Ben has been teaching drums and percussion since 1999. He holds degrees in music performance, education and composition, and loves to play and teach a wide variety of styles. We are lucky to have his wealth of knowledge and experience accessible to all students and teachers here in the studio.
Ben takes tremendous care to ensure students develop playing habits that will keep them from getting in their own way, and solidify their foundational knowledge. However, he likes to balance this by designing an individualized curriculum for each student based on the music they enjoy. There is often a heavy emphasis on transcription--the process of analyzing the beats from some of the student’s favorite songs and writing them down on paper. One of his favorite ways to describe the tone of his lessons is “We’re serious about having fun”-- there is a casual lightness to his manner, despite his attention to detail.
Ben averages between 100 and 150 performances a year, playing everything from rock to folk, country, soul, jazz, funk, punk and afro-cuban. He also plays and teaches electric bass, tutors music theory, composition and arranging, and is a sought-after studio drummer. All of these skill sets come into play in the experience he provides during his lessons. He currently teaches on Wednesday at 7DrumCity.
Some of the artists he is recording and performing with at the time of this writing include Bobby Thompson, Drew Gibson and Jasmine Gillison.
Ben takes tremendous care to ensure students develop playing habits that will keep them from getting in their own way, and solidify their foundational knowledge. However, he likes to balance this by designing an individualized curriculum for each student based on the music they enjoy. There is often a heavy emphasis on transcription--the process of analyzing the beats from some of the student’s favorite songs and writing them down on paper. One of his favorite ways to describe the tone of his lessons is “We’re serious about having fun”-- there is a casual lightness to his manner, despite his attention to detail.
Ben averages between 100 and 150 performances a year, playing everything from rock to folk, country, soul, jazz, funk, punk and afro-cuban. He also plays and teaches electric bass, tutors music theory, composition and arranging, and is a sought-after studio drummer. All of these skill sets come into play in the experience he provides during his lessons. He currently teaches on Wednesday at 7DrumCity.
Some of the artists he is recording and performing with at the time of this writing include Bobby Thompson, Drew Gibson and Jasmine Gillison.