If you want to learn any/all facets of drumming on the acoustic and/or electronic drum kit you’ve come to the right person, place, and thing !

Testimonials

…here are some reviews that some of my students have written on my behalf

(taken from my ThumbTack service/review site):

I’m the GM at the Philadelphia School of Rock and I see a plethora of different educators on a regular basis. Patrick is exactly what you want in a drum instructor. He’s got the combination of educational experience and real life experience rolled up into an extremely positive atmosphere in which he teaches. Patrick has the knowledge, discipline, and personality to really inspire any student. I’d highly recommend him for anyone looking to learn to play drums or work on electronics, at any level.

– Jace M. (manager)

I started working with Patrick…before the COVID pandemic. His in-person teaching set-up is spectacularly good – this is definitely not some guy teaching drums out of his garage, this is a highly qualified instructor who takes teaching seriously. Patrick has a very professional set up, and being an audio engineer he also has the place brilliantly wired to make instruction even more effective. Not to mention – he’s an incredibly gracious host. When was the last time a teacher offered you an herbal tea while you’re reviewing a sheet of notation at the table? During our in-person phase, Patrick’s lessons also struck a great balance between what I wanted to do and what I needed to learn. It wasn’t all about “what song do I want to learn next?”, it was also about “what skills and songs should I learn to improve my technique?”. He manages to keep my technique improving and make it fun. Once [2020] COVID lock-down began, I wondered how we would continue. But of course Patrick isn’t just an amazing drummer, he’s also a talented audio expert. It didn’t take long before he’d rewired his (studio with microphones and cameras) to enable our remote Zoom lessons. Are remote lessons as good as in-person? I’d say 90% yes, thanks to some innovation on Patrick’s part, although nothing will ever beat in-person. That said, my learning, skill development and fun haven’t stopped. If you’re wondering if you can learn to drum and improve your skills remotely, with Patrick yes you absolutely can. Considering Patrick’s skill as a drummer and an instructor, the innovation and professionalism he brings to the table, and the fees he charges (competitively low in my opinion), the value he offers is incredibly high. I highly recommend him.

I left my drum lesson with Patrick all fired up! Patrick covered the basics for me, as someone brand new to playing drums, in a way that covered a ton of territory while getting me playing and improving by the end of the hour. I appreciated Patrick’s embodied approach to drums, encompassing ergonomics and the physicality as well.

– Mary T. (artist)

Patrick teaches differently, and his approach is amazing. You learn more than just hitting a drum, you learn how to use your whole brain and body effectively to inhabit the music.

– Melissa C. (occupational therapist)

Patrick is a very passionate drummer and teacher. He melds his teaching methods to fit the student and I have found him as the best musical instructor I have ever had.

– Eric O. (sales)

Patrick is an awesome instructor! I had no formal experience whatsoever about drumming and barely knew anything about a kit before I started lessons with him. After only a couple months of lessons I have a much better understanding of the kit and been able to start learning a couple songs (yay!). He’s patient, enthusiastic, and always challenges me to move further out of my comfort zone. He’s also good at picking up on my learning tendencies and uses that to help me better understand my strengths and figure out how to improve on my weaknesses.

– Julia S. (student)

I have just started working with Patrick but definitely plan to continue. His lessons do not come from a book but are tailor made to fit my skills and what I want to learn. He was immediately able to assess what my strengths and weaknesses as a drummer are and knows how to work with my strengths and improve my weaknesses. Plus he is familiar with the type of music I would like to learn!

– Maddy Z. (student, programmer)

Patrick Richardson is an excellent drum instructor. As a developing intermediate drummer, I have been working with Patrick for about six months. As my teacher, he tailors my weekly lessons to my interests and skill-set, while also striking out bad habits, and putting in new ones. Patrick has two drum sets, one for the student and one for the teacher, a practice kit, and a large drum machine. Not only that, but he is also the most hospitable teacher I’ve ever met, and makes tea upon my arrival to the lesson.

– Miles M. (student)

Lessons with Patrick are extraordinarily engaging. He has an uncanny ability to make any subject matter come to life, and he always has creative answers to the questions I have. I would highly recommend studying with him.

– Chris P. (teacher)

I worked with Patrick while I was in Philadelphia for a summer and cannot emphasize enough how engaging, caring, and thoughtful of a teacher this guy is. It was clear from the start that he wanted to integrate my perspective and goals on the kit into what he taught, and every lesson felt tailored to what I wanted to work on as much as what he thought would benefit me most.

I was lucky enough to take lessons in person, which meant I got to use Patrick’s sick basement setup. The noise levels were exceedingly well managed, the equipment was fantastic, and it was always a breeze to get everything set up and plugged in. I especially appreciated having access to a really nice double pedal, which we spent a significant amount of time working on during lessons.

Outside of lessons, Patrick was equally wonderful. He always made a point to catch up over refreshments before each lesson, and since we share technical backgrounds, we always had a lot to talk about, from drum hardware to the tech industry to, of course, music and music culture. He had great recommendations for restaurants and activities in the area, which was especially helpful since I was brand new to Philly.

Overall, Patrick was easily the best music teacher I’ve ever had, and at that, perhaps the best teacher I’ve ever gotten a chance to work with in any discipline. Looking forward to being in Philly again!

– Noah K. (student, engineer)

Commitment !

I’m excited that you’re eager to learn new rhythmic skills with me. My promise to you is, “If you do the work, you will be supported with opportunity to succeed!” Everyone is different, and as a result, their lessons will be a unique exploration of their needs, skills, and approach. By doing it this way, you’ll find the lessons more enjoyable and you’ll find greater motivation to stay committed. I appreciate your time and interest in learning new forms of rhythms with me.

GO: 

To schedule in-person and/or online lessons,

• email me at thepatrickrichardson@gmail.com

NOTE: During the COVID-related quarantine of 2020, I have been offering remote lessons through video chat (such as Zoom)

Starting June 2021 (as the CDC still allows us to leave our houses), I’m resuming hosting private 1-on-1 lessons in my home studio with a variety of safety precautions, including,

• social distance between kits,
• use of face masks,
• between-lesson sterilization of studio; running UV sterilization lights and forced air-circulation.

In the interest of mutual accountability and professionalism, all lessons are conducted under a written agreement of the specific goals, policies, scheduling, and accommodations agreed upon between you the student, and me the instructor. All terms and policies for regular lessons, are outlines on this downloadable PDF of my Lesson Policy Agreement sheet.

I listen forward to working and playing with you.