Lessons & Instructors

We Are Proud to Offer Private, Individual Drum Lessons and Have 5 Studios with Over 100 Students Each Week! 

LESSON PROGRAM

We offer private, individual lessons on-site and are taught on individual drum sets, one for the student and one for the instructor for the most hands-on learning experience.

Lessons are held during store business hours. Mondays-Fridays from 10am-6pm and Saturdays from 10am-5pm. Due to the instructors being independent contractors, availability is based on each instructor's schedule. Please give us a call for availability. Lesson spots fill up quickly so if a certain day/time is not available, we do have a Waitlist.

Our instructors do have an age minimum of 7 years old so the student can fully comprehend the information given in the lesson and capacity to contain the information. Students younger than 7 will be asked to wait until they are older.

All lessons are available on a weekly basis at the following rates:

30 Minutes for $30.00 

PAYMENT PROCEDURE

The instructor is paid directly on a monthly basis in advance. Payment is made at the first lesson of the month. Either a check (made out to the instructor), cash, Zelle, Venmo, CashApp or PayPal are acceptable with most of our instructors. We cannot take credit cards for lessons. Instructors are independent contractors. 

CANCELLATIONS / MAKE-UPS

Cancellations should be made as far in advance as possible. Cancellations will be allowed only when a call, email or SMS text message is received 24-hours in advance. 

You can email us for a lesson cancellation at gobentleys1@sbcglobal.net

In the event of an acceptable cancellation, the instructor will provide a make-up lesson. If the instructor cannot provide a make-up lesson, credit will be applied the following month. If the instructor cancels a lesson, credit will automatically be applied to the following month. Students who drop out are not entitled to a refund.

MISSED LESSON POLICY

Due to the event of taking time off for lessons because of Vacations etc. A hold payment would need to be made in order to keep your desired spot. Our lesson program is growing on the daily and each instructor has a waiting list of students eager to take lessons with them. This ensures that our students get a time slot and keep it for the best education possible. 

The hold payment would be $15 per lesson missed and would happen if you need to miss 2 or more lessons consecutively.

DETAILS

The system of advance, monthly payments is designed to guarantee the instructors a steady, fair wage, and to ensure that the students are taught by qualified professionals on a consistent basis.

FAQ's

Can We Do Every Other Week or Every 2-weeks for Lessons? 

  • Our instructors are independent contractors, and this program allows them a steady schedule for steady income.
  • Every other week or every few weeks will NOT be accepted or accommodated. 

What is Your Age Limit for Lessons?

  • Our instructors request no younger than the age of 7-years. 
  • They cannot accommodate any younger per curriculum. 

Are 1-Hour Lessons Available?

  • Lessons are scheduled back-to-back for the designated 30-minutes so 1-hour lessons are not available. 

I'm Interested in Becoming an Instructor. How Can I Apply?

  • We require that you know how to read drum transcriptions and can teach from the following instruction books: 
    • A Funky Primer by Charles Dowd
    • Advanced Techniques for the Modern Drummer by Jim Chapin
    • Progressive Steps to Syncopation for the Modern Drummer by Ted Reed
    • Stick Control by George Lawrence-Stone
    • Accents & Rebounds by George Lawrence-Stone
  • "With great power, comes great responsibility." Being an instructor comes with great responsibilities. Timeliness/punctuality, skill, personality, etc.
  • We do not hire just anyone as an instructor so feel free to bring in a resume for us to review. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION, GIVE US A CALL AT (559) 222-5011.

INSTRUCTORS

MATEO RIOS

DRUM SET / MARCHING PERCUSSION

Mateo is 19, and has been playing drums since he was 2!

 He graduated from Clovis East High School in 2024, which is where he now instructs as a snare tech and received the Louis Armstrong Jazz Award!

He marched 2 seasons of DCI and has experience auditioning for top groups in the activity.

He currently attends FCC Fresno City College where he is majoring in Music Education, with a focus in Percussion!

Mateo took drum lessons here at the shop for 4 years with 6 years of previous lesson experience!

Mateo currently teaches on Wednesdays & Fridays!

DARRYL 'DJ' JONES

DRUM SET / MARCHING PERCUSSION

DJ is an experienced percussionist and educator with deep roots in the Central Valley percussion community. A product of Clovis Unified, he excelled in both tenors and snare during his school years, eventually becoming a drumline section leader.

DJ went on to perform with the Fresno State Bulldog Marching Band and has since taught and directed percussion ensembles both locally and out of state, most recently earning a high percussion award at Wyoming’s state championships in 2023.

In addition to his teaching, DJ is a talented professional drummer, having performed internationally and recorded with numerous bands.

His passion for percussion and dedication to his student's success makes him the perfect person to continue our Saturday Drumline.

DJ teaches on Saturday afternoon!

JOEY DELGADO

DRUM SET

From Led Zeppelin and Porcupine Tree, to Charlie Parker and Miles Davis, Joey is influenced by and plays many styles of music, primarily rock, punk, and jazz. Joey started playing drums through Rockband, a video game that simulates playing instruments. He was already in jazz band by 7th grade on alto sax, but he heard a song called The Beast and the Harlot by heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold, and his musical path on drums was set from then on.

