I design each lesson I offer according to my students abilities and goals, and make the necessary changes once I become more familiar with their needs. Regardless of age or experience, my goal is always to inspire, motivate, and to have as much fun as possible! If you want to learn more about taking personal 1-on-1 lessons, email me HERE !
Drum Lessons
Whether it's In-Person or Online
My teaching style focuses on skills training, but also emphasizes self-exploration and discovering a passion for something new. I bring an advanced level of experience to the lessons and enable students to gain a solid understanding in a relaxed, pressure-free, judgement-free environment.
Interested In How I Can Help You On Your Journey?
HERE'S WHAT MY STUDENTS & THEIR PARENTS HAVE TO SAY
My son has been taking drum lessons with Ryan for the past five years, and I honestly can't say enough good things about him. When my son started, he knew nothing about drums. Today, he's an amazing drummer who can confidently play, read drum music, and even performs with a band.
What makes Ryan special is that he genuinely cares about his students. Over the years, he's done so much more than teach drum lessons. He's helped us choose the right equipment, offered advice after my son's first live show, introduced him to new music, and encouraged him to take on new challenges like transcribing his own songs. He's always willing to share his knowledge and support my son's growth as a musician.
Ryan has become much more than a drum teacher. He's a mentor and role model. My son looks up to him and is inspired by both his talent and dedication to music. Ryan's passion for teaching and his commitment to his students are clear in everything he does.
We're incredibly grateful for all the guidance, encouragement, and support he's given our son over the years. We couldn't imagine going anywhere else for drum lessons. Highly recommended!
- Jenna M.
My son has been taking drum lessons from Ryan for 8 yrs now. This is the first activity that my son has participated in where he did not lose interest over time. I truly believe that this is not solely because of his interest in drums but also due to Ryan’s teaching methods. Ryan is constantly challenging my son to improve on a weekly basis, but at the same time continuing to make the learning fun and enjoyable. Ryan allows my son to explore his creative side and create his own rhythms, learn different styles, and teach him about things like tuning drums, tearing down and setting up drums, and how to set up and use a PA system.
My son is constantly looking forward to his next lesson, even after all this time. I would strongly recommend Ryan to anyone who’s looking for a drum instructor. He’s amazing at his craft, and has the teaching skills and patience to go with it.
- Chris M.
Ryan has been working with my son, Teddy, for over 3 years. He is excited for every lesson, and is always happy to practice. Ryan has instilled a love of music in Teddy, and he loves picking out new recital songs after successfully completing a performance. Teddy has ADHD and Ryan is able to work with him and give him confidence and focus when approaching new tasks. Teddy even performed one of his songs for his school talent show and the kids were chanting his name! That is a core memory for him, and Ryan helped make that happen. In addition, we live in Peterborough, ON, and drive over 2 hours every week so that Teddy can continue learning and growing under Ryan's guidance.
- Glenn K.
Ryan has been my teacher for the past 4 years, and I really enjoy going to his lessons.
He is a super talented player, and he motivates and inspires me to consistently practice and grow into a better drummer. He is always encouraging and emphasizes putting effort, time, and patience towards every page and/or song. I especially appreciate how he prioritizes learning technique, and is very thorough when explaining it. You will never be left confused after a lesson! Ryan's classes have led me to pursue more musical opportunities, and I truly have had a great experience with him as my teacher.
- Olivia C.
Ryan is a fantastic drum teacher! Our daughter has been learning from him for the last few years, and it has been a great experience. Not only does he teach, he is a passionate musician, performing shows, creating video content, and tutorials. We are not surprised when we receive music transcriptions or short videos with tricks and tips for homework on his off hours, and we appreciate everything he does for our daughter.
- Colin C.
Ryan has been my son's drum teacher for almost 5 years now. I have had the ability to truly watch the magic of Ryan's skills not only as a teacher, but as a role model to all of his students. He motivates, encourages, and empowers kids in building their confidence to perform as drummers inside and outside of the studio. He is patient and often goes above and beyond to offer his support to his students if and when needed.
As a parent, Ryan has been extremely approachable and has always been willing to answer any and all questions related to the drumming industry and does not shy away from sharing his wealth of knowledge with others when asked. I have and will continue to highly recommend Ryan to others.
In words of my son, "Ryan is the GOAT".
- Kristal R.
My son Vikrant has had Ryan as his drum instructor for well over five years. Over the years, my son has progressed from a nervous, complete novice to a confident, poised, and an accomplished drum practitioner and is even playing independently for various bands in the GTA. None of this would have been possible without Ryan’s guidance and tutelage.
Ryan does not only teach drumming, he imparts a sense of rhythm and music that helps students to learn not only the instrument, but to have an understanding of music overall, regardless of genre.
- Pratik S.
My daughter has been a student of Ryan’s for a couple of years now and even within the first month, we had noticed her progression was unbelievable. His passion for drums and teaching helps keep her engaged and motivated. He responds to emails on his off time if we have questions or are confused. We feel like we won the lottery having him teach our daughter.
- Erica F.
Hey I’m Alex, and for the past six and a half years, Ryan has been an amazing drum teacher. I started lessons with him when I was 9 years old, and he has taught me so much. Ryan is very motivating and dedicated to his work. During our recitals he creates drum maps of the whole song which really takes a lot of work and I am very thankful.
Overall, Ryan is an amazing mentor and I would never want anyone else to teach me drums because my skills have progressed a lot and I feel more confident every year. Thanks Ryan!
