Bettencourt Drumming

I’m not a drummer, but have played in many bands with Neil and

he is simply the best drummers I’ve ever played with.

He is an expert with dynamics, holding a solid tempo, polyrhythms,

odd time signatures and is fluent in all styles of music.

With his finely tuned and trained ear

creative jam sessions flow beautifully

with this very intuitive musician.

He’s patient, well spoken and loves to teach.

Neil’s passion for excellence in music

and love for performing at his best

is infections and inspiring.

Playing with Neil has helped me

become a better bass player and

improved all-around musician as well.

Its great that Neil is now available

to teach what he knows!

Neil is a stellar musician and instructor.

I highly recommend you see him play and study with him.

Neil is an amazing drummer and teacher! He started me off in high school on a practice pad (and anything else I could get my sticks on), he helped my buy a killer kit, and got me thoroughly addicted to drumming of all flavors. Even as a teenager just starting out, Neil always treated me like a completely capable equal. He is totally laid back but somehow always manages to get you so excited about drumming and eager to learn more. He is also highly encouraging, and keeps you on point, challenging you to constantly improve. Of course he taught me the basics, but interspersed that with so many new styles and techniques at the perfectly tailored pace to make me never lose interest. He taught me how to sight read and work through complex pieces, how to improvise like a boss, how to play with other musicians, and rock all sorts of crazy time signatures. Learning how to play so many different styles of drums also gave me a beautiful window into whole worlds of new music that I have carried with me far beyond my kit. I am so grateful for the skills he taught, but also for my ever-developing love and understanding of music that only a great teacher can plant.