I’m really happy to be pursuing my new favorite hobby of playing the drums through streaming sessions in our current COVID world. I’ve wanted to learn how to play the drums for a long time and now I have both the time and accessibility to do it from home through BANG! The Drum School. My teacher, Steve Picataggio, is very adept at Zoom. He’s made it painless, straightforward and fun to learn in this virtual medium. I get so invested that the lessons fly by in the blink of an eye. It’s great that no matter where we are in the world, the lessons can be conducted virtually, which is important for a beginner like me as consistency is the key to learning. I’m grateful for the flexibility that BANG! The Drum School offers.

Best drum class I’ve ever been to. I’ve been to a rip-off class before where they only let you play along with songs to feel cool but actually learning nothing. Daryl, my instructor in my class, is extremely professional and patient. I played in a band before but still surprised by how much fundamentals I didn’t know. He really taught me the skills I need to go a long way on drumming. Highly recommend his class

The Absolute Beginners Group Class provided a terrific introduction to playing the drums. Our instructor was patient and clear, and very encouraging. By the end of the sessions I felt I had a road map to improving my skills. And I also found myself better able to follow and to appreciate the drumming in some of my favorite music. The course book has been a great tool to keep learning and improving. I sometimes even start to sound like a drummer myself!

For me, a beginner at playing drums with no prior experience, I found the gentleman whom contacted me from the website very encouraging and able to work out a convenient schedule. He managed to fit me in with a group of five which met once a week for four weeks. Instructor (Poy), is quite knowledgeable and patient as he taught us the new ounces of drumming. He focused on doing it the way right. He didn’t mind spending a few moments after class to explain and break down the beats of my favorite music. It has been a rewarding experience for me.

Been such a great experience! I’ve only taken 3 classes so far and have learned so much from Connor. Really would recommend if you’re trying to learn the drums. 10/10 !!! So much fun.

The beginners class was an amazing experience and I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in learning to play the drums. Over the course of 4 weeks you learn all the basic techniques you need to get a really solid foundation to go on and pursue your personal drumming practice. Mark F. is an incredible teacher and makes each class fun and relaxed while teaching you everything you need/want to know about drumming for beginners. I was surprised at how quickly everyone picked things up -- he had us all playing basic rock beats our first class! Definitely a MUST if you are considering learning how to play the drums. Cannot recommend it enough.

Trying something new at a not-so-young age can be very intimidating, especially if you have NO skills whatsoever. The beginner group 2-hr lessons were a great way to convince me to practice and keep moving forward. My instructor, Mickey, has been an inspiring, thoughtful and patient teacher and is all the reason I decided to take the private lessons. If you are like me and personal hobbies take a back seat to work, Mickey is your gal. She gives you enough encouragement and practice material to work on in between lessons, and never makes you feel bad for not being able to keep a consistent schedule. Oh yea, and shes an amazing drummer, so no worries regarding the talent!So far only good things from BANG!

Ive been so happy with my experience at Bang! Mark has been a wonderful, knowledgeable teacher who has tailored our lessons to fit me as a student: someone with not too much time on her hands, but wanting to learn the basics. He was flexible when I needed him to be, but also ready to turn it up a notch when my schedule allowed. His enthusiasm for drumming is completely inspiring and contagious. His new studio in the city is also a really great space -- its an awesome building full of other musicians, while still being clean, spacious and very welcoming. I would undoubtedly recommend Bang the Drum School to anyone wanting to learn the drums.

Absolutely fantastic! Love the instructors, great group and private lessons, super fun class. Recommend to anyone at any level. Didnt expect to continue to private but couldnt stop after group level 1.

I really look forward to my weekly drum lessons at Bang the Drum School. I started out at Bang by taking the beginners group class a little over a year ago, and I enjoyed the experience so much that I decided to continue with private lessons. Im really glad that I did. Mark is a great teacher and a great guy; he has a real knack for fostering an environment for learning that is fun and relaxed while still being productive. And one of the things I appreciate most is his flexibility: he has gone out of his way to tailor our lessons to my specific interests, while still maintaining a focus on the fundamentals I need to improve. Always positive and encouraging, Mark inspires me to work hard to improve my drumming. I would highly recommend Bang the Drum School to anyone interested in learning to play the drums or progress to the next level.

