The Boy picked up drum sticks at nine years old and was instantly better at drumming than anything I have ever done in my life. Wanting to feed this precocious talent, we purchased his first kit from Donn Bennett Drums (see my review)) and signed him up for lessons with School of Rock (see my review) which at the time was just a few minutes from our house. A couple of years into that routine, a close friend who is a professional drummer mentioned that if The Boy really wanted to accelerate his progress and vastly expand his skills he couldn't do better than lessons with Garey Williams. During summer break that year (2011), The Boy did take lessons with Garey and enjoyed them, but at that time, he was enjoying the live music programming that SOR offers, so when the school year kicked in, it was back to SOR. A year later, he again took lessons from Garey over the summer, but returned to SOR in the fall. However, this time around, things had changed. It was probably his own maturity, combined with improving skills and a sudden appreciation for jazz, but upon returning to SOR, The Boy immediately announced that following the conclusion of that semester, he was leaving SOR to take lessons from Garey exclusively. Because I am not a musician - if I'm being honest, I can't even keep a beat - I don't really feel like I'm qualified to describe what it is about Garey that makes him such a successful educator. So, I asked The Boy to describe that to me and here's what he had to say: "Because every lesson is fun. There's not a lesson that I'm not learning new things that have helped me in my music career. He has ton of great stories to tell and knows tons of people. There's really nothing about taking lessons from Garey that I don't like. If I had stayed at SOR I would have stopped drumming by now, but taking lessons from Garey has taken me to a new level. There's stuff I can do now, and can hear that normal people can't. It's incredible what he's been able to teach me." High praise indeed. As the parent paying the bill, I can say without a doubt that we are seeing a massive return on investment with The Boy's lessons. His skills have improved exponentially. He has grown a deep appreciation for different genres of music - particularly jazz and big bands - and his commitment to his craft is unbelievable particularly considering he's not yet 16 years old. After one year of bi-weekly lessons, we are now up to weekly lessons. Also this year The Boy was accepted into his school's jazz program - a direct result of the work with Garey - and he already feels like he has progressed well past students who were in their junior high jazz programs, but who are not taking private lessons. I credit Garey with much of this. You see, Garey doesn't just teach drumming techniques. Drumming is his life's work and he approaches it with his students in a similar way. As The Boy wrote in a thank you note to a family member who gave him some money for his birthday, "I believe I was put on this earth to play drums." How perfect it is then to have a teacher and mentor who shares that experience. As The Boy heads into his final years of high school, he will start the process of identifying and applying to college and he and Garey are already having conversations about what that will look like. Just a few weeks ago The Boy came home from a lesson and excitedly told me how Garey was going to help him put together an audition video for college. I love that Garey can take on this role, supplementing the work that will take place at home, in ways that my wife and I simply do not possess the knowledge and skills. If you're considering SOR or Seattle Drum School, those programs are fine. But just know, that they will only take your student so far. If, on the other hand, you're looking for a true education from a true educator, who will provide your student with the skills they need to play at an elite level, Garey is the clear choice. Pro tip: Garey offers a 10% discount if you prepay for a full semester (5 months) ahead of time. Fall Semester is September - January. Spring semester is February - June. Pro tip: Town Center at Lake Forest Park is only about a five minute drive from Garey's studio. It's a great place for parents to hang out while their kids are in lessons. read more

Drumset Artistry is great and Garey Williams is an amazing teacher. I have known Garey since 2007 and studied with him when we lived in the Seattle area. He took me from a beginner through novice levels. I left his teaching studio for a deployment to Iraq, when I returned, I came home to a completely set up and tuned drumset. My wife called him and told him how much I missed drumming. When I walked in the door, there it was, perfectly set up. Garey came to the house and provided an amazing service for us as a gift. His gesture was beyond words. When we moved to the East Coast, I started playing more seriously and took lessons from a local legend here in Charleston, SC. I went as far as I could go with my local teacher before I hit a significant plateau. I sent Garey an Email to say hello and he told me about Skype/ FaceTime Drum lessons. I was skeptical at first but it worked out. In some ways, even better than face to face. I schedule a time, we connect through the internet and the lessons are great, they are working, I am starting to progress again. I was worried that internet method would be an problem. It has not. Its uncanny what Garey can hear. For instance, the camera was on on my hands and Garey halted the lesson to ask about my bass drum pedal technique. He heard the problem without seeing it. Instantly, he described my issue and talked me through the fix. I am extremely happy with the Skype/ FaceTime Process and would recommend it in a 16th note. Garey is always positive, and always pushing me. The 3400 mile difference does not get in the way. He is an exceptional teacher. His prices are not cut-rate bargain discount prices, and the lessons are worth every penny. As a matter of fact, you save in the long run, no transportation costs, no travel time to the lessons. This is an excellent way to study. 5 stars. read more

My son, Jeremy, was a student with Garey Williams for 7 years. Jeremy has just been accepted at the School of Music of Ithaca College in New York, after a competitive interview and audition. Garey taught him for years and then helped Jeremy prepare for his audition, including working with him to produce a pre-audition performance video. Garey is impeccable in all respects. As a professional performance and studio drummer, he is in my opinion unexcelled. He's been recognized as such in national publications and by the various companies that have sponsored him. He is a pleasure to hear and see in concert, with extraordinary range and finesse, with just about any style of music you can imagine. As a teacher, Garey is likewise unexcelled. His ability to take students from where they are to where they need to be is impressive, and we have observed the progression of students other than our son over many years. If you want to learn or improve your drum set skills, no matter your age or existing skill level, you would be fortunate, indeed, to study with Garey. If there were a ten on the scale here at Yelp, I'd give Garey an 11. That's how extraordinary he is as a musician, a teacher, and a person. Dr. Carl Binder Bainbridge Island, WA read more

