Ben W.

About Ben W.

Ben is a music producer and musician based in North Leeds. Since achieving a Masters with Distinction in Music Production he’s been working in different areas of the music industry including recording, mixing, performing, composition and performance coaching.

His passion for music, patience, and attention to detail allow him to bring out the best in new and experienced musicians alike, and his experience as a multi-instrumentalist (including Grade 8 Drums Distinction) means he can support musicians in different areas of their musical education.


DRUM TUTION

Depending on your experience you’ll work through a number of different areas of drumming. These include Core Rhythms (eights, sixteenths, & quarter notes), Intermediate Drumming (shuffle, swing, triplets), and Advanced Drumming (Latin, funk).

Although not all new musicians are overly keen on the idea of learning to read music, where appropriate Ben aims to incorporate drum notation into his lessons as he finds it to be a useful reference tool while developing and learning new music. It's also essential if you choose to study Grades which can be taught up to Grade 8 level.

Alongside this he also builds performance/play-along components into lessons as often as possible. This allows students to engage with the drums in an enjoyable way, and to apply new skills in the context of a song.

It’s recommended that students bring their own sticks to each lesson, however these can be provided if needed.


MUSIC PRODUCTION & MIXING

Music Production is quite a broad term as it can encompass so many areas of music creation. To simplify this into manageable areas sessions are separated out into the 3 key components shown below. As bespoke lesson plan is created for each student to best align with their personal goals, and each lesson comprises a combination of hands on a theoretical activities.

Songwriting & Arrangement
- Song Structure
- Chord Progression
- Writing Lyrics
- Feel and Messaging
- Core Arrangement
- Supporting Textures and Elements


Recording
- Core DAW operation
- Microphone Placement & Selection
- Setting Recording Levels
- Capturing the Performance
- Advanced Mic Techniques


Mixing
- Getting a Rough Balance
- The Sound Stage
- EQ & Compression
- Reverb & Delay
- Drum Processing
- Vocal Processing
- Groups & Busses
- Automation & Movement



YOUR FIRST LESSON

Whether it’s a new pursuit or you’re just looking to brush up on your skills, your first lesson is an opportunity to get to know each other; what your goals are, what music you enjoy, and how you’d like to develop your skills.

Every lesson is hands on so from day one you’ll be making music and planning the next steps of your music education.


LOCATION

Lessons are taught from a studio in Chapel Allerton, however if you have a setup in your own home Ben can travel to you.