Experienced tutor in Piano in Altadena, Joel offers private lessons tailored to your needs.

Joel has been instrumental in my development as a drummer and as a musician in general. Under his instruction, I was able to shift my approach to the drum set from simply making beats, to attempting to fill the air with the most vivid percussive musicality I can properly muster on the spot. His use of technique books, such as those written by Gary Chaffee, work to ensure that you have a solid foundation while also fostering creativity.

My daughter has been taking lessons from Joel for over a year, and it has been great to see how much she’s grown as a drummer in that time. He sets the bar high but is also very encouraging. He doesn’t just assign exercises but gives her context for those exercises, helping her to see how important a solid technical foundation is for whatever type of music she wants to play.

Joel is a great teacher. He has a good understanding of a lot of different style of music, which helps me work on all aspects of my drumming. He is an encouraging teacher but he also challenges me and expects me to be serious about practicing. I think it’s inspiring that he’s drummed with a lot of big names and has cool stories to tell about famous drummers.

Joel is hands down the best drummer I've ever seen play live. He has a deep knowledge of percussion. As a teacher he is patient and clear. He has a strategy for you regardless of your skill level. If you can read music he has lots of pre-printed exercises for you to work on between lessons. I highly recommend him.

I had taken drum lessons from Joel for around five years and can easily say that he is an excellent teacher. He taught me not only fundamental basics and the importance of good, solid technique, and taught me how to play drums over numerous genres of music. In addition to his clear and helpful teaching style, he is also a very caring teacher and was always very supportive during my lessons. I highly recommend Joel as a teacher to any student at any learning level. Beyond being an amazing teacher, he is a fantastic drummer.

Joel is a phenomenal drummer and teacher who has helped me to hone my skills and reach a level I never would have been able to get to on my own.

Joel is the man! I've worked with Joel off and on since I began studying under him at university. His adaptability, thorough knowledge of styles and patience are what keep me coming back. This is your one stop shop for all things drum related and for many more aspects of music to boot!

Joel Taylor is an excellent musician and teacher who teaches in a systematic and yet fun and engaging way! Definitely would recommend for all skill levels!

Joel Taylor was my applied instructor while I was at University of Redlands studying Jazz performance.

Going into it, I was mostly familiar with metal and rock styles, with the basic foundation of jazz and Latin styles. Working with Joel, I was able to develop a much more solid foundation and feel of the genres, as well as solidify what I thought I was already familiar with.

In addition to the many jazz and Latin styles he taught me, he also taught me advanced concepts of polyrhythms and metric modulation.

TL;DR - I came into the school knowing rock and metal, and graduated the school knowing rock, metal, jazz, and latin/afro-cuban. I left feeling much more capable and diverse than when I first enrolled.

10/10 would recommend.

Joe is one of the most seasoned and experienced drummers in Los Angeles

Joel is one of the best teachers I have ever taken drum lessons.
He is an experienced drummer playing with a well-known artist.
I learned the various types of music, foundation, drum solo, and side reading from him.
I used to have a mind to go to music school in the US, but I changed my mind because the quality of his lesson was very high.
He has good material and practice methods the same quality as a music school.
My playing is absolutely improved and changed much after his lesson.
I totally recommend him for the person who wants to learn drums from the foundation. Also, for the drummer who wants to go to the next level.

Joel was a great instructor who I really looked up to as a musician. He provided me with a wide range of skills, and cared about what I was interested in learning. I was able to grasp fundamentals as well as more experimental tasks under his instruction. I always looked forward to lessons, as they were always enjoyable and educational.

My experience of studying with Joel at Jackalope was one of the best experiences of my life. Joel is so incredibly knowledgeable and versatile. It doesn’t matter what style of music it was Joel was able to not only speak to it at great length but demonstrate it and play it as well. The combination of learning from a great communicator/teacher as well as a player is truly incredible and makes for a great experience. Joel is sincere, passionate, and truly a pros pro. As a working drummer for decades Joel knows what it takes to be at the top of the game and can pass on invaluable lessons. Besides being an incredible drummer, Joel is also a great person. He’s thebtype of guy you want to go grab a beer with after a lesson. I can’t say enough good things about Joel and Jackalope Studio!

Joel helped me in a lot of areas, but the biggest improvement was in my bass drum technique. Well over a decade later, I still work on the things he taught me. He also helped me with my groove playing and creating fills (although I probably should take a few more lessons on that). Joel is very good at breaking things down and making things that sound complicated easy to understand.

Joel is a knowledgeable and experienced. In teaching, he is patient, understanding, and yet challenging. Highly recommended.