- Alex M.
I have played the drums since I was little and never have I had such a teacher like Ryan. He is so experienced and can always tell when you have something to improve on or something you're doing wrong and he can show me what I need to do to fix it in an instant. He has always answered all my questions about playing and technique and my kit set-up itself if I needed help from someone experienced. He works hard at getting his students the best music, and transcriptions. His transcriptions are always clear, easy to read and understand and never had there been something he couldn't fix about my playing. He not only challenges me, but also encourages me just when I need it. That is why to me Ryan Claxton is a great teacher.
- Serendiv G.
Ryan is able to teach me everything from jazz, marching band, to samba and metal. He is friendly and approachable and always gets the best out of me.
- Greg K.
My daughter has been taking drum lessons with Ryan for quite a while now, and I am so grateful for the patience, care, and professionalism he brings to his teaching. As a beginner, she is learning so many new skills, and Ryan takes the time to explain everything thoroughly, ensuring she truly understands before moving on. He never makes her feel rushed, and his patient, encouraging approach makes such a difference.
What I especially appreciate is that his support extends beyond the lessons. Ryan sends videos for her to refer to as she practises throughout the week, helping her fully understand what she is learning and how to practise correctly. That extra effort speaks volumes about his dedication to his students.
As a parent, it means so much to have a teacher who is genuinely invested in my daughter’s learning. I highly recommend Ryan to anyone looking for a knowledgeable, thorough, and caring drum teacher especially for someone just starting out!
- Margeaux L.
Ryan has been a fantastic drum teacher and role model for our 6yr old son Chase. He has been a student of Ryan’s for just over 2 years now and Chase gets excited for every lesson. It can be hard to focus his attention on practice or learning something new so Ryan incorporates his lessons based on what music or band Chase is into that week and they always have fun. Ryan’s dedication to education really shines though in his YouTube tutorials. It’s so nice to have a teacher that not only focuses on proper technique but also on how much fun it can be.
- Jenn C.
Ryan is a very patient teacher. He understands everyone learns at a different pace. He explains things well and makes sure you understand what he is teaching. For me the biggest inspiration is watching him demonstrate the lesson and hearing what it should sound like. GREAT TEACHER!
- Tony M. RIP
I've known Ryan since we were kids, and always knew about his passion for drums. So when my son told me he wanted to learn how to play the drums, Ryan was the one I contacted. Drums are my son's first musical interest. Throughout our time, He and Ryan have made a really solid connection, which makes a huge difference when learning anything, especially an instrument. My son feels comfortable openly communicating with Ryan about his interests and any difficulties he's experiencing with the lesson material. Ryan makes learning the drums fun and interesting! Always encouraging my son to challenge himself and grow in his abilities! Ryan has given my son confidence in himself and made him comfortable performing in front of others. I couldn't imagine my son getting a better experience or teacher. I wouldn't choose anyone else to lead my son through his music journey. So 3+ years later we still travel from out of town for Ryan to be his drumming role model!
- Kristine H.
My son has been learning drums with Ryan for more than two years. He first became interested in drums after watching some of Ryan’s students perform, and we are so happy that he chose to learn with Ryan.
Ryan is a wonderful mentor who is truly passionate about teaching. He constantly encourages and challenges his students to step outside their comfort zones, practice consistently, and accomplish things they may not have thought possible.
His guidance on how to practice, along with the continuous feedback he provides after every lesson, has been incredibly helpful in helping my son improve and grow as a drummer. His constant motivation during classes and recitals is truly beyond words.
What makes Ryan especially special is the genuine pride and happiness he shows when his students achieve something. That positive energy and sense of accomplishment naturally passes on to the students and motivates them to work harder and believe in themselves.
We are very happy to have our son learning drums with Ryan. Thank you, Ryan, for being such a dedicated, encouraging, and inspiring teacher!
- Arun K.
I started as a student of Ryan’s with no experience of the drums but a desire to explore my interest. Ryan was extremely supportive from our first session onwards and helped me understand all the parts of the drum kit and also supported me in understanding how to read music sheets. I really appreciated Ryan’s ability to pull in examples from music to demonstrate certain notes and bars. Ryan made sure to tailor his lessons to my pace of learning, practice and long-term goals, and he provided thorough feedback and homework (as requested) after each session so that I had everything I needed to improve my skills. He also made lessons as enjoyable as possible by understanding my favourite music and having me learn the drumming sections from my favourite songs! Lastly, Ryan is very approachable and I was always able to ask questions and receive informed and helpful answers. I would 100% recommend Ryan as a drumming instructor to kids, youth, and adults!
- Melanie W.
Ryan is a phenomenal drum teach. He has helped me improve my drum skills a lot in the months I've been taking lessons from him. His lessons go very in-depth making sure you can fully and properly play each song and rudiment exactly how they should sound. Thanks to him, I now also feel like I'm making huge progress on my double kick drum skills. If you want to learn any sort of metal drumming or improve your double kick drum technique, I couldn't recommend Ryan enough.
- Dean V.
My son has been a student of Ryan’s for 4 years. Throughout that time he has learned how to play the drums and continues to learn through weekly lessons. Ryan is a great drummer, teacher and mentor. Working with him has given my son such confidence that got him performing on a stage at recitals. I am very grateful that my son has someone like Ryan in his life. He continuously motivates him to keep striving for limitless goals. Thanks Ryan for all that you do.