I took the beginners drum class at Bang! about a year ago, and have been taking on-and-off private lessons with Mark since then. I strongly recommend both. The class was a great way to find out whether drumming was something I was interested in pursuing before I spent a bunch of money on it, and I found the group format really helpful. Now that I have a little more experience, I really get a lot out of private lessons. Mark is a great teacher, helpful and patient and fun to hang out with. You should go for it.

My 14 year old son has been taking lessons here for almost a year. When we first inquired about lessons, Mark, the founder, took the time to talk with my son and give him a trial lesson to help him have a positive start to drumming and the school. He then made sure my son was matched with a great teacher. Daryl Cozzi has been my son’s teacher and has been amazing. He is always patient, challenges my son and helps him learn proper technique. He even came out to my son’s rock band show to give support. That meant the world to my son! Definitely recommend this school!

My 12-year-old son has had a wonderful experience taking lessons with Steve Picataggio at Bang! The Drum School. Steve is an excellent teacher who has not just taught my son essential rudiments and techniques, but inspired him to love drumming and to learn how to put himself into the music. When my son has performed at school productions, he’s been told his drumming skills are beyond his years and we credit that to Steve’s instruction. Steve is patient and generous with sharing his amazing talents and his passion for drumming translates to his students. We are so happy we found Steve and Bang! The Drum School and would highly recommend them to anyone interested in learning to play the drums.

If you are thinking of learning to play the drums this is the place to start. I had been reluctant to join a group lesson because of my age (61) but Mark assured me it would be fine. He has a great way of allowing people to progress at their own pace while keeping the small group moving together. He has the energy and enthusiasm all great teachers have with a ton a patience as people learn new skills.Mark taught a lot of material in a short period of time and while that would keep me going for a few months Im going to continue with private lessons because it is just so much fun.

My daughters been learning to play the drums for nearly 2 years and switched to Bang a few months ago. She really enjoys her lessons here and Daryl is a fantastic teacher. Hes teaching her songs she loves and introducing her to different types of music which has helped to boost her interest.

Fantastic school/phenomenal teacher (Mark Feldman). Never played an instrument in my life and always wanted to play the drums - took it up in my early 40s and I have been with the School now for several years. Being somewhat impatient and eager to learn, Mark managed to teach me the basics and more very quickly, stress free. Drumming has now become a necessary part of my life and I look forward to improving in the future. Highly recommended.

All around great experience here and I learned some pretty cool stuff in only a short month! I took the beginner group class and the instructor was awesome, explained things well and with patience. The classes are affordable and the owner corresponds very promptly and professionally to any questions or concerns you have. The equipment was in good condition and not damaged as I found is common in rental spaces and some schools. Im looking forward to following up with private lessons here and the school offers discounts for repeat students. Highly recommend.

Group Lessons: The group class removed all the overwhelm of approaching drums for the first time. Its amazing how much these lessons eased me into playing in just a couple of classes over a few weeks. Phil was amazing, patient and gave me a very good understanding of the basics covered in the material. The material is organized in a clear progression, drawing from the most recommended drumming books around. Playing along with Phil and in front of other students right from the start, gave me the confidence to walk to any drum kit and start playing without feeling anxious.Private Lessons: The group lessons helped me get a general idea and got me excited about drumming and getting a feel for whats involved, the private lessons with Mark help me fill in the nuts and bolts that require a lot of attention from him. Whether its proper posture, hand technique, the popularity of 4 measures or lengthy rudiment exercises, Mark is very patient and does everything he can to help me understand and get a feel for things. He keeps me interested by providing a lot of details if Im having an appetite for it, yet he gets when I feel overwhelmed and always finds easier ways to explain and demonstrate things. Mark is very good at zeroing in on areas of trouble and tailors each lesson and practice exercise to reflect and resolve these issues. The lessons always show clear progress to keep me excited.

My 12-year old daughter is even more in love with drumming since taking lessons with Bang! The Drum School. She says that she likes how hands-on her instructor Mark Feldman is if she doesn’t understand something, and the variety of things that he gives her to do that strengthen both her technique as well as her reading of drum sheet music. My husband and I have seen the results. We like that Marks passion for drumming is genuine and infectious, and appreciate the encouragement and praise that he gives our daughter when it is warranted. Mark is an excellent teacher. Our family is very pleased.

