About
Hello there! My name is Ben Pham. I am a professional drummer based in Los Angeles, CA. I've toured the U.S. with the funk/soul band "The Nightowls" and spent four months in Europe touring with Scott Bradlee's "Postmodern Jukebox on Deck". I've worked with many artists in a variety of different genres including Michael Lee (The Voice Finalist), Iris Kroes (The Voice Winner), Jaron Marshall (The Black Pumas), Drew Davis, Cassandra Elese and numerous other bands. I’ve performed at the SXSW Festival with the NYC based electronic group, “Grumby” and singer/songwriter Tje Austin (The Voice). Having a rudimental background I have also performed on the snareline of the 2009 Boston Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps and got a chance to perform with Enrique Iglesias and Pitbull with the Dallas Cowboys Drumline. Music has provided me with a multitude of opportunities and wonderful life experiences. I love sharing my music and experiences with others, whether performing on stage, touring on the road or teaching a clinic/drum lesson.
I excel in teaching these following areas on the drums:
1) Hand/Foot Technique: Moeller, Push/Pull, Heel Down/Heel Up, and more
2) Improvisation: Trading 4's, 8's, Soloing, Creativity
3) Drum Set Chart Interpretation: Jazz Big Band Reading, Latin Jazz reading and other styles
4) Multiple Styles: Rock, Funk, R&B, Jazz, Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, etc.
5) All Levels: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Pro
I teach with these three key areas in mind:
1) Focused and Goal Oriented: We start with you, the student. Where do you want your playing to be at in a few weeks from now? A year from now? Are you working on technique, or a song or working towards performing on a big stage? We will start with specific and tangible goals so we have an objective and can see your progress.
2) Scaffolding: There are a hundred and one ways to reach a destination. However, some paths are better than others. Scaffolding is a term in education where a teacher takes a student to a result by guiding them gradually and in a logical, easy progression. This is the method I find most effective in seeing results in student's progress.
3) Efficient/Minimal: Instead of learning 100 things, let's learn one thing that will enable you to play 1,001 things. I believe efficiency and learning longlasting skills serve students more. My goal isn't to give you a fish; I'm going to teach how to catch fish.
Toured Europe with Scott Bradlee's "Postmodern Jukebox on Deck"
Member of ASCAP
B.A. in Music Education from the University of Texas at Arlington
My teaching method uses a combination of learning by ear and learning by sheet music. If you don't know how to read, I will teach you. I use and recommend these books, used by professional drummers and renowned music schools:
1) The New Breed - Gary Chester
2) Syncopation - Ted Reed
3) Stick Control - George Lawrence Stone
4) Future Sounds - David Garibaldi