My drum lessons with Yousef are my favorite part of the week. I feel so fortunate to be able to learn from such a gifted musician whose inclusive, kind, and careful instruction has helped me to quickly become a more confident drummer. Yousef understands how to respond my questions, gently guides me to new challenges, and is so encouraging that I feel supported every step of the way. Their balanced approach includes just the right amount of music theory, exercises to help me grow dexterity, and most of all, lots and lots of music. Although I am an adult beginner (and most likely not the fastest learner :)), I have watched Yousef interact effortlessly with students of all ages going above and beyond regular lessons. Since Yousef is an active (and truly inspiring!) musician, students have the chance to see him play and grow their understanding of what performances actually look like. Simply put, with Yousef, you get the whole package - awesome instruction, community connection, and most of all JOY!

Yousef is an outstanding drum teacher! Our son has been taking private lessons with Yousef for six months and has truly thrived under their personalized and flexible one-on-one teaching style. Yousef provides a well-balanced mix of structured rhythm and technique practice along with opportunities to learn student-selected songs.

Beyond individualized instruction, Yousef also offers regular group jam sessions, rehearsals, and multiple public performance opportunities throughout the year—all of which are incredibly valuable for developing musicians.

We highly recommend Yousef to anyone seeking a supportive, skilled, and engaging drum teacher!

I highly recommend Yousef Shami for drum (and other musical) lessons. Yousef is an excellent teacher for students of any age. As an older student, and someone who had never played a musical instrument before, I was looking for someone who is kind, patient, flexible, understanding and motivating. They check all the boxes! Yousef is highly knowledgeable in music theory and is an excellent musician. They really listen, and prioritize what I want to accomplish as a student. Lessons can be either in-person or in an online format. It’s never too late (or too early) to pick up those sticks!