Tom Y. — Drum Teacher — Rosemont, Montreal

Tom Yanez is a Franco-Canadian drummer and educator based in Montreal. Born into a musical family in Bordeaux, he began taking lessons and performing locally at a young age. Initially focused on pop-rock and metal, he later developed a deep interest in jazz fusion styles after moving to Vancouver. There, he met his most influential drum teacher, whose mentorship was instrumental in helping Tom gain admission to McGill University’s Jazz Performance program. Since moving to Montreal, Tom has performed at various venues like Upstairs, Club Soda, or healthcare centers, and for occasions like weddings, new year parties, healthcare programs, Sily D'or, film soundtracks, or local artists' albums. In 2021, he was awarded "Ludwig Canadian Drummer of the Year" and "Dream Cymbals Big Band Drummer of the Year" with the National Conn-Selmer Centerstage Jazz Band. Tom has always had a passion for teaching, which he first put into practice as a volunteer with Richmond’s Summer Jazz program. After moving to Montreal for his studies, he quickly began gaining experience in private instruction, as well as through various volunteer roles, including a theatrical music outreach program for daycare children under PhD candidate Taiana Goebert and initiatives supporting disadvantaged communities through music at Garage a Musique. With now over 700 teaching hours with more than 70 students, Tom has had the opportunity to refine and develop his instructional approach. In addition, alongside his studies in music performance and his professional experience, Tom began studying cognitive neuroscience at McGill University, a field that continues to inform both his practice and his teaching methods.

Warm-Up (5-10min) - get your hands and mind ready - might include snare drum etudes, rudiments - typically the "technical" part of the lesson New Concepts (15-25min) - learn at a pace that fits your progress, ensuring you're always building skills without feeling overwhelmed - might include sight-reading, learning world music genres, improvising fills and solos, drum tuning, and much much more Your Favorite Songs (20-30min) - teaching musically means my students are going to play music, right away. Cool Down (5-10min) - ear-training games - music listening Every step is tailored to your interests and challenges, keeping lessons engaging while staying focused on long-term growth.