"I was 29 years old when I decided that
I wanted to learn how to rock. I had played the drums only
once in my life, and knew I needed lessons. After the first
lesson with Matt, I knew it was going to be a great experience. I
felt very comfortable with him, and felt secure in expressing
my strengths and weaknesses. Through this, he tailored personalized
lessons to help me reach my goals that are thorough and analytical,
yet spontaneous and fun. He is great at communicating his vast
experience and knowledge in order to build the necessary fundamentals
of the hand stroke as well as musical basics. With this strong foundation,
combined with his patient, yet challenging teaching, in less
than a year, I was playing in a band and felt that I had already
learned more than I would have imagined, not only about drumming,
but about music in general. All of the sudden, I was a drummer,
all of the sudden, I was a musician. Sure I worked hard, practiced
a lot, but without his honest and enjoyable teaching which was both encouraging
and very inspirational, I wouldn't be able to rock like I can now. Matt Ritter
is a great teacher, great musician, and great friend."
Anthony
D.
Brooklyn,
NY
"I knew from the first time I spoke with
Matt on the phone that I would
work well with him. His approach to teaching was exactly what I needed:
an intuitive, holistic approach to playing; no punishment for not
practicing; and a clear message that I was there to enjoy the
instrument. We were able to set goals that spoke to how I wanted to play
but were still realistic and achievable, and we met them.
We concentrated on one skill until I truly mastered it, and
I didn't really understand what real mastery was until I
got there. After two years of working with Matt, I have transformed
from an anxious drummer with erratic time into a relaxed,
steady, confident player -- and that was with me not practicing
nearly enough!"
Ivan
D.
Manhattan,
NY
"Because I felt weak and underconfident in the area
of rhythm, I
originally came to Matt to learn basic rhythms such as Latin and
swing in order to help with my piano playing. Over the months,
however, Matt's talent for teaching and his deep knowledge of drumming
affected me so much that I decided to learn to be a real, full-fledged drummer.
Many times I have been discouraged, primarily because I felt I
hadn't prepared enough for my weekly drum lesson. But
Matt always finds a way to make each drum lesson meaningful,
and I've never left
his studio without feeling I was a better musician than I
was an hour
earlier."
Robert
G.
Manhattan,
NY
"Matt is a wonderful teacher. I have been taking lessons
with Matt for almost two years, and in this time, I have
learned so much from him. He is a great teacher because
he inspires me with his enthusiasm and knowledge of drumming.
After every lesson, I am excited to go home and try out
the new drumming techniques that I have learned from Matt,
and I feel that my drumming has improved tremendously."
Sharon
F.
Brooklyn, NY
"I did not try to play drums until I was 40. I
then tried to teach myself,
assuming that because I knew how to read music, I could just practice what
was on the page of a drum primer. It was a frustrating year and I made
little progress, despite sticking to a practice schedule. I decided I
needed professional help.
"I saw Matt's ad at a music studio. It caught my eye because in it
Matt
claimed to have successfully taught other older students. I have since
spent more than two years taking bi-weekly lessons from him. It has been
well worth it. He is able to zero in on technique problems that would
have taken me months to discover by accident and has made sure I work on
developing basic skills to eventually allow me to develop further on my own.
Matt also keeps the process of learning to play drums interesting. Every
lesson with Matt leaves me more determined to progress and more confident
that I can achieve the competence to play with others."
Jamie R.
Brooklyn, NY
"Matt Ritter has taught me to become
drum literate. Since elementary school, I had been
unable to draw any parallel between lesson booklets and Bonham's
pounding bass drum. For me, Matt's approach to learning
broke through where a handful of teachers and a dozen books
did not, really. There is continuity to his material and the way that he presents
it that is not found in other books. After two years of lessons with Matt, I am confident
to attempt to read or write anything. He has given me the tools to figure
it out. His lessons are always inspiring and have included reading studies,
performance practice, theory discussions, transcribing, group recitals, and observing
legendary drummers visiting NY. No doubt, I will achieve my goals as a
drummer with Matt's continued direction. Thank you, Matt Ritter."
Chris
O.
Manhattan,
NY