"I am thrilled to see the growth in my son's playing, thanks in no small part to the skilled coaching and direction provided by Garey. Garey knows how to encourage my son to work steadily toward a goal, and he never fails to bring something new to the table in every lesson, while still making sure the essentials are being developed. We are fortunate to live close enough to take lessons in person, but the Skype option is a pretty good option too when there isn't time to drive there." read more

I took lessons with Garey for about 5 years, from when I started playing drums in middle school all the way through high-school. I could not have chosen a better teacher! Garey was an amazing teacher, who helped me audition and make the top band at my high-school that I stayed in for all four years. He is an expert in many genres of music, but we focused on jazz drumset playing. I cannot say enough good things about Garey, I was extremely happy to study with him and I'm grateful that he was (and still is) such a caring, understanding, passionate, challenging and encouraging musician and teacher! read more

I have been studying with Garey for the last 3 years and I have enjoyed every second! Garey never fails to give me insightful tips about how to improve my playing. If I don't understand a concept he always knows several other ways to explain it. He knows everything inside and out and does not hesitate to share his wisdom. His genuine enthusiasm about the music makes lessons fun and mentally stimulating! Garey has helped me with various college auditions and because of him I will soon be attending the University of Northern Colorado, one of the most well-recognized jazz programs in the country. I am proud to call Garey my teacher, mentor, and friend. Any aspiring drummer would be lucky to study with him! read more

I'm an older student, and it was suggested I take lessons from Garey by my previous teacher, who had been a student of Garey's. I have studied with Garey for a couple of years, and enjoyed it all. He's positive, humorous, meticulous, reality grounded, and is a fabulous musician and teacher. With his help and advice, I've succeeded in becoming a member of two big bands, and have improved my performance in both continuously. He's written an instruction book on big band drumming, and presently we're working from that book. It contains both video and mp.3 files to help with concepts and practice. One of Garey's other reviewers described herself as a cymbal snob, and I've become one too! I didn't know that one had so much of a choice in cymbals or what to look or listen for, and Garey helped me do that. I had a problem for a while commuting to his studio, as I needed to take a ferry boat both ways and get up very early. Being retired, that was not convenient. And though I miss the one-on-one with him in his studio, we've adapted to Facetime/Skype lessons very well. I may begin commuting again in the future however. There's something about being in the same room that adds to the value of lessons with Garey. I'm sticking (pardon the pun!) with him as long as he'll have me as a student. read more

I have been taking lessons with Garey for about two years now. I came to him in hopes of improving my jazz playing, which he tremendously helped me do. With Garey's help I received a $10,000 scholarship to Berklee, got accepted into the University of Washington Jazz Studies program, and made it into the Washington All-State Jazz Band. Garey helped me take my drumming to a whole new level which greatly improved my college audition process. I am very lucky to have had such a great drum set instructor and would recommend him to anyone looking to take lessons! read more

Garey inspires me with both his teaching insights and with his playing. I am an adult who took up drums later in life. Consequently, my path has been less of a linear progression through classic fundamentals, but rather seeking skill development supporting the playing opportunities that I would find. Garey always identified just what I needed to overcome my immediate obstacles, while introducing and encouraging my development of the fundamentals. Lessons were always a blast - I would leave inspired, invigorated, and with a new set of challenges to attack. We covered so much, including the history and culture of music, which put so much of what we were working on in a broader context. His ability to communicate concepts is reflected not only in my satisfaction with lessons, but in noting the success of his drum instruction books and videos. (Check him out on YouTube!) If there is any downside (please note the tongue-in-cheek of what is to follow...), it is that I have become somewhat a cymbal snob, now that my ears have learned to hear nuance. Seriously, spend an hour with this guy, and you, too, will appreciate his patience, professionalism, and proficiency. read more

Gary is fantastic. My 7th grade daughter literally skips out of each lesson. Obviously at her level teaching is as important as drum skills (she is still very new). I've coached and taught at many levels and know a good teacher when I see one. Gary is a master drummer and possesses equal teaching talents. read more

When we say that Garey is an excellent teacher, what do we men? To me it means he gets you to learn! It does not matter what your particular deficiency or handicap is, Garey can get you to learn. He knows how students understand things by various methods and techniques. He can get you to learn. He can get you to understand the same piece by feeling,by counting, by singing, by reading the written music or by completely tearing the piece down to microscopic elements until you get it, and you get it in your soul, in your body, in your brain! You have it! There is no skipping it! There is no forgetting about it untill later, you will get it! I have found so much satisfaction in knowing that, one I can learn and that Garey can teach me and get me to learn, to understand. There are many excellent musicians out there, but they cannot all teach. They spend time with you and consider the job done. Garey is not fulfilled untill you have learned. He takes pride, and he should, in his ability to get you to learn, to be able to share with you the music. In addition to learning drumming per se, I have learned so much about music in general, the history of drumming and of music in general. Garey is a welth of information that he has picked up over his years of studying music. I don't know how else I would have learned this history without my connection to Garey! read more

I have been playing drums for over 40 years and have played in several bands. I had a gig scheduled that had some complicated beasts. I have never taken lessons (at least since middle school) and did not know how to read music. I went to a drummer friend who works at the music store and as him who is the very best. He gave me Garey Williams as one of two names. Garey was perfect for me. He took me where I was and turned me into a much better drummer in a short amount of time. He showed me some veteran tricks to make my sound much better. When I struggled with a bass drum pattern, he wrote out the sequences and taught me how to read simple music. Garey was enthused, patient, effective and funny as a teacher. He can teach any genre. I discovered that he has worked with all sorts of top musicians in town and is highly respected. He teaches with side-by-side drum sets and uses skype effectively as a teaching medium. read more