I've been taking drum lessons with Sam Esecson for well over a year now - and while he works mostly with younger students, Sam is a great teacher for adults as well. In particular, he helped me move from getting down the basics on my own to being comfortable playing in several different live band and group situations. I'd recommend him not only for kids and novice adult students, but also for more experienced drummers looking to improve their hand technique, their musical feel (especially in jazz and latin), and their dynamics and finesse. His studio is large so it never feels cramped and set up so it's not super-loud during a lesson, which is a bonus! read more

Sam is a phenomenal Instructor. You can not find a better, more effective teacher in the area. I've been working with him for about 9 months. I've been drumming for 15 years. I've played in active bands in a variety of genres (pop, rock, jazz, metal, fusion etc...). I've done a music theory degree, and studied music both a serious industry member (live audio reinforcement) and as a performer. I can say, without any doubts, that Sam has been one of the greatest musical mentor's I've ever had the pleasure of working with. His knowledge of musical genres is unparalleled - he can seamlessly move between contemporary pop, classic jazz, world music (afro-cuban, afrobeat etc..) and more, all the while giving deep insights into the musical relationships between them. Sam's technical skill is exceptional, and his ability to distill complex techniques which he's refined over the course of years into small teachable lessons is exquisite. He possess the ability to identify strengths and weaknesses in a performer, and can use that insight to drive your development forward in ways which will truly expand your playing. Sam possess a calm, friendly personality that creates a comfortable, safe environment in which to learn. When working with him I feel like I am part of a team dedicated to furthering my musical development. His attitude is one of always looking forward for ways to improve while focusing on making lessons fun and engaging. As a drummer of over a decade, who had recently sought to push himself to new levels, Sam has been everything I had hoped to find in a teacher. read more

My son is brand new to percussion and he has so loved being taught by Sam -- and I am amazed by how much I love listening to the 2 of them play. He is obviously a talented percussionist (check out the Paperboys!) but is a patient, kind and appropriately challenging teacher as well. We look forward to our weekly lessons - read more

Sam is an excellent drum teacher and has the patience of a saint! He teaches my 9 year old son and keeps lessons fun by letting him choose songs he likes in order to learn different drumming techniques. Sam is always upbeat and encouraging and my son looks forward to going to lessons every week! read more

You can stop looking! Sam is THE teacher if you would like your child/teen to develop a lifelong love of playing drums. Sam is kind, patient and works with each student to help them grow as musicians. We have been drumming with Sam for 5 years. Our family is grateful to have found such an inspiring advocate for music. Sam truly is a treasure. read more

Our son has taken lessons from Sam for about a year and a half. He started when he was 8 years old and this was his first instrument and introduction to playing music. Sam has been great! He's patient and always encouraging and has really developed his confidence and skills. We love how he invites his students and their families to come and watch him play live with his band. Such a great experience for a kid to be part of live music and see his teacher on stage. Highly recommend! read more

Sam's style of teaching my 9 yo is beyond my hopes. He is patient, organized, fun, engaged and even has a fabulous balance between between being in charge and being playful. read more

I was looking for a new drum teacher for my daughter (8) and myself. Our prior two teachers, though good drummers, just didn't quite feel like a perfect fit for what I wanted for both my daughter and myself. I took to Yelp to try and find a new teacher and found Sam's Yelp page. He had a couple of great reviews, obvious live playing experience and thought we'd give him a try. His studio is clean and nicely set up. It's close to my house which is a bonus. As far as teaching, he is very patient and positive, talented and good with kids. We both have ample homework and open communication to talk about any questions that arise. Another review mentioned learning standard beats right away and I'd have to agree with the confidence building part of that. It's really cool to be able to go home from a lesson being a beginner drummer and start playing more than just one basic Rock beat. Anyhow, so far we've had about 5 or 6 lessons now and I honestly couldn't be happier with my choice of teachers. read more

My 8 year old daughter has taken drum lessons with Sam at kaleieoscope music in Issaquah for almost a year now. He has been amazing with her, patient, fun, inspiring. She loves rocking out with him and she is normally really shy. Recommend Sam without reservation for lessons and he's is easy to work with regarding our sometimes changing schedule needs. He is also a great drummer in a couple of bands and we have heard him play. Thanks Sam! read more

I've been taking 1 hour lessons for a couple of months now. Was at a beginner level when we started and I've drastically improved in both theory and technique. He's very flexible with scheduling, even around my hectic work schedule. Great basement setup with two kits. So far we've mainly focused on jazz, but he's definitely comfortable in other genres, especially Latin. Would highly recommend! read more

Sam's teaching has helped me go from just struggling to keep a beat to incorporating new techniques and styles into my playing in only a couple months. He's a versatile drummer and great about teaching me what I want to learn while keeping focus on the finer, technical aspects, and keeping it interesting. Lessons are always fun and comfortable and his teaching studio set up is great. Highly recommended teacher. read more

Sam is a great drum teacher. Since I am a beginner adult drum student he is a very patient, excellent teacher. He helped me learn some standard beats right away which boosted my confidence. He always combined fun with technique. Highly recommended teacher. read more

Sam has been so patient with my 7 year old son who just started drum lessons this fall. He does an amazing job of providing instruction while being kind and supportive. My son has already learned a lot and loves going to his lessons. read more

I took percussion lessons from Sam. I appreciated his desire to teach what I wanted to learn - and especially his ability to keep up as that changed from lesson to lesson! Experimenting with a raft of different percussion instruments and styles was key to my deciding which ones I wanted to focus on and which ones I didn't enjoy at all. I also appreciated his ability to debug what was going wrong with my technique and to brainstorm drills that not only improved my playing but that I also enjoyed. Without a doubt Sam gets my highest recommendation if you're looking to learn percussion! read more