Need drums or auxilary percussion for your next recording or gig? I'm a versatile musician and songwriter with 32 years of performing experience, and excel at learning/working on new songs at short notice.
A bit about me:
I have 25 years studio recording experience,
32 years experience performing percussion.
Easy to work with, positive attitude.
Reliable, great songwriting partner to bounce ideas off of.
Can read charts/notation, sightread, transcribe.
I excel at learning new songs quickly and thoroughly.
Can supply a variety of different feels for your latest batch of son
Excellent communicator with guitar/piano/vocals experience, love to try out new ideas.
Studied at university percussion studio.
I also have 8 years piano study, 7 years choral experience.
I excel at learning new songs quickly and thoroughly.
Any style: rock, pop, electronic, ambient, jazz, church, indie, dance, blues, covers, country, tribute bands, singer-songwriter, acoustic, experimental
References available upon request.
Areas of expertise:
Home recording, Roland V-drums, drum kit, drum set, bongos, conga, hand percussion, shakers, maraca, cowbell, songwriting, Roland, SPD-SX, sampling, brushes, mallets
Recent gigs:
-Recorded drums for Gracie Mansion
-Guitar for Kay L'Amour
-Recorded drum loops for Erik Arikian
-Played halloween shows with Rush tribute, Smashing Pumpkins tribute band,
-Recorded drums for Arjun Agarwalla (engineer for James Iha)
-Teaching custom drum lessons
-Drummer for Journey Churches (rock / pop)
Tell me about your project and how I can help, through the 'Contact' button above.
Credits
- Del Caesar
- The Art Of Shooting
- Slang King
- Holly Overton
- Madam Robot and the Lust Brigade
- Maquina Supervium
- Dashing Blumpkins (Tribute Band)
- Journey Church Queens
- The Gaslight Society
- Honeydew Diners (Rush Tribute)
- Leighanne Saltzman
- The Planes
- Manny Nomikos
- Viki Nova
- Hailey Wojcik
- Lisa Liu
- Devin Lamp
- Erik Bradford
- Daniel Kasshu
- Dialogue From A Silent Film
- Gracie Mansion
- arjun agarwalla
4 Reviews
Endorse Benji DrumsBenji came in for a couple of my tracks a few albums ago. We went through one rehearsal of about an hour when I showed him the songs and what I was looking for; a few days later he came into the studio and just crushed them. A joy to work with. The engineer made sure to get his contact info afterwards..
I’ve had the good fortune to work with many great drummers and Benji easily holds his own with the best of them. He combines a vast technical ability and innate musicality with a professionalism and enthusiasm that I would recommend to anyone.
Ben is an excellent drum teacher. He has a broad knowledge of many different rhythms and genres and an ability to break down complex new rhythm ideas into easy-to-learn sections. It’s extra helpful that the lessons are video recorded and posted online so I can follow along when I practice on my own. In addition to being a great teacher, Ben is a funny and personable guy and I always look forward to my next lesson with him.
"I had the pleasure of playing with Ben early in his career - even then, he was not just an excellent drummer with a professional attitude, but had an excellent grasp of tuning, groove - and most importantly, taste."
Interview with Benji Drums
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: Zoom H2n Recorder, Seagull Guitar, LP Bongos
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I've been performing music (piano, vocals, and drums) since 1988. I have been recording since 1996.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: I can go from Ringo Starr to John Bonham to Mitch Mitchell faster than you can say "pataflafla".
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: Thurston Moore, i really dig his loose take on layered creativity
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Record it once, listen twice, live it with for a week.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Singer/songwriter, rock, indie
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Great listener
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: Great listening skills, subtle musicianship, a broad encylopedic knowledge of music and song ideas.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: I love jamming out new song ideas with songwriter friends. Often times, playing and recording a new song with a drummer will help shed a lot of light on the current state of the song.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: -Home Studio: Roland Roland TD-1DMK V-Drum Set, Roland SPD-SX Sampling Pad, LP Galaxy II Bongos, Shaker, Tambourine, Cabasa, Claves, Jam Blocks, Cowbells, Zoom H2N Recorder, Zoom QH2N Camera, Behringer Mixer, Shure Beta BD Mic, Shure SM 57, Shure SM58, Sennheiser Clip-On Drum Mic -Live Studio: DW Collectors Series 6 piece Maple, Ludwig Black Beauty Snare, Zildjian K and 1960s A, Paiste Giant Beat, Fender Bassbreaker 40W Tube Amp, Ampeg BA0115V2 Bass Amp
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: Ryan Sawyer (Percussion), Steve Shelley, Thurston Moore, Charlie Christian, Lou Reed, Carla Azar (Drummer, Autolux), Stella Marzgowa (Drums, Warpaint), Dodos, Will Goldsmith (Drummer, Sunny Day Real Estate)
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: Many of my clients reach out to me to provide beats for their new song ideas, and later, to record final drum and percussion parts for finished songs in the studio. Additionally, i also enjoy providing lyrics and guitar parts for new songs.
I was the Drummer in this production
- Live drum trackAverage price - $70 per song
- PercussionAverage price - $70 per song
- Beat MakerAverage price - $75 per song
- Songwriter - LyricAverage price - $70 per song
- Charlie Watts
- Levon Helm
- John Bonham
- Roland V Drums
- Roland SPD-SX Sampler Pad
- DW Collector's Series Drums
- Ludwig Black Beauty recording snare drum
- IW Drum light internal LEDs illuminating hand-illustrated heads
- Zildjian K & 1970's Avedis cymbals
Hire me for 4 songs, the 5th one is free!
- Halloween Fun with Rush Tribute Band Honeydew Diners!Mar 29, 2020
- Holly Overton releases album "Every New Day" (3 of my drum tracks)May 09, 2017
The latest album has come out from Brooklyn's prolific chanteuse Holly Overton with Midnight People ! Thanks for letting me join in the creative madness! Enjoyed drumming on Living Without You, She's In Love, and Good Lies.
- Just finished another two services with Journey Church Queens!Feb 14, 2017
Just got back from playing two fun services at Journey Church Queens. Setlists full of uptempo rock with a dance feel. My favorite was the electric cut by Mumford and Sons, "Believe"... it was a fun challenge to combine the percussionist and the drummer's roles, with all those toms, shaker, and tambourine parts going at the same time! Looking forward to the next time!
