“Michael’s collective skill, experiences, and overall love for percussion instruments is by far unprecedented. Michael is a great musician; and has worked with many top notched musicians in his lifetime. He is verse in many styles and genres of percussion music.
His many trips around the world experiencing music at its source is translated to his students. He shows patience with all skill levels, teaching and sharing the many styles he learned while traveling the world an incorporates his own personal style to students.
I highly recommend Michael to any beginning, novice or professional musician who wants to take their playing to at the next level!”
—Stan Corpus – Owner Pacific Coast Percussion Instruments
“Michael Pluznick and I have been like ships in the night for years. I had always heard good things, but in the past week I’ve gotten a chance to get to know him and play with him twice. It’s been awesome! He is a gifted, gentle and good teacher who really wants his students to get it and grow. He is devoted to the drum and to sharing his passion for the music he has studied with those who are ready to learn. As a teacher myself for many years, I know the amount of time, dedication and love it takes to learn and gain the knowledge, and Michael has definitely put in the time to learn and also to learn to be a skilled teacher. Thanks Michael, a joy and I look forward to more sharing with you.”
—Cheri Shanti
“I have been playing drums since 1984 and have had many dozens of teachers over the years. One teacher stands out more than any other, Michael Pluznick. I’ve been studying with Michael since 2010. Here’s why Michael has been my favorite teacher…
Communication:
Michael has a way of saying things in a way that I can understand it. If I don’t understand, he finds other ways to explain until I do understand.
Knowledge:
Michael is an “encyclopedia of knowledge” with an impressive recall of memory full of rhythms. He has 50 years of study of world percussion and has traveled around the globe to expand his learning.
Enthusiasm:
Michaels passion for drumming and teaching others is very apparent. It is clear that he cares very much for the study of the drum and he becomes very inspired when his students share the enthusiasm.
Multitasking:
In a group class setting, Michael has the ability to teach different levels of knowledge simultaneously from beginner to advance. Additionally in an African ensemble, he can teach the different parts of all the instruments in the ensemble, such as the 3 Dunun parts, the bell patterns, and the accompany djembe parts.
Respectfulness:
Michael does not ever disrespect others, on the contrary he lifts them up. He’s polite, he listens, he’s kind and considerate. He has a genuine caring for people to learn.
Teamwork:
In group settings in more advanced classes, he teaches us to work as a team. Each of us have our roles. And we will all switch roles to learn all of the parts to give us all a full understanding of each piece that we learn. And we also will all get to have ample “solo” time to express ourselves.
Leadership:
Michael is a “Natural Leader,” which combines all of the qualities mentioned here. Instantly when he starts a class, he has the full attention and captivation of his group.
In conclusion, Michael has a way of “seeing” where his student is at, and shows the student the next steps. He has the ability to break things down into “baby steps”that can get you to the next level ad infinitum.”
—Jason Megibow
“Michael Pluznick is one of the best instructors of the fine art of afro influenced drumming world wide. His path of ” sharing is caring” make him one of the BEST teachers I have learned the most in my music life. The unique blend of West African and Afrocuban drumming in his research to ensamble both rhythmic languages it´s Great tool and opportunity to learn from his wide experience, playing, giving workshops all over the world and recording. His deep knowledge makes him a unique expert on his field because just very few can transmit so much in his audio / visual productions. Rarely you can find a very good teacher and an excellent player. Michael Pluznick meets both with an amount of passion that shows all the love and respect for this fine art of playing percussion. In my experience, his approach to rising musicians it’s full of wisdom,, humbleness, truth, respect, unity and knowledge. Thank´s M.P to share with the world, your legacy will speak for itself.”
—Salvador Arias. México.
“I have been playing the djembe for 11 years and I teach beginners. I have found Michaels online classes to be very helpful to me as both a student and a teacher. The lessons are very clear and easy to follow, there’s lots of material and information in each level. I take a lot of classes both online and in person so I can say with confidence, you won’t be disappointed.”
—Linda Marie
“I’ve played & studied world percussion for going on 30 years now and Michael Pluznick is by far one of the best drum teachers I’ve ever had the blessing of working with.”
—Sahuna Love
“I have taken a couple of classes with Michael and both were fun and informative. I thought Michael was particularly good at choosing a level of material which was both challenging and achievable. I also like the fact that he is able to span both the West African and Afrocuban repertoire which makes for an interesting mix.”
—Mark Williams
“Michael is an exceptional teacher w/ wide-ranging experience in not just African drumming but drumming styles around the world. He is a patient, supportive teacher for beginners, a challenging resource for intermediate players, and so skillful even the most experienced players can pick up something from his teaching. We are lucky to have Michael here to help us further strengthen and ever deepen our appreciation for the drumming we already love so much.”
—Eric J Gruber
“I had the pleasure of learning congas from Michael Pluznick over the course of 3 months in Thailand. He is a dedicated teacher and cares deeply about his students success and understanding. Furthermore, he gives you all you need to find your voice on the drums and truly express yourself. It should also be noted that he is a document student of master drummers across decades and that should tell you already he’s a great vessel of the information if you can’t hear it in his playing and/or composition already. Don’t sleep on learning from Michael Pluznick. You can thank me later.”
