Born 1969 in Basel (Switzerland)
Early on music played an important role in my life. It was my father‘s passion for playing trumpet that left
a profound impression on both me and my brother. Consequently both of us started taking trumpet
lessons.
During childhhod I was witnessing the Basel drummers on the streets of the city during the annual
carneval, the Basler Fasnacht. The might of the Basler Trommeln (marching drums) as well the skills of
the drummers blew me and ignited my love for drumming. It was these experiences, that eventually draw
me to drumming and drumset playing.
The first time I sat behind a drum kit, I was 16 and I knew instantly that I had found my instrument. I then
went on to playing drums in a punk band with friends.
It was 1995 when I started taking lessons with Thomas Rüger in Lörrach. These lessons shaped me and inspired me. Not only had I found a great tutor, for the first time I felt that maybe teaching music, teaching drums could be my peronal path too in the future.
During a long stay in the UK I began a course studying drums at the BIMM Music Institute in Brighton. I graduated in 2013 with a Bachelor Hons degree in Professional Musicianship. Over the years at BIMM I was taught amongst others by Preston Prince, Pat Garvey, Adam Bushell and Steve White. In this time i also became a private student of Pat Garvey, Head of Drums at BIMM.
After graduating I moved to Hamburg for a restart.
2016 – 2017 one-to-one tuition with Jost Nickel. I do take lessons in one-to-one as well as group settings with Claus Hessler since 2017. Furthermore I had the opportunity to take part in several group teachings / Masterclasses with Dom Famularo. In addition I also took part in a number of Masterclasses as well as Master Sessions (Drum Camps) with Benny Greb.
Additional Training
In the 1990’s I completed a program for early childhood education at the technical college for social
pedagogy in Lörrach. My understanding of learning styles, pedagogical methods, and real world teaching
experience has informed my drum instruction, especially when working with younger students.
Projects / Live & Studio
In 2004 I got to know Hastings-based singer/songwriter Otti Albietz with whom I’ve worked with in several different projects over the course of many years. The first joint project we started was the indie/alternative/rock band State Of Miasma from 2006 – 2008. After that, from 2009 – 2012, I was part of his personal singer/songwriter project Otti and The Voices. During this time I played in venues all over southeast England including the cities London and Brighton.
From 2012 – 2013 we worked together under the name my Edelweiss, a collaboration which turned out a
downbeat/trip hop EP. Producer/keyboarder Darren Morris (Massive Attack, Gabrielle) and bassist Marcus Porter were some of the musicians who played the studio sessions for my Edelweiss. Working with such wonderful musicians was a great learning experience.
Apart from performing live, I value my time in studios most. My studio time has fostered a passion for recording and love of the challenges inherent in the studio experience. Recording sessions are gold for musicians as they function as a hands-on learning lab and allow for ideas to become fully realized. Some of my most informative, and influential recording experiences were at the Broad Oak Studios in East Sussex. This led to the building of a positive working relationship with producer/sound engineer/singer/songwriter Harvey Summers.
„The first thing you’ll notice about Benno is that he’s a warm, kind and thoughtful person. The second thing you’ll notice is that he’s an engaging guy that you can sit & talk to for hours on everything from current affairs to music & all in between. What you’ll notice when he gets behind a kit is his commitment to the art of drumming – he has a great sound, a lovely feel, a musical approach to the drum set and the ability to play the right part for the music. Now, tell me, what more could you want?“
Pat Garvey (session musician, educator & founder of The Brighton Drum School, principal lecturer at BIMM Brighton)