Our 12 year old son started taking lessons at Bang! over a year ago. He’s loving the experience and has become a decent drummer! The crew at Bang! are all really nice, patient and make the classes fun for the kids.

My lessons at BANG! The Drum School has been the highlight of my week since I started their Absolute Beginners Class. Our instructor, Mark Feldman, is experienced, knowledgeable, and breaks down material clearly. He is always willing to answer our questions and meet us where we are to help us improve. I’m only two lessons in and already feel as if my drumming knowledge and skill is growing. I highly recommend taking classes at Bang.

Mark at BANG! The Drum School is Excellent...I am someone with no previous musical training or experience, but I have always wanted to learn to play the drums. I was given a six-pack of lessons as a birthday present last summer. I was fairly nervous going to my first lesson. I wondered would the teacher be likeable, would he be patient, would he be willing to help someone with no prior musical training and would he be friendly and not intimidating? Mark has been all of these! From the moment I set foot in his studio for my first lesson, I have really enjoyed every minute of it. Mark has been welcoming and encouraging and allowed me to satisfy my wish to learn the drums in the most positive atmosphere. During the past six months Mark has helped me learn some basic rock drumming combinations- reinforcing and encouraging the progress I have already made while gently encouraging me to continue to improve during each lesson. I believe anyone who is interested in learning to play the drums or someone with years of experience could benefit from lessons with Mark at BANG! He has a great attitude and makes clients feel like a friend. My lessons have allowed me realize one of my lifelong dreams and release some of my creativity BANG!ing on the drums. Thanks Mark!

This was the third time I visited New York and also the third time I met up with Mark at BANG! The Drum School. As usual he was able to add new great things to my drumming that I took with me back to Sweden. I really like returning to this school because Mark listen to my ideas and then he puts them in a bigger context by adding great exercises based on what I would like to do. And it’s fun too!

As someone that has played drums for 19 years, its a challenge to a find a teacher who can break down my bad habits. After a long search, I took a chance on BANG and Mark specifically as his videos online and email responses seemed like a great fit for me. Im shocked at how perfect it has worked out. Mark is first a tremendous guy, which provides the foundation for him as a great teacher. Hes smart, immensely passionate, and caring. Hes a tremendous student of drumming, always able to impart some knowledge and make it relatable. We develop lesson plans collaboratively, so that I know that Im getting what I need out of them. But hes also very firm about what he thinks I need to do to become a stronger drummer. Hes significantly helped my playing in the short 6 month period weve been working together. I would recommend BANG to anyone from beginner to advanced player. You wont regret it!

Ive been taking drum lessons at BANG for several years now, and Ive studied with multiple instructors there. The quality of the teaching staff is excellent, their knowledge is deep, and they truly care about what they do. Ive also gone to see my teachers play live in various bands and they are all amazing drummers. If youre going to study drumming, whether you are a beginner or advanced student, this is the best place in NYC. For real.

I started taking drumming lessons at Bang The Drum about two months ago and my experience there has been excellent. The school is conveniently located near Port Authority and subways and a few blocks from Penn Station which makes my commute very easy. And my teacher Poy is very professional but at the same time very personable. I have never played drum before but Poy is patient, encouraging and methodical in his instruction and I totally enjoy each and every lesson with him and have made much progress within a short time. After a few lessons with him I got so much into drumming, I bought my own electronic drum set to practice at home. I think that really says a lot about how positive my experience has been !

Great lessons for total newbies! Highly recommend Poy as an instructor. He is very a very knowledgeable and patient teacher who gives good positive feedback.

Im just about finished the group beginners class and thoroughly impressed with amount of knowledge that Ive gained over this past month. Steve and Dan cram a lot of knowledge into the two hour sessions, however it never felt overwhelming. Ive been a active guitarist for the past 20 years and the knowledge gained from Bang! has literally opened my ears to a new dimension of music appreciation.

After the first day of class with Mark I knew drumming would be a permanent part of my life. Mark made me feel comfortable sitting in front of a drum kit with spotlights on me while the other students watched. I am now taking private lessons with Mark and I know my future in drumming will be a labor of love and a welcomed break from my workaholic schedule :)If you are on the fence about whether you should take his class or not, this is me pushing you over to the Hell Yes! side. The grass is definitely greener here.

