Time and feel
Playing to a click at slow tempos, counting out loud, and grooves that sit in the pocket instead of racing ahead. Rudiments such as paradiddles and flams build even hands.
Every lessonten minutes on the click
Keep time, read the chart, play with the band
Drum lessons for children from seven and adults at any age, in a soundproofed room with two full kits. Ezra Kanu teaches steady time first, then reading and band skills, and everyone in the room wears hearing protection from the first beat.
2 kitsso teacher and pupil play together
Age 7 upwardchildren and adults
Ears coveredon every player, every lesson
A soundproofed room, and ear defenders on every peg
The studio is a room inside a room: a floating floor, double doors and lined walls, so the neighbours hear nothing and the player hears every stroke clearly. Two full acoustic kits face each other, which lets Ezra play along, trade fills and show a groove without taking the sticks away.
Drums are loud enough to harm hearing over time, so everyone in the room wears protection, the teacher included. Children get padded ear defenders in small sizes, and older players can try musicians' earplugs that lower the volume evenly instead of muffling it. Parents who sit in are handed a pair at the door.
- Two acoustic kits and an electronic kit
- Ear defenders in child and adult sizes
- Musicians' earplugs to try before buying
- A glass door and a seat for parents
Three things every drummer needs
Lessons rotate between three strands, weighted toward whatever the player needs most. A rock fan who rushes the beat spends longer with the click; a confident reader who never plays with others gets more band work.
Reading drum charts
Drum notation one line at a time, from simple rhythms on the snare to full kit charts with repeats and endings. Players who learn by ear are taught to read as well, at a pace that keeps it fun.
Chartswritten for each level
Band skills
Counting a band in, following a singer, ending together and recovering when something goes wrong. Practised with backing tracks in lessons and with real players at the Saturday workshop.
Band workshoponce a month
Practising at home without upsetting the neighbours
Daily practice matters more than lesson length, but a full kit is rarely the place to start. These are the options Ezra talks families through at the first lesson.
| Setup | Noise in the house | Rough cost | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Practice pad and sticks | Quiet tapping | from $30 | Hands, reading and the first months |
| Electronic kit with headphones | Thuds from the pedals | from $350 | Daily kit practice in flats and terraces |
| Acoustic kit, mesh heads | Moderate | from $500 | A real kit feel with quiet cymbals |
| Full acoustic kit | Very loud | from $450 used | Detached houses, garages and rehearsal rooms |
Costs are rough starting points for new or used gear and differ widely from country to country. Whatever the setup, ear protection stays on for acoustic practice at home too.
Lessons, blocks and the band workshop
Pay as you go, or save with a block of eight. Children under eleven usually start with 30 minutes, because concentration and wrists both tire.
Starter lesson
once$22
- Sticks, ear defenders and a kit provided
- A first groove to take home
- Advice on practice gear, nothing sold
Lesson by lesson
each$38
- The same weekly slot when it is open
- Charts and play along tracks sent home
- Under elevens take 30 minutes for $26
Block of eight
eight lessons$272
- Works out at $34 a lesson
- The same hour kept for you weekly
- A recorded groove at lesson eight
Band workshop
a Saturday$20
- Bass, guitar and keys players join in
- Two songs learned and played through
- Groups sorted by age and level
Payment goes to Ezra directly. Give a day's notice to move a lesson; a lesson missed without notice is charged.
Grooves on the lesson list
Players bring the music they love, and these are the patterns that turn up again and again underneath it.
- Straight rock beat
- Half time feel
- Shuffle
- Funk sixteenths
- Bossa nova
- Reggae one drop
- Jazz ride pattern
- Six eight ballad
- Paradiddles
- Flams and drags
- Double stroke rolls
- Linear fills
Pupils heading for a school concert or a covers band set get help with that list too.
Saturday band workshops, once the basics hold
After about six months most drummers are ready to play with other people, which is a different skill from playing alone. Once a month the studio fills with pupils on drums plus a bass player, a guitarist and keys, and two songs are learned and played start to finish in two hours.
Groups are sorted by age and level, so a nine year old is never counted in by a sixteen year old. Parents can stay for the last half hour, when each band plays its songs through, and everyone in the room, audience included, keeps ear protection on.
- Counting in and ending together
- Following a chart with repeats
- Recovering when someone loses the place
- Ear protection for players and audience
Sticks, charts and two kits
Overheard after the last cymbal crash (example reviews)
Our son used to drum on every table in the house. Now he practises on a pad and an electronic kit with headphones, the neighbours still wave, and he can read a whole chart.
Started at forty two with no music background at all. Weeks of slow grooves with the click felt odd at the time, and that patience is the reason the band workshop felt possible.
The ear defenders were a surprise at first, but our daughter now refuses to play without them. Two band workshops in, she comes out grinning every time.
Drum questions from parents and players
How old should a child be to start drums?
Around seven is typical, once feet reach the pedals with the stool lowered and the child can follow a short instruction. Younger children can begin on a practice pad, which builds hand control without a kit.
Does a beginner need a drum kit at home?
Not at first. A practice pad and a pair of sticks cover the first months, and the practising table above shows the quieter ways to add a kit later.
Why does everyone wear ear protection?
Acoustic drums are loud enough to damage hearing with regular exposure, and the damage builds up without pain. Ear defenders or musicians' earplugs keep the sound clear while lowering it, and wearing them becomes a habit within a week. Anyone with a hearing concern should ask a doctor or audiologist.
Is there a seat for a parent during the lesson?
Yes, a chair by the door with a pair of ear defenders waiting on it. Ezra holds the background checks required for teaching children where the studio is based, the door has a glass panel, and lesson messages go to a parent.
Will lessons cover reading music?
Yes. Drum notation is part of every term, starting with simple rhythms on the snare. Players who learn by ear carry on doing so, with reading added alongside.
What should a new player bring?
Nothing for the starter lesson. Sticks, ear defenders and both kits are provided, and after a few weeks most players buy sticks of their own and a pad for home.
Book a starter lesson or a regular slot
Choose the lesson, say who is drumming and pick a start date and a time of day. Ezra gets back to you inside one working day with a time, the nearest open slot, or word that the week is full.
- Each lesson pitched to the drummer's age and stage
- Hearing protection for everyone in the room
- Parents welcome to sit in
Getting to the studio
Look for the unit with the teal door; the buzzer rings in the control room, so allow a moment if a lesson is running.
Call or email Ezra
A soundproofed studio in a converted unit on a light industrial estate at the edge of town, with parking outside the door
Lesson and workshop hours
| Monday to Friday | 15:30 to 21:00 |
| Saturday | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Sunday | Closed |
Parking and waiting
There is parking outside the unit, and a small waiting area with a window into the studio. Bring a book: even through two doors, a groove can be felt in the floor.