Currently accepting students in Bucks County, PA or online.
I have been teaching drums for as long as I have been a professional drummer. Studying music is something I believe is an important part of a well-rounded education, and I'm always happy to take on new students, regardless of age or skill level.
I have been playing music nearly all my life. Piano and violin were my first instruments, but I gravitated to my father's drumset at an early age and began studying privately in high school while keeping up the violin lessons that began in third grade. My first teacher was my father, John O'Reilly Sr., a co-author of Alfred Music Publishing's Accent on Achievement concert band method and world-renowned concert band composer, conductor, and educator. I spent three summers at the Interlochen Arts Camp in high school then went to Arizona State University on a Jazz Performance scholarship. I have studied privately with Tom Brechtlein, Jeff Hamilton, Joe LaBarbera, Jim Chapin, Steve Houghton, and Peter Erskine.
I worked for Alfred Music Publishing for nearly 10 years and was the pop drum editor there from 2006-2010, where I edited and produced products including The Commandments of Early Rhythm and Blues (Zoro and Daniel Glass), the On the Beaten Path series of books (Rich Lackowski), Universal Rhythms (Dave DiCenso), and drumset transcriptions for the entire catalog of Led Zeppelin. I co-authored the book On the Beaten Path, Jazz, have a video series on Amazon titled How to Play Drums, and am the on-screen instructor for the accompanying video to Alfred's Teach Yourself to Play Drums.
I teach out of my studio in Warminster, PA, and and online via Zoom.
I’m happy to help students with any musical style or any specific aspect of their playing. Rock, jazz, Latin, classical, pop, hand technique, foot technique, general musicianship, soloing…we can work on whatever is needed. At my studio, I’m also able to give lessons on recording techniques.
I proudly endorse Tamburo drums, Istanbul Agop cymbals, and Evans Drumheads.
Please contact me to inquire about scheduling and rates.