I feel like I really hit the jackpot by finding Bang!The Drum School. My son needed help preparing a snare drum solo for a few performing arts high school auditions.Within a few hours Mark, the owner, responded to my initial e-mail which was great. We talked about the particulars and his first lesson was set painlessly. Then his first lesson came and his instructor, Chris Geller was so wonderful. He is patient and personable. And he is very talented. We have also worked with Daryl Cozzi who was another terrific drummer and instructor. Mark went out of his way to get us the help we needed for a La Guardia audition and several others. Without Chris we would not have been able to do this. It was worth every penny and these are world class drummers. I am so happy and proud of son and I would highly recommend Bang! The Drum School to anyone whom asked.

Anyone can write a review to tell you how great Bang The Drum School is and tell you how much of a better drummer you will be going there, but I would like to point out a few other things. I went to Bang not only to learn how to play the drums, but I went there as a guitar player trying to work on my rhythm. If you are a musician of any kind, no matter what instrument it is you play, learning how to play the drums will forever change the way you play and think about rhythm and Bang is the place to be to learn it. Also, one thing people do not think about is how great it is just to hit a drum kit and make some noise. The drums are the ultimate stress relief. There is something so invigorating about just hitting a drum. I say after a long day of work if you need to de-stress yourself, you can skip that yoga class and go to Bang The Drum School.

I took the beginner group lesson with Mickey Vershbow. My overall experience is awesome! Great location, great price and the most important thing - a great learning experience. Mickey is a great drummer, patient teacher and a very cool person. I am definitely going back for more lessons with Bang very soon. Highly recommend it to anyone interested.

Only positive things to say about Bang. Poy has been a patient and clear instructor. As a complete beginner, they do a great job of linearly making beats more difficult, yet achievable on a weekly basis. 5 stars.

Our 10 years old is learning drums at Bang in the last months, he is a beginner and enjoys it very much. The teacher is amazing, very patient and professional. Our experience of the place is great and we highly recommend it.

Knowledgeable instructors. Great space and the price per lesson is very reasonable. Highly recommended!

As an (adult) absolute beginner, I got lucky to have Poyraz as my instructor. Poy is talented, patient, friendly, and great teacher. He also has a great sense of humor! Id recommend him and the school to anyone who wants to either seriously learn the drums, or just take it up for fun.

Great drum school! Ive taken classes here for two years. Dan is an awesome drummer, and a very responsible, fun and amazing teacher. The owner Mark is really helpful and kind.

BANG! The Drum School offers a fantastic beginners course for those wanting to learn the basics of drumming. Mark is very talented teacher who knows how to translate technique to beginners. Highly recommended!

I wholeheartedly recommend Bang! The Drum School. Whether youre a beginner or a seasoned drummer looking for some new ideas, you will be treated very well here. The owner, Mark Feldman is the real deal. Aside from being a pro drummer, Hes an awesome teacher and mentor. Mark is friendly, funny, kind, and patient, with zero attitude. Customer service is top notch. Great communication and responsiveness in between lessons. Accommodating and flexible. An all around great experience!

Mark is an amazing drum teacher! He is very attentive, patient and knowledgable. I took several private lessons with him. He showed me how to play great rock beats and how to make my jazz ride swing better. I highly recommend him for beginners and advanced drummers because he caters each lesson to your level. He rocks!

Fantastic. What a great place for beginners to learn playing drums. Marks attention to each student, in spite of a group setting, is admirable. Highly recommended.

My daughter recently started to take drum lessons with the instructor Poy at Bang! I would like to express that my daughter felt inspired and excited the first time she took a class. My daughter feels comfortable to express herself with Poy while taking classes. He is patient, informative, has a sense of humor and very personable! I would like to take the time to share that I recommend BANG! If you’re curious and your heart wants to learn how to play the drums, GO FOR IT! Thank you Mark and Poy!

