“David Dreyfus has been my child’s drum teacher for the past three years. In that time, David has proven to be reliable, conscientious, kind and dedicated. He has a genuine concern for my child’s development as a drum student. As a talented musician, David has shared his extensive experience with my child so that she, in turn, experiences the joy of playing the drums. His lessons are well prepared, informative, developmentally appropriate and enjoyable.
David comes to our home, so I am able to observe and discuss my child’s progress. David’s lessons consist of theory practice, playing on the pad and drum set, preparing extensively for NYSSMA, and playing songs that my child wants to learn. I am amazed at what my child has learned to do in these past few years and I am grateful that David even took a couple of hours of his own time to set up her new drum set for her birthday!”
— Lucy Feldmann
“David has been teaching my son drums for 10 years. Over that time, he's helped shape him into a wonderful musician. He prepared him for NYSSMA when he was younger (by middle school he had already completed level 6) as well as assisting him in his SCMEA practices. David is a very dedicated instructor who cares about his students and their musical education. He started with him at 8 years old and made sure he had the foundations to do anything he wants with his drumming. He is always prepared when he arrives for my son's lessons and is not one to cancel. I highly recommend David.”
— Melissa Green
“Mr. Dreyfus is a wonderful teacher. He inspired and motivated my son to become a better musician. He kept lessons fun yet challenging and prepared him well for local and state competitions. He was always professional and respectful and I would highly recommend him.
My son called him a great teacher who really “got” kids.”
— M. McManus.
My son Greg started taking drum lessons with Dave Dreyfus in 2000 when he was 11 years old. He studied with Dave until he graduated from high school 7 years later. In that time, Dave took Greg from a completely inexperienced percussionist to an impressive drummer who received an A+ grade on a level 6 snare drum solo in his Junior year of high school. Also, some of the best percussionists in our school district were pupils of Dave Dreyfus.
Dave's teaching approach is a logical progression, teaching the basics and building on them from week to week, like learning a language. It was fascinating for me to watch our young shy boy, who struggled with ADD, cling to the patterns he learned and really focus during the lessons and during practice time in between lessons. This teaching style which was consistent, yet friendly allowed Greg to progress to a full drum set to where he could play demanding drum parts to "metal bands" of the day, even with a double bass pedal. Also, Dave has the patience of a saint!
David is a true professional, but also has a kind spirit which made him a blessing to our family. You really can't go wrong with that combination.
— Sandy Maier
I’ve known Dave since we were little kids in school together, and graduated with him. He was always known as the drummer and his talent stood out. We lost touch after graduation for a while, but in 2004 my son Danny was 15 and wanted to learn the drums. The very first person I thought of was Dave. I tracked him down and Danny started lessons with Dave.
Danny LOVED it. It changed his life, mainly because of the way Dave brought the sheer joy of loving music together with understanding the intricacies of learning to actually play that music on the drums. Dave was patient, fun, thorough and his sense of humor helped Danny through the frustrating parts of learning coordination, rhythm, and technique.
Danny continued to love drumming and play in many bands with friends and just for fun throughout his life (and just got his ultimate electronic kit for his 30th birthday in 2019). Danny passed unexpectedly in 2020, so I owe Dave a huge debt of gratitude for opening those doors to the world of music for Danny because it brought him so many hours of happiness and was a true joy to watch. I cherish those memories (and still have Danny’s original practice pad, which he kept all that time). Thank you so much Dave, I’m forever grateful, my friend!
— Susan Manttari Ehrler
Mr. Dreyfus was recommended to us by one of his students who spoke highly of him both as a teacher and as a person and, indeed, he lived up to this promise. Mr. Dreyfus is an extremely reliable and dedicated teacher who honors his commitment to his students. He would not cancel a lesson even in inclement weather and personal challenges. Throughout the ten years that he has been teaching both of our sons, Mr. Dreyfus rarely canceled a lesson. When cancellation was inevitable he always made it up either by rescheduling or by extending the next week’s lesson.
Mr. Dreyfus is an experienced and capable teacher who developed a talent in relating to children. He is even tempered, understanding, and gentle. He skillfully strikes the balance between accepting children the way they are and motivating them to demand more of themselves and reach higher. He is wise in negotiating even resistant and rebellious attitudes and has a gentle way of redirecting it to more productive endeavors.
Throughout the years, Mr. Dreyfus surpassed our expectations and became more than a drum teacher to our sons. He became a great source of support for my older son throughout his challenging adolescent years, and was the person my son confided in and relied upon at times of difficulties. It is thanks to Mr. Dreyfus that my son persists in drum playing. Now that my son is already in college, although he does not major in music, he is deriving great pleasure from his involvement in the different musical activities on campus. I feel fortunate that Mr. Dreyfus gave my son the gift of appreciating music and musical engagement with other musicians.
