Benjamin B
Instruments: Drums, Mallet Percussion, Orchestral Percussion, Latin Percussion, Keyboard, Djembe
Styles: Classical, Jazz, Pop, Rock, Blues, Folk, Country, R&B, Latin, Funk, Hip Hop, Salsa, Reggae, Merengue, Latin Jazz, Swing, Samba, Bossa Nova, Soul, Marching Band, Punk, Avant-garde
Benjamin B
Instruments: Drums, Mallet Percussion, Orchestral Percussion, Latin Percussion, Keyboard, Djembe
Styles:
Classical, Jazz, Pop, Rock, Blues, Folk, Country, R&B, Latin, Funk, Hip Hop, Salsa, Reggae, Merengue, Latin Jazz, Swing, Samba, Bossa Nova, Soul, Marching Band, Punk, Avant-garde
Where I Teach:
Online
Ages Taught: 8-80
ABOUT
Degrees / Training / Special Info:
BM, Ohio State University, Jazz Percussion Certificate of Excellence, Fort Hayes Vocational Music Program
MFA, Bard College, Music and Sound
Awards:
2016 - Artist in Residence, Rhizome Community Center, Washington DC 2015 - Solo performance and lecture at Serkin Center for Performing Art, Marlboro College, Vermont 2015 - Performed in the High Zero Festival of Improvised Music, Baltimore, MD 2013 - Solo tour of Europe 2013 - Solo performance at Les Urbaines Festival, Laussanne, Switzerland
Overview:
I'm a full-time drummer and percussionist, specializing in improvised music. I began taking piano and clarinet lessons at age 5, switched to the drums when I was 11, and haven't stopped since. I studied at a vocational music program in high school, and went on to major in Jazz Percussion at the Ohio State University. I earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in Music and Sound from Bard College. Since then I have become a full-time performer, touring North America and Europe, playing contemporary improvised music in various ensembles as well as solo. I have played in basements, bars, art galleries, and concert halls. I have given workshops on improvisation. I have given guest-lectures on the physics of sound, music-theory, and contemporary aesthetic issues. In addition to the drum set, I play various hand drums, percussion instruments, found objects, and self-made instruments. I am a musical omnivore, always seeking out sounds that are new and unfamiliar to me. For me, music has been a path to self-discovery, which I love to share with others through performing and teaching.
EXPERIENCE
I began teaching private lessons about 10 years ago, while studying at Ohio State, when people I knew wanted to learn to play the drums. About 6 years ago, I began taking on more students more regularly, and teaching a greater age-range. The majority of my students have studied drum set, but also hand drums, orchestral instruments, mallet percussion, and other percussion instruments. I have taught children and adults, from beginning to advanced, from sight-reading orchestral music to experimental improvised music. In addition to private lessons I have conducted group workshops, usually centering on topics such as improvisation, creativity, and extended technique. I have also been a guest lecturer at colleges, lecturing on the physics of sound as it relates to music-theory, and contemporary issues in aesthetics. When I'm not teaching, I'm working on my own music and performing regularly. I may occasionally need to reschedule a lesson, or conduct it online, when I have an out-of-town gig or tour. I recently relocated to Philadelphia, and am looking for new students of all ages and skill-levels.
METHODS USED
The material and methods will be based on a student's skill-level and musical goals and interests. For orchestral band students, this would include basic technique, music reading, and repertoire. For teaching jazz I often use John Riley's "The Art of Bop Drumming" series as a source of practice material. For grasping the feel of various music styles, I will often listen to recordings with a student, and help them figure out what the drummer or percussionist is doing, and how to play it. This is a good way to start learning how to play by ear. For more advanced students, I look for new technical and conceptual challenges that will expand their technique and deepen their musical sensibility. With all students, I place an emphasis on body and mind awareness, which is crucial for good musicality, but has benefits that permeate all areas of life.
LESSON STYLE
My aim is to cultivate in students a love of playing that will motive them to practice regularly. Rather than being totally result-oriented, I emphasize the process of learning and practicing, which can be a rewarding experience in itself, and have beneficial effects that stretch beyond just musical achievement. I try to create a learning environment that is challenging, stimulating, and most importantly, fun. I want to empower students with the skills and confidence to teach themselves, so they can continue to develop independently, and have music as a source of joy that they can carry with them for the rest of their lives.
PHOTOS & VIDEOS
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