I feel like Ive always been a drummer, I just never got to playing regularly until a few years ago. My foundation is entirely self-taught and, as a result, you can probably imagine all the gaps and faults in my fundamentals, in my rudiments, in my technique and mechanics.I came to BANG! because -- once Id decided I was ready for some instruction -- Id had a truly miserable experience with another teacher, elsewhere. I wanted to learn in a nice environment without a judgmental, easily frustrated instructor. The BANG! website had so much information and the voice behind what was written there (Mark Feldmans) was so exuberant, friendly and engaging. I could tell he was passionate about percussion. He was really responsive, via e-mail and I got to taking lessons right away.My first instructor was Dan Weiner, who has the patience of Job. Hes a great teacher with a serious resume who took me away from the kit and put me in front of a drum pad to work on all of the things I mentioned above, with which I really needed help. I still do the exercises and practice work he assigned me during the blocks of lessons I took from him. He gave me a great set of tools to work with.After a few handfuls of lessons with Dan, I switched to learning from Mark because I thought a fresh perspective would be helpful to me. It was. The two of them have combined to make me a far, far better drummer than I was, even though Ive still got a long, long way to go. But I am enjoying the journey and my experience at BANG! has helped to keep me excited about playing and improving.One thing to note is that the schools approach is very conciliatory to the student. They are not exacting taskmasters unless you ASK for them to be. They start with a soft, amiable approach and -- at least in my case -- they let me define the focus of my lessons. That may work for most people, but I tend to gravitate to what I know I can already do (since I dont want to fail and be frustrated) so I need someone who will force me to attack those weaknesses in my playing. Thankfully, all I had to do was say: Dont listen to me. Make me play and practice what you know I need to do. and thats exactly what my lessons became.

I took the courses Drumming for Absolute Beginners and Drumming for Near Beginners, fell in love with drumming and Im taking private lessons now. Mark Feldman was my first and so far the only drum teacher but Im pretty sure you cant find a teacher whos nicer, more patient and supportive. Mistakes are allowed and you always receive the best guidance and instructing for your own personal needs. I couldnt recommend BANG! The Drum School more!

I had the honor of being taught by Mark Feldman. He is an excellent teacher. Very skilled instructor and also flexible regarding my specific goals.

My son has had a lot of fun learning to drum with Poy! He is patient and fun.

Awesome drum school. Very flexible scheduling and my instructor is spectacular, Poy Aldemir. I’ve improved so much since I started a few months ago. I highly recommend this school (and Poy in particular).

As per my 8 year old son, Harrison, Poy is a fun, excellent drum teacher! I LOVE playing the drums!!!!! BANG! Drum School is the best!

My son has been taking drumming lessons with Poy for almost a year now. Poy is an awesome instructor who is extremely patient and works well with children to develop their skills. My son had never played the drums before or learned to read music until he started lessons with Poy. He is now able to read music and play songs of his interest. He’s super excited for every lesson and his enthusiasm continues to grow. I am really impressed with all that he has learned within the past 9 months and people who hear him ask him who his teacher is. I thought this might have been a phase with my son but he has gained such an interest that he plans on pursuing it through middle school and high school. It has helped him gain more focus in school and he spends a lot of time talking/writing about drumming. All of this can be credited to the way Poy teaches drumming. I highly recommend Bang! Drum School and Poy if you are looking for drumming lessons. You will be able to pick up a great skill in a comforting and focused environment.

The teachers at Bang drums are great - both at playing and teaching. Ive been taking lessons since late 2013, starting out with the group classes for the first two months before continuing on with private classes. I have learned a lot about rock beats, 16th note grooves, fills, playing around the kit, etc., knowledge of which I have incorporated in mini compositions done on the iPhone/iPad (I also have a guitar). The location in midtown Manhattan is also a big plus, close to all the rail and bus lines, particularly important for those coming from the suburbs.

I learned a lot during my four weeks of the absolute beginners class, but I wanted more so I signed up for a 5-pack of individual lessons. I would recommend the group class to anyone who wants to learn how to play the drums.

I took the absolute beginner group class with Daryl and it was great. Highly recommended.

The staff is friendly and professional. My 14 year old son had 5 private lessons with Chris. He enjoyed them very much. We will sign up for more lessons.