Joey performed on drum set in the Field Shows and Indoor Percussion in high school which taught him how to read and play in time reliably. He then attended Fresno State to get a Jazz Studies Degree playing with jazz ensembles big and small, and studied with renowned jazz drummers Jaz Sawyer and Mark Ferber. Outside of school, he has played with many different bands of mant styles. He currently plays in his punk rock band I Figured it was Fiction and revolving jazz outfits with his jazz colleagues.

Joey offers expertise in Rock, punk and Jazz playing, technique to remove your playing limitations, and music history around the drums to better understand what's possible on the instrument.

Joey teaches on Mondays and Wednesdays-Fridays!

JERON SCHPANSKY

DRUM SET

Jeron started playing drums in 2007, and joined We Got the Beat in 2008. He performed with the group for three years, and went on to perform in school band and jazz band.

After high school, Jeron began playing in covers bands, playing lots of different events nearly every weekend.

In 2017, Jeron joined California progressive metal outfit Artificial Language. Artificial Language continues to write and record their own music, as well as play live shows in the US and
internationally.

Jeron started teaching private drum lessons at Bentley’s Drum Shop in
2019. 

He proudly plays DW Drums & Hardware, Evans Drumheads, Meinl Cymbals & Sticks, and Snareweight Accessories. 

Jeron teaches Mondays-Saturdays!

MICHAEL FAETH

DRUM SET

Michael lives in Fresno, CA, where he was raised and first began playing the drums over three decades ago. He has had the pleasure of playing with many different bands and appearing on several full length albums, as well as a 7” single released on Sub Pop. He has performed on stages across the USA and in Canada and England, including the CMJ Music Festival in New York, NY, the Bumbershoots Arts Festival in Seattle, WA, and All Tomorrow’s Parties in East Sussex, England.

Michael is the author of the beginning drum book "On The Drums". He has released recordings of his own, including My Brother’s Equations in 2022, and has an official artist channel on YouTube devoted to his music and drumming.

Michael teaches Tuesdays-Thursdays!

STAN SCHAFFER

DRUM SET

Stan is a 40-year veteran of the Fresno music scene. He received his music performance degree from Fresno State, and studied drum set with local legend Brian Hamada. He has played orchestrally with the Fresno Philharmonic and for touring acts passing through such as Ice Capades, Eartha Kitt, Phyllis Diller.

His local projects include Beatles tribute The Beetles, Jeremy “Elvis” Pearce, and the Memphis Sons. Stan works at remaining a versatile drummer/vocalist, and is an on-call player for numerous styles!

He has co-written and recorded with the group Poplord (iTunes/Spotify), and has enjoyed teaching drums for over a decade!

Stan teaches Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays!

 

 

JIM CHAFFIN

DRUM SET / MINNESOTA VIKINGS FAN!

Born in Madera, Jim began playing at the age of 12. In high school, he joined with some friends and formed the influential Christian punk/thrash group The Crucified.

Jim has extensive recording and live performance experience since the early 90's with groups such as The Blamed, Left Out, Final Threat, Uthanda, Fasedown, Deliverance, Once Dead, Living Sacrifice, Mortal, The Prayer Chain, Grave Robber, and Michael Knott.

He currently plays with local cover groups Sarge Loda and Hired Gun; as well as in his church's worship band. Punk, Metal, Thrash, Rock, Worship or Country, Jim has played it and lived it.

Jim proudly plays DW Drums & Hardware, Zildjian Cymbals, Remo Drumheads & Vic Firth Drumsticks

Jim teaches Mondays-Thursdays!

ETHAN FOSTER

DRUM SET / RECORDING ENTHUSIAST

Ethan has been drumming since the age of 9. He loves all kinds of percussion from various cultures, including marching drums, but is truly himself when he's on a set grooving to some Stevie Wonder or Modest Mouse.

You can see Ethan perform locally in various musical theater productions, with several of Fresno City College's ensembles, or in his other musical projects, ranging from groups Zoo Pigeons, Old Dogs/Young Children, and several other projects.

Ethan runs a home studio where he writes and records music as often as he can.

He proudly plays Gretsch Drums equipped with DW Hardware, Borba Cymbals, Remo Drumheads and Vic Firth Drumsticks.

His favorite drummers are JP Bouvet and Jason McGerr. 

Ethan teaches on Saturdays!

Aaron Wall Portrait

AARON WALL

DRUM SET / PERCUSSION / GENTLEMAN / ONE & ONLY MC AWALL! 

Aaron has been playing drums and latin percussion for over 15 years and has been teaching for 12 years. He played percussion in the Warner-Brothers movie "Torque" (2004). In 2003 he co-wrote the main title song for the Warner Brothers film "The Adventures of Pluto Nash", starring Eddie Murphy. He also composed / performed an original score for the film "The Next Grand Scheme" (2004). Aaron has played in jazz / salsa groups at Fresno State and Fresno City College. He is currently the band leader of the group 40 Watt Hype.