I would give Red Pelican 6 stars if I could. Absolutely wonderful experience! 3 mins into my first lesson, Neil hopped on the drum set to show me a couple things and blew me away. He is an incredibly talented drummer, patient, and has the ability to create a tailored learning experience for his students.
Daniel Corsaro, Google
I got drum lessons for my brother, who has special needs, and Neil was very patient, super nice, and knowledgeable. . . My brother had a blast!
Shelly G, Yelp
I can't really say enough about how cool Neil is as a teacher. He's super chilled and friendly during and outside of lessons, and really open-minded with my song requests, no matter how weird they are!
Conor S., Yelp
Red Pelican is AMAZING! I am a beginning drummer and just had my first lesson with Neil! I highly recommend him! I already feel like I've learned a lot! Brian was so helpful and responsive. I wanted to start lessons ASAP and he was able to accommodate me. I cannot say enough good things about Neil and Brian! Thank you Red Pelican!
Emma Schechter, Yelp
With the first lesson, Neil had me focus more on my dynamics, which I've already seen a huge improvement in my drumming due to his guidance. He had me really dig into the kick drum, crack into the snare, and find a solid sound in the hi-hat. Seeing my improvement, and progress happening so fast has made the experience enjoyable! Now when I have rehearsal with the band they all notice how much I've improved and now I sound more confident as a drummer, and I couldn't be happier!
Dan Wenzel, Yelp
Neil grew up in Cape Town, and began performing professionally at the age of 15. He spent his teenage years playing with many famous South African artists. Neil studied music at the University of Cape Town, and then moved to Los Angeles to study drums at Hollywood’s Musician’s Institute.
Neil’s groups have opened for Tom Petty, Styx, Paul Simon, and Brian Wilson, and you can hear his drumming on TV shows such as Smallville and Felicity. Recently, Neil was the house drummer on “The Fran Drescher Show,” where he enjoyed performing with Shelia E, Dan Aykroyd and Wayne Brady.
Above all else, Neil loves teaching drums! His vast experience and fun style have made him one of Los Angeles’ most popular drum instructors.
Neil was a featured judge in the Guitar Center Drum-Off, and endorses DW Drums, Pro-mark sticks, Remo Drum Heads, Zildjian Cymbals and Gator Cases.
*Be sure to read this interview with Neil – lots of great book recommendations helpful info for new drum students!