I barely write reviews, unless it is absolutely horrible that every human being online should be warned about. Now, I am happy to write my very first positive review; Bang The Drum School was that awesome!My drumming background: nowhere near drumming, literally. I had only seen drums on stage or on TV. (I knew how to read music. But don’t worry, if you don’t. They teach you how to read/feel different beats, which is all that matters.)The class was a perfect size. As a beginner, you might want to shy away from getting too much attention and at the same time you want to be guided personally. This class size really pulled that balance. It was big enough to hide yourself in a crowd comfortably and small enough to get specific advice.The instruction overall was very clear. My instructor was Daryl Cozzi. He was articulate about leading the class step by step and made it fun. The textbook laid out plenty of good practice materials. The school also gave practical directions how to further explore drumming, including suggestions of what to buy and where to go for practice.And to make it even better, I had a great squad of classmates.Prior to taking classes, I was a bit suspicious about all these positive reviews. This isn’t too good to be true. It is good and true!

I have been taking lessons with Poyraz Aldemir at the Bang drum school and it has been great. The lessons are fun and full of new tips and insights. Poy is patient and he is very clear in his explanations and he often has good references to good songs to listen to. I always leave the lessons with plenty of exercises for pracitce. I have been studying Jazz and Blues with Poy and I would recommend him and the school for any level and style. Have fun with drums! Fabio

I dreamed about playing drums for years and finally had the opportunity to start lessons. At first I was apprehensive about taking a lesson here because there is a wealth of other options. However, I was lucky enough to be taught by Poyraz Aldemir (Poy) who is an excellent teacher. I could sense the improvement I made after every lesson and his teaching style is flexible which allowed me to learn a bit of every style I was interested in. I highly recommend BANG! The Drum School and especially recommend taking lessons from Poy

Group classes at BANGTHEDRUMS is a good place to start the journey of learning drums. Phil is a really good teacher and he explains everything very patiently. I learnt a lot from everyone in the group class. Practice material is very helpful for developing hand techniques.

Bang the the drum school is an excellentschool.Daryl is an excellent teacher.I reallylearned a lot from him.Recommend thisschool to anyone who wants to play drums.

I have been a regular student at Bang! The Drum School since the Summer of 2010. After looking a little online, Bang! by far looked the most approachable and reasonably priced - so I gave owner Mark Feldman a call. He suggested I give the beginners group course a try, and I signed up to start the next evening. Over the following four weeks I learned basic drumming techniques and exercises in a relaxed environment and my love affair with playing the drums really began. Not only is Mark an excellent and experienced drummer, proficient in a wide range of drumming styles and still regularly plays and records with his own band and other musicians, but his approach to teaching is incredibly motivating, his demonstrations are inspiring and his suggestions are always uncomplicated and honest - I have always found him to be amazingly patient and professional but totally funny and relatable too.Since completing the beginners evening course I have been regularly taking private lessons two or three times a week and always look forward to it. I have also taken lessons with two other Bang! resident teachers, Phil and Dan - both are super friendly and highly accomplished drummers whom Id recommend to students at any skill level. Also, every teacher has been able to notate personalized and easy to follow drumming exercises for me to practice outside of lessons too.I have only had consistently positive and encouraging experiences while at Bang! The Drum School and will definitely continue to take lessons with all of the teachers there. I couldnt recommend any drum school more to anyone who wants to learn to play, advance their drumming abilities or sharpen technique.

HiIm Lucean from England, I have been struggling to find a drum teacher that could give me the key fundamentals on how to play all the gospel chops that’s out there. I have had a few one off lessons and leant nothing. However I stumbled across Mark, Bang The Drum school, he took me right back to basics, his aphorism was if you are going to play that stuff you need to understand what you are playing. Wow. I only had one lesson with Mark due to flying from New York to Las Vegas, I would have loved to squeezed in another. However having flown to Vegas I kept reading the exercises that Mark gave me and out of the blue I had a light bulb moment. Which is, I always struggled to find the 1 in complex solos however the exercises that Mark gave me have changed the way Im practicing 16th notes and 32nd notes, just being able to count the notes at the same time as playing them has been a breakthrough to my normal way of learning music. I now have something to build on and when I get back home to the UK I will sort out a new drum teacher but now Im informed as to what Im looking for and what to discuss with the future teacher. Thanks Mark it has been great although short. Kindest of Regards Lucean

Great drum school. Great teachers!! A+

I took a group class and now Im taking private lessons. I can only recommend it.

Mark is the real deal! He will do amazing things for your playing.

Great school my son has really progressed in the short time he has been there.

Great information from a great guy!