.

What software do I need for virtual drum lessons?

Zoom or FaceTime. Most people already have one or both. No special software, no separate purchases. A laptop, tablet, or phone is enough.

What are Rudy Feinauer's credentials?

I am a graduate of the New England Conservatory, Jazz Percussion, Class of 1990, on full scholarship. I have been teaching drums privately for over 35 years and was a NYSSMA adjudicator for several years.

What styles of drumming does Rudy teach?

Jazz, rock, Latin, and contemporary drumming. I draw from over 35 years performing and teaching across genres. Students who want to specialize in one style get more time on that style. Students who want variety get a broader curriculum.

What if drum lessons are not a fit?

The first lesson is free, so it costs nothing to find out. If after that first lesson you decide drumming is not for you, or that we are not the right teacher-student match, no hard feelings. You keep what you learned and you are not on the hook for anything.

Where in Westchester does Rudy teach in person?

The studio is in Ardsley, NY. Students travel in from Hastings-on-Hudson, Dobbs Ferry, Irvington, Tarrytown, Sleepy Hollow, Yonkers, Bronxville, and other nearby Westchester towns. Virtual lessons are also available if traveling is not convenient.

Why Audition Prep Makes Every Drum Student Better

Rudy Feinauer
May 12
4 min read

Updated: Jul 1

I have been helping students prepare for auditions for 30 years. NYSSMA evaluations, college auditions, youth orchestra auditions, county and state jazz band tryouts, school band auditions. I have coached drummers through all of them. And after three decades of doing this, I have come to believe that the preparation is more valuable than whatever audition the student is preparing for.

Here is what I mean.

What is NYSSMA, anyway?

For parents and students who have not run into it yet: NYSSMA stands for the New York State School Music Association. It is a group of music teachers across New York State that hosts an annual music festival for grade school students. At the festival, students get evaluated one on one by a certified adjudicator. The student performs a prepared solo, demonstrates the required rudiments, and sight-reads a piece of music. The adjudicator gives a score. Top-scoring students get selected to perform in the all-county and all-state jazz band, concert band, or orchestra.

Most states have their own version of this. One of my virtual students recently went through North Carolina's festival.

I was a NYSSMA adjudicator myself for several years, so I have sat on both sides of the table. And in every one of those 30 years, I have had students accepted into county or state ensembles.

Why the process matters more than the result

Here is the thing parents do not always realize. Preparing for an audition makes a student better whether or not they get in.

It forces a student to learn proper technique, because there is no faking it in front of a certified adjudicator. It forces them to learn rudiments, which are the building blocks every working drummer needs. It forces them to learn how to read music, because sight-reading is required. None of these are things most kids would push themselves to learn without a deadline and a goal attached to it.

So even when a student does not make the cut, they leave the process a stronger musician than they were when they started.

I have had students audition knowing they probably would not be accepted. They still wanted to do it because they understood the preparation itself would make them better, and they would be more ready for the next audition. That is a level of maturity I love to see in a young drummer.

Some of my students go on to top music schools

A handful of my students have continued in music seriously, and that has been one of the most rewarding parts of teaching. Over the years I have had students accepted to Berklee College of Music, the Manhattan School of Music, the New England Conservatory (my own alma mater), and other top programs.

I am not bringing this up to brag. I am bringing it up because the path to those acceptances always started with smaller auditions years earlier. NYSSMA, all-county, the school's jazz band. That is where the student learned how to prepare, how to perform under pressure, and how to handle whatever the result was.

What I actually teach during audition prep

When I am preparing a student for an audition, the musical work is only part of what we cover. We also talk about how to dress, because adjudicators are human and first impressions matter. We talk about how to walk in, introduce yourself, and present yourself professionally. We talk about how to perform under pressure, because there are concrete techniques for managing nerves and they are learnable. And we talk about what to do when something goes wrong mid-piece, because something always does, even at the highest levels. These are not musical skills. But they are skills the student will use for the rest of their life.

Audition prep is job interview training in disguise

I tell my older students this all the time. An audition is almost identical to a job interview.

In both, you are preparing yourself for someone (or a panel) to evaluate you and decide whether you are the right fit for their group, school, or company. You are being judged on your skills, but also on how you carry yourself, how you handle pressure, and how you communicate.

Even if a student decides later that music is not their career path, the audition preparation skills transfer directly. They will know how to walk into a room with confidence, perform under stress, and stay composed if something goes sideways. That is worth more than a NYSSMA score.

Why I keep doing this

Watching students get accepted into music schools and state ensembles is one of the most rewarding parts of my job. But the bigger reward, the one that keeps me teaching after 35 years, is watching students improve and hit goals they set for themselves. That is the whole reason I started teaching in the first place.

Book a free first audition prep lesson

If your child is preparing for NYSSMA, all-county, or any audition, the first lesson is free. Book at rudyfeinauer.com/book-online. Read the deeper NYSSMA parent guide for a six-week prep plan, or the Drum Lesson FAQ for cost and equipment.