— Dr. Amira Simha-Alpern
Dave Dreyfus has been teaching my son, Steven, drums for 7 years. I am confident in saying that his teaching ability and thoroughness has played a major role in Steven’s success as a drummer. He is extremely dedicated and passionate about his work, thus easily gaining Steven’s respect and admiration. Many times he would spend longer than the regular lesson if he felt Steven needed to progress to a particular point.
Dave is an extremely intelligent person who can easily discuss a topic at length and in great detail. I have truly enjoyed the many long discussions I’ve had with Dave. Aside from teaching Steven music, Dave has taught Steven discipline and reinforced my teaching of “good” morals.
— Frank DeBellis
It gives me great pleasure to write a letter of recommendation for Mr. David Dreyfus. David has been a drum instructor for our daughter, Morgan since she first began percussion in fifth grade band. She was new to percussion and had no previous background in music. David’s enthusiasm and love for teaching has inspired my daughter to continue with percussion by playing in her symphonic high school band, jazz band and music ensemble performances.
David possesses many fine qualities both as a teacher, and as a person. He is a value centered professional with an outstanding work ethic. He continues to provide encouragement and inspiration to my daughter to challenge herself and strive for excellence in all that she does.
—Joyce E. Wellinger
I have had the good fortune to have David Dreyfus instructing my son for over three years. During this time David has exhibited great patience with what many find to be a difficult age group. He has a talent for establishing a relationship that engages the student but pushes them to acquire new skills and try material outside their comfort zone. He has helped my son achieve a level of skill that gives him the ability to enter the professional music world should he choose to do so. David’s education and experience allow him to continue to provide technically challenging material even when a student is at a high level of achievement. David is an asset as an instructor.
— Bonnie J. Burton, Ed. D.
I have known David for the past 7 years as a music and percussion teacher for my daughter Colleen. This will be her last few weeks with him, as she will be going to college in September.
I have always found David to be very diligent in his approach to his work. I was recommended to him by co-workers who also had nothing but accolades about his approach to his music students. David always had the best interest of my daughter at heart and has pushed her into new areas of percussion. He helped her every year prepare for her NYSSMA solo. Each year Colleen achieved scores of 98 and better because of the preparation and practice given to her by David. These opportunities have also made it possible for her to be accepted to a very prestigious music program at the college level.
David is very serious in his approach to his music students. He expected them to be prepared for lessons and to do homework and extra practice during the week. David was always punctual and prompt in keeping appointments with my daughter. He always encouraged his students to push themselves and go the extra mile. He has an excellent work ethic which is rarely seen. From my observations, he is personable with his students and parents. He is approachable and answers questions or concerns very willingly.
My daughter and I will miss him and the musical ability and talent he has.
— Mary R. Harwood
We are nothing short of impressed with Dave Dreyfus, our son’s percussion instructor for the past five years. His disciplined, high quality teaching skills have instilled confidence and prepared my son for a career in music education. Dave has also shown by example, the importance of doing any job to the best of one’s ability. His many interests have driven him to obtain generous amounts of knowledge in areas beyond teaching. Areas that include well being, health, nutrition, and organic food preparation. He gladly shared important information with our family over the coarse of several years as a mutual topic of interest. Dave is detail oriented, conscientious, honest, structured and caring.
— Lori Mitchell
Dave Dreyfus was an exceptional teacher to our daughter. Our daughter took an interest in playing drums when she entered fourth grade. She enthusiastically joined her school band and wanted to improve her skills. We decided to enroll her for lessons at Sound Beach Music, where we were introduced to Dave. From our daughter’s very first lesson, we could tell she was being taught by someone who was skilled in their craft.
As time went on, she improved tremendously and was eager about her weekly lessons. In the summer of 2019, we purchased a drum set. She gained confidence in her skills through Dave`s instructions and practice. Her progression was clearly visible during her school performances. Unfortunately, her lessons were interrupted as the pandemic started. Our daughter came so far and didn’t want to stop learning. Dave was gracious enough to teach lessons via Facetime and eventually we opted for in person lessons at home. The private home lessons gave us an opportunity to get to know Dave on a personal level. His personality was one of genuine kindness and a passion for teaching. After every lesson, he gave us feedback and advice on how to encourage and motivate her.
We would highly recommend Dave Dreyfus as a teacher. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned artist, there is tremendous knowledge to gain. In addition to mastering the drums, you will also receive great advice on life skills. It was delightful to see our daughter become more competent with drums, as well as other aspects such as being a student. We as parents will always be grateful to Dave.
— Nur and Nelly Rahman
My first drum lesson started with Dave when I was in fourth grade, at 9 years old! He immediately inspired me to adopt great drumming habits and helped me understand the fundamentals and rudiments of drumming that helped me to progress as a musician. Not only was he a great inspiration for me musically, but he was also a sincere and genuine influence on me as a young adolescent, and helped steer me in a positive direction in life. He’s been like family to me for the 7+ years he was my instructor and will always be one of my favorite role models! I highly recommend David and forever am grateful for his impact on my life.
— Morgan Wellinger (former student)