Qualifications and place of study: National Diploma in music performance @ Hudderfield Technical College – 2 distinctions and 1 Merit. Higher National Diploma in music performance @ Academy of Contemporary Music – Merit. BMUShons in music performance @ Academy of Contemporary Music – 2:1.
Favourite Show played: 6 months playing on the Dawn Princess sailing around Australia.
Desert Island Disc: Blues Brothers and Friends – Live from Chicago’s House of Blues – Danny Gotleib killing it on drums.
What you love about music: I love the challenge that music brings. There’s nothing better than working really hard on a song or groove and eventually being able to play it really easily.
Motto; “An amateur practice till they get it right. A professional practices till they can’t get it wrong.”
Biography: Ben began playing the drums when he was 10. He continued throughout school, where he participated in many youth orchestras and big bands. He went on to achieve a 2:1 in BA (hons) Music Performance at The Academy of Contemporary Music.
After graduating, Ben began working as a full time musician working in function bands, playing at weddings and parties all over the country, as well as teaching privately at Fulneck School in Leeds.
To see the world, Ben moved onto working in the orchestras for Royal Caribbean and Princess Cruises. The cruise ships required Ben to have strong sight reading skills, be able to play a range of genres and learn to work with, not just musicians, but dancers and acts from all sectors of the entertainment industry.
Now as a working musician in the UK, Ben works with a variety of bands and productions including Qdos Pantomimes.
He has studied with some of the best drum teachers in the country and now wants to share his knowledge.