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Ben Todd & Joel Prime
Ben Todd began playing drums at the age of three. Initially taught by his father, Ben quickly became interested in pursuing music as a professional career. Ben joined his first band at age 7 and by the time he reached high school, he had already toured interstate to perform with various bands. At age 13, Ben was accepted under scholarship to attend special interest music school, Marryatville High School and for the next 5 years was percussion section leader in all major ensembles and featured drum-set artist in both the small jazz bands and big bands. Whilst a member of the Marryatville High School Big Band One, Ben toured to Melbourne, Sydney, London, Los Angeles and New York and performed in such venues as the New York Hilton and Disneyland Studios.
Ben is also trained in orchestral percussion after being accepted under full scholarship to the Adelaide Conservatorium of Music in year 10. Here, he studied with head percussion lecturer, Jim Baily, for three years and in 2006, travelled to Columbus, Ohio to compete in the PASIC High School Snare Drumming competitions in which he placed 8th in the world. Ben graduated from high school in 2006 with full marks in all of his music subjects and a SACE accreditation.
Ben turned professional at age 16 and since then has established himself as a successful musician both in Adelaide and Interstate. Ben has performed in over 20 musical theatre shows in the last 4 years ranging from South Pacific, Oliver and Les Miserables to The Wiz, Singin’ in the Rain and his latest show, Miss Saigon, which was on the last leg of it’s Asia-Pacific tour. Ben has also recorded on more than 10 albums as well as 4 live DVD concerts and various sessions for commercial radio and television. He has also performed on several national TV morning shows as a featured drummer and percussionist. In 2006, Ben completed his first instructional DVD for his sponsors entitled “Homework vs. Practice” which is now sold nationally.
Ben is currently performing regularly in a wide variety of bands both in Adelaide and interstate, ranging from Big Bands and Latin-Jazz Ensembles to backing international artists as-well as pit and session drumming. He is also the lead snare drummer for the Billy Hyde Raiders Drumline who were the featured drumline on the recent Keith Urban Tour to Adelaide.
Joel Prime stands as one of the new shining lights in Adelaide’s robust drumming fraternity – current recipient of the Helpman Academy Award for Jazz Drums for graduating at the top of his class at the Elder Conservatorium in 2006 and 2007. This honour has seen him in big demand on the Adelaide scene, playing gigs with Soultana, JB SMAK, The Mike Stewart Big Band, Elder Conservatorium Big Band, Adelaide Youth Big Band, Lucifer's Lounge, Marmalade Circus, and performing as part of the Billy Hydes Raiders Drumline.
The signs of his talent were ominous early; he got his first drum kit at 3 years, started lessons when he was 6, and was performing regularly while in primary school. Playing percussion and drum kit in the Marryatville High School Stage Band, Joel travelled with the group for performances in London, New York and Los Angeles in 2004, won the Generations in Jazz national schools bands championship in 2005 and toured with James Morrison in Melbourne and Sydney. In 2006 the Marryatville band performed at the International Association of Jazz Educators conference in New York, then at the Australia Week celebrations in Los Angeles.
Joel’s prowess on congas, bongos and timbales saw him chosen for the Generations in Jazz Superband in 2005, in the company of the best players from the 40+ bands at the national championships. An impressed James Morrison commented: “It was the best percussion we have ever heard at Generations”.
His big band experiences have enabled Joel to share the stage with such performers as Bob Mintzer, James Morrison, Ross Irwin, Bobby Shew, John Hoffman and Rhonda Burchmore, and given him the chance to do workshops with Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band.
In what is emerging as a watershed year for Joel, he has led a samba percussion workshop at the 2008 WOMADelaide festival, in addition to directing that festival’s Samba Parade with star Adelaide drummer Ben Todd. Joel will soon be performing with Jon Gordon, Jim Pugh and Ray Vega, and will be involved in the International Police Tattoo and Australia’s Ultimate Drummers Weekend in Melbourne.
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