Mateos Labbe-Phelan is a drummer, pianist, and composer working to develop a meaningful relationship with the practice of music making in his students. He performs regularly at Toronto venues in a wide array of styles ranging from indie folk and rock, to jazz and R&B among others.

Growing up in a musical household, Mateos quickly gained an innate love of music that has remained with him ever since and that is integral to his practice. Starting piano lessons at age 6, it was not until he started playing drums at age 10 that this love of music would be fully cultivated into a personal means of creativity and expression. Learning by feel and playing along to songs, Mateos was primarily self taught until enrolling in the Humber Community Music School at age 13, where he would further develop his abilities and stylistic versatility through the guidance of his teacher Steve Mancuso. From then on he would begin playing in Toronto venues, establishing himself as a creative and musical drummer, as well as attending the University of Toronto for jazz performance studying under Ethan Ardelli.

Mateos understands the profound impact a teacher can have on a student who is early into cultivating their passion for music, and for learning the drums. The new excitement of expressing oneself through drumming is what he aims to capture and encourage in his lessons, giving students the proper tools to propel their ability on the instrument without getting caught in the mundaneness of technique, and feeling that practice is a chore. It’s called ‘playing’ music for a reason, and with that in mind, Mateos seeks to guide students by their initial excitement surrounding the instrument, and to help them grow creatively to a point of wanting to make music for the sake of it–to where the skills they have developed can provide them with joy and inspiration that can always be uncovered further.

Taking an intuitive approach, Mateos recognizes that everyone learns differently. Whether it be learning a favorite song, or a classical snare drum etude, Mateos will support the learning style of the student, encouraging their eagerness to learn and to have fun while doing it. He can teach rock, pop, jazz, and latin genres, improvisation techniques, musical literacy and notation, all with an emphasis on body ergonomics and healthy drumming practices for the student.

Whether looking to learn a new instrument or to gain a more in depth knowledge of the drums, Mateos will follow the intuitions of the student to help them learn and achieve their desired goals in a fun but effective manner. Book a trial lesson today!