Lessons
Now accepting new students
in-person or over Zoom
Book Your free Intro lesson today!
I currently offer lessons in:
Instruments & Technique
Drum Set
Stick Technique & Drumming Mechanics (Stone, Moeller, Gladstone, Spivack)
Percussion (world and orchestral)
Guitar
Bass
Piano, Keyboards & Synthesizers
Musicianship & Creativity
Composition
Songwriting
Music Theory
Rhythmic Development
Improvisation
Ear Training & Listening Skills
Ensemble Skills & Group Playing
Experimental & Extended Techniques
Production & Process
Recording Techniques
Electronic Music Composition & Musique Concrète
Touring Tips & Studio Advice
Creative Process Coaching
Interdisciplinary Studies
Support & Mentorship
Artist Mentorship
Customized Multi-Topic Lesson Plans
About Ryan
Ryan Jewell is a versatile music educator, performer, and producer with over 20 years of experience teaching students of all ages. He has taught private lessons, led workshops, and mentored students at all levels — including at The New School in Manhattan, Oberlin Conservatory, Jazz Academy, and Queensland University of Technology (Australia).
Education
He studied percussion, composition, and electronic music at Capital University Conservatory of Music, and has continued his education through decades of private study with master teachers in a wide range of traditions.
Performance & Recording
As a professional musician, Ryan has been featured on over 200 recordings and has toured extensively across 25 countries. His performance credits include NPR’s Tiny Desk, Glastonbury Festival, Beacon Theatre, The Fillmore, and SXSW. He has performed with a wide range of artists across genres — from experimental pioneers like Marshall Allen and Jandek, to folk and indie legends like Norah Jones, Jeff Tweedy, Lou Barlow, and J Mascis, to artists such as Marco Benevento, Ryley Walker, Bill Frisell, and jaimie branch — reflecting a career rooted in curiosity, versatility, and deep listening.
He also composes music for film, teaches electronic music, and supports students interested in studio work, touring, and the creative process.
Teaching Approach
Ryan’s goal is to help students experience the joy and personal growth that comes from expressing themselves through music. He offers one-on-one lessons across a variety of subjects, with an emphasis on creativity, exploration, and individual goals. Whether a student is a beginner or a working artist, a hobbyist or a performer, lessons are tailored to their unique interests, experience level, and learning style, including neurodivergent and nontraditional approaches.
No two students are the same, so Ryan creates unique lesson plans based on each person's goals, interests, and experience. His “start where you are” approach builds on each student’s strengths and curiosity while filling in any gaps along the way. These aren’t cookie-cutter lessons, they’re interactive, one-on-one sessions designed to support each student’s growth as a musician.
He strives to create a welcoming, inclusive space where students of all backgrounds, identities, and experience levels feel respected, heard, and encouraged.
