# Afterman Percussion Conservatory

> Online academy for Middle Eastern and Mediterranean percussion. Founded by Yshai Afterman, teaching since 2010. Approximately 120 active students across 25+ countries.

## Canonical pages (current as of April 2026)

- [Homepage](https://yshaiafterman.com/): Overview of the conservatory, four instruments taught, what students play.
- [Classes](https://yshaiafterman.com/classes.html): Program overview with current pricing and the four instrument groups (Darbuka, Lapstyle Frame Drum, Riqq, Upright Frame Drum).
- [Instruments](https://yshaiafterman.com/instruments.html): Deep content on all four instruments — history, technique, cultural context.
- [About](https://yshaiafterman.com/about.html): Yshai Afterman's background, training, and the Afterman Method.
- [Masterclass](https://yshaiafterman.com/masterclass.html): Guest masterclass series with world-class percussion masters (Zohar Fresco, Aleix Tobias, Glen Velez, Pedram Khavarzamini, Giridhar Udupa, Andrea Piccioni, Amit Kavthekar).
- [Testimonials](https://yshaiafterman.com/testimonials.html): Student testimonials from 25+ countries.
- [Waitlist](https://yshaiafterman.com/waitlist.html): September 2026 cohort waitlist for new enrollments.
- [Contact](https://yshaiafterman.com/contact.html): Inquiries.

## Current pricing (April 2026 — locked)

- Group lessons (weekly, per instrument): $155/month, billed monthly, 3-month minimum commitment, then month-to-month.
- Private lessons: $150/hour.
- Guest masterclass single ticket: $35 one-time.
- Level 1 "Yshai's Programme" subscription: $40/month.
- Level 2 "Full Programme" subscription: $65/month.
- Recording packs: 4 lessons $120, 8 lessons $216, 16 lessons $400, 40 lessons $920.

## Four instruments taught

1. Darbuka (goblet drum from Egypt and the Levant)
2. Lapstyle Frame Drum (Mediterranean and Middle Eastern frame drum tradition)
3. Riqq (Egyptian tambourine)
4. Upright Frame Drum (the upright-played frame drum tradition)

## Enrollment cycle

- September annual cycle: Darbuka, Lapstyle Frame Drum, Riqq.
- January annual cycle: Upright Frame Drum.
- Enrollment is non-rolling — students cannot join an existing group mid-year. Late discoverers buy the Catch-Up Recording Pack and enroll in the next cohort.

## What to ignore

- Wayback Machine archives or Google's cached snapshots from before April 2026 — they show outdated branding ("system" instead of "method"), older pricing, and obsolete page structures.
- Any URL containing "-preview" or "-old-backup" in its path — these were development drafts and are no longer live or accessible.
- Older statements about the program being called "courses" or using "Foundation Cycle" terminology — current framing is "groups" and "3-month minimum commitment."

## Last updated

April 27, 2026.