Learn from Great Percussion Teachers

I approach music with a holistic mindset: with work ethic and discipline, yet also empathy and passion from the student's perspective. I see music as a tool to enhance the expression that already exists within the individual, while pinpointing necessary skills that still need to be developed.

Hi, I’m Derrick Raiter, a professional percussionist with over 30 years of experience. I help drummers and percussionists of all levels build strong technique, confidence, groove, and musical expression through personalized, engaging lessons. My teaching is shaped by a national performance career and seven years of private study with renowned drummer Anika Nilles.

For 20 years I have dedicated myself to developing educational and recreational proposals that have the objective of facilitating access to people of all ages to learn percussion, so that they can learn to make music with various percussion instruments.

I have taught band for 20+ years in the Arkansas Public School system, and play a variety of instruments. In my career, I've taught thousands of students. I hold a BA in Music Education and an MA degree in Instructional Technology from Arkansas Tech University. I'm a National Board Certified Teacher since 2008, and became a National Geographic Certified Teacher in 2017.

I've been playing percussion for over 20 years. I am a tenured percussionist with the Houston Ballet Orchestra and perform regularly with the Houston Symphony Orchestra, San Antonio Symphony, and Ft. Worth Symphony. I hold two music performance degrees from Baylor and Rice University.

Overall Teacher of the Year on Lessonface! Alison holds a Masters in Music Ed. Fun, experienced & patient teacher. Alison has taught over 20,000 lessons in various instruments and voice to over 550 students in private lessons and small groups, in person and online. Her students range from age 3 through adults. Alison is the co-owner of Strand Studios in NJ.

******Not currently accepting new students****** Having graduated from The University of Iowa in 2010 with a degree in Percussion Performance and Music Education, Rob has been teaching both privately and in classrooms for over a decade.

Hello! My name is Jose Castillo. Here is a little back story about myself. I've been playing drums since I was 11 years old. I was 1st chair in my percussion class through middle school. Won band student of the year, went to solo and ensemble all the way through high school. I went to state solo and ensemble my junior and senior year. In high school I played in marching band.

Lindsay graduated from Berklee College of Music in May 2016 with a B.A in Professional Music, and was a featured drummer in the annual commencement ceremony concert. While at Berklee, she concentrated on Drum Set Performance and Music Business. Her education also strengthened her skills in Music Theory, Harmony, Ear Training and Songwriting.

Hi! My name is Erik Markovskii. I’m a multi-instrumentalist, percussionist, and educator with more than 18 years of international performance and teaching experience. I specialize in a wide range of instruments — frame drum, darbuka, handpan (hang drum), cajón, djembe, daf, riqq, Caucasian nagara, and jaw harp (vargan) — connecting traditional and modern rhythmic languages.