Rick Stojak’s Drum Studio

I’ve been meaning to give this review for a long time! My family has been taking drum lessons from Rick for the last 5 months — and it’s been fantastic! My husband, son and I all take a 1 hr lesson together and it’s such a great family bonding experience, not to mention so much fun to bang on those drums for an hour. Rick has a really casual and comfortable style of teaching. He makes anyone feel comfortable in his studio. He goes at a great pace that covers a variety of skill levels. We see him 1/​x month and finally got an electronic kit to play with at home. It makes all the difference!
Bottom line, if you are looking for a great teacher to get you inspired and excited about drumming, Rick is your man!

Short Version: Rick is amazing and if you’re looking for drum lessons, look no further!
Long Version: I started playing the drums in February 2013 in San Jose, CA. My former drum instructor was good, but he started with the basics and was very focused on technique. I grew bored and found myself canceling lessons frequently. One day, I asked him if I could learn a drum intro to a specific song and he said not yet. I went home and researched the drum tabs and taught myself. In my opinion, when a you turn a student down and they then need to teach themselves is just wrong. I was pretty disappointed and constantly struggled and felt like I made no progress.
I moved to San Diego in October 2014 and began lessons with Rick. My very first lesson he asked me what type of music I liked. When I said Red Hot Chili Peppers, he put one of their songs on and said to «just jam» to the song. I was completely shocked and excited at the same time. Rick played on a set next to me and I watched him the whole time and was starting to pick it up. It was so exciting to me as a new drummer to just dive into it like that.
Rick has the most unique teaching strategies and they completely work. If I show interest in one thing, he will pause where we are at and help me progress in that area of interest. I have grown so incredibly much as a drummer in less than a year with Rick’s lessons. He is always enthusiastic and «ready to rock!»
I strongly encourage anyone who is considering to become a fellow drummer to take lessons with Rick — you will NOT regret it!

My son has been coming to Rick for about 6 months now and has loved every lesson! Rick customizes the lesson to my son and his ability, plays music that my son is interested in to keep him from becoming complacent, all while challenging him during each lesson! To see how fast my son has progressed in a very short time, just adds to the value. I would recommend Rick to any level of drummer that is interested.

My son has been taking a basic music class at his elementary school. He really took to the drums and became «hooked.» My wife found Mr. Stojak’s studio in the Clairemont Area, that came with OUTSTANDING reviews. The studio facility is really kept up with cleanliness (ie. restroom).
We took our son to Mr. Stojak’s and he became instantly addicted. Now, my son can’t wait for his lessons, which he looks forward to every week. My son has became a good drummer, because of Mr Stojak’s teaching. Mr. Stojak focuses on learning to read music first then the drumming.
Mr. Stojak is very knowledgeable with various instruments and is patient with new drummers. He is very personable and professional. I look forward to continuing my son’s lessons at Mr. Stojak’s studio.

I strongly encourage anyone with an interest in learning drums to give Rick a call. He is an extraordinary drummer and as a teacher he is kind, patient, professional, and has zero attitude. He is well versed in many styles of drumming, and his studio is filled with a wide variety of drum kits, electronics, hand drums and other percussive instruments. I highly recomend him for children, beginners, along with intermediate and advanced students. I have played drums for years and even I have taken some lessons from him. A good teacher makes all the difference, and in my opinion you can’t do better than Rick, he is an amazing guy all around. San Diego is lucky to have him as a member of the drumming community.

Rick Stojak is as good a teacher as he is a drummer. After studying with him for 8 months I was playing drums at a level I didn’t think possible in such a short time. My ear for percussion became much better as well, and I often find myself enjoying both new and familiar music at a new depth. Highly recommended!

Rick has a great spirit and loves teaching!
He’s been drumming for almost forty years and is proficient in all styles and various percussive instruments. He can teach you how to rock the house, bang on congas and bongos and read music as well as traditional drumming techniques for marching band and orchestra.
Rick is very sophisticated and knowledgeable in instrument setups and special techniques utilized in studio drumming that differ from stage and concert drumming.
Rick also worked in corporate marketing for many years so he understands the business of music and has great advice for anyone who just wants to play with friends around town or become a full scale professional musician!
P. S. Drums will change your life.

Basically Rick is awesome. His studio is super impressive; he’ll teach you a beat and let you jam out for a little and then he’ll give you a head set and let you play along to songs with that beat. He also wrote a really awesome book that I recommend buying for anyone interested in knowing how to play the basic beat of like a ton of different songs. When you’re jamming with him you can just tell he’s extremely passionate about music and he’ll even give you the history of different drum beats, etc., so you actually get a little music education! He’s really supportive of students, even ones like me who are not experienced at all, so you’ll never feel intimated. He’s also just a really cool person to talk to! Seriously if you’re contemplated trying out a drum lesson choose Rick, you won’t regret it.

Rick is an awesome teacher! His studio is great; clean and has tons of instruments to practice on. He is a very patient teacher, super knowledgeable, and incorporates great music into the lesson that you can play along to. Oh — and he is super fun! I highly recommend Rick to anyone contemplating taking a lesson, regardless of age or experience level. You won’t regret it!

Rick has been my drum instructor for almost 3 years and lessons with him have been one of the best investments I’ve ever made. I have gone from having never picked up a set of sticks to jamming to classic rock, reggae, swing jazz, blues shuffle, hip-​hop and more, which I never would have believed possible. Rick is incredibly encouraging, patient and motivating, with NEVER a negative word. He is an excellent teacher with an amazing studio set up, multiple kits to drum side-​by-​side with his students, incorporates diverse and fun play lists and concert videos to drum to, holds workshops with other top-​name drummers in the industry, I could go on and on about the time and energy he puts into his lessons and his knowledge of the history of music and drumming which is threaded through every lesson. It’s so evident that Rick loves teaching, loves drumming, and wants to pass that on to his students and the music community. I highly recommend his studio for ANY age. If you have EVER thought you wanted to drum but would never be able to do it or you’d be too intimidated to try (like I did), THIS is the place to start.

I have drummed with Rick for almost 5 years and have never left a lesson disappointed. Rick is a true educator and friend who goes the extra mile to make sure your lessons are informative and challenging, but also, incredibly fun and rewarding. I imagined that taking drum lessons having never played an instrument would be defeating and intimidating. The experience is NOTHING like that. You walk away feeling like a million bucks, not to mention an incredibly gifted rock star.
Rick is affordable, easy to work with and incredibly reliable. He is always on time (incredibly punctual for a musician ;) and checks in with you to make sure your schedule is sound.
Not only is he an incredible drummer himself, his facility is clean, current and a drummer’s virtual paradise. Two kits /​/​side by side /​/​with a TON of toms and cymbals, you’ll feel like Neil Peart in no time.
I cannot recommend this studio enough!

I really like Rick Stojak. He is a wonderful teacher and person and taking drum lessons from him is a lot of fun wether you are an adult or a kid.
Rick Stojak’s Drum Studio is a place where drummers of every level can improve their musical skills and where also kids can have a blast.