—Michael Mestas
“I have been fortunate to learn from Michael both in person and through video. What I like the most about his lessons is how well structured and the attention to detail that really help you not only learn a pattern or rhythm but also the understanding and development of the proper technique, which builds strong fundamentals and the confidence to continue on my drumming journey.”
—Luis Calderon
“I’ve studied for years with Michael Pluznick, and our running joke has always been how much I forget – especially if Rumba is ever mentioned. Finally, Michael has put together clear, concise video lessons of so many of the rhythms we studied and there is no more excuse not to learn. He breaks everything down in such a way that I’m able to learn and build on what I’ve mastered, and then add some more. His technique exercises are somewhat like doing burpees for me – I hate them, I dread them, but the results are so good! The material contained here will keep me busy for years to come, and I look forward to seeing how it will influence my piano playing.”
—Margot Vanriper
“I just sat in on one of Michael’s group drum lessons. He is a joy to watch. Serious, demanding, but with a great sense of humor and compassion toward students of any and all levels. His enthusiasm and mentoring spirit are infectious, and the effect on the outcome magical. Michael also demonstrates a near encyclopedic mental catalog of the world’s rhythms and can recall and demonstrate them at will. I highly recommend Michael as a teacher, mentor, and friend to anyone who is serious about taking part in the “heartbeats” of our world.”
—Bill Cannon
“Michael Pluznick’s online courses are great, they have helped me so much. I like how he breaks everything down clearly. I have tried other classes but found these to be the most useful and easy to learn from. I recommend them for anyone wanting to learn how to play better, longer and have more fun.”
—Theresa Frazier
“Since Michael began teaching locally the standard of playing in our drumming Community has improved exponentially. For anyone who’s serious about learning African and Afro-Cuban rhythms and technique, I know of no better teacher anywhere than Michael Pluznick. I’ve been around drum circles a long time, and what makes me keep coming back, and sometimes lead them, is the challenge of playing the traditional rhythms I learn from Michael. It’s why I’ll take every chance I can get to go to his classes.”
—Cliff Kohlmeyer
“When i Drum with Michael I feel a sense of freedom and belonging to something bigger than me. Michael takes Rythm up to a higher place of life and his smile while he drumming is infectious.”
—Elle Walsh
“Michael has an intuitive teaching style that scales to students needs from beginner to advanced . He is great at identifying problem areas and giving his students the tools and encouragement to overcome them. His lifetime of study and sustained passion are rare to find in a teacher.”
—Michael Jaffe
“I’ve had the good fortune to be a student of Michael Pluznick for several years. In addition to being a gifted percussionist, Michael is truly a gifted teacher. He makes the complex seem simple, easy to grasp and fun to learn. As a late entry to the world of drumming, (African Djembe and Dundun to be specific), I owe much of my love and passion for drumming to his skillful guidance, understanding, and of course, his patience. Michael has helped me, and continues to help me, develop a skill set and passion that is ever growing. And just when I thought I couldn’t love drumming any more than I already do, he shows me how to love it even more.”
—Michael Teller
“Michael Plusnick is a very knowledgeable, and capable drum teacher. He is an encyclopedia of rhythms, and knows the different parts and accompaniments to each poly rhythm he teaches. I have Known Michael for about 40 years, and he has always shown me something that I didn’t know before. He breaks each rhythm down, so even someone who is not advanced can understand it. In short, he knows what he’s talking about, and knows how to convey it.”
—Marijah Speziale
“MP grins whenever I come back to the rhythm. He never growls when I mess up. Because of this embracing and warm style, his teaching sinks in. He is known for his ability to translate even the most difficult pieces into easy to understand lessons. M is a great teacher with an unusual breadth of knowledge covering many traditions and styles. And he is just plain fun to play with!”
—Janet Erickson
“I’ve really gained a ton from using Michael’s djembe lessons! Although I’ve been playing awhile, there were certain blind spots his courses have helped me correct. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to get a good overview of the djembe dunun world. I got a lot in particular from the drum yoga videos, which walked me through a very practical series of exercises to get more limber and stay so while I play. Very useful! I also used Michael’s mirror techniques to spot and correct imbalances between my right and left side while I played. This is very important as it helps keep stamina high. There were lots of other pieces weaved throughout the courses that I really enjoyed, as well. Great job, Michael and thank you!!!”
—Erich Huffaker
“I loved it, Michael! Especially the Yankadi Solos. As soon as I ingest all of it I’ll move on to the next level. For me, there’s new stuff to learn as well as ideas to help me be a better teacher :-)”
—Linda Marie
“If you’re a djembe player looking for new material, you’ve got to check out Michael Pluznick online drum courses! There is a ton of great content to keep you motivated and productive. I especially love that he included a professional level course as well. It’s worth every penny! I highly recommend his courses to anyone looking for inspiration!”
—Pamela Lynn-Seraphine, Founder, 21st Century Drummer Magazine