I am a mover and shaker. As a drummer, I have received a Juno Award with my group, Pugs and Crows. I am the founder of Music And Movement Mondays (MAMM) and the Conundrum Performance Series.
Currently, I’m exploring principles of sound felt in the body and researching a series of designed percussion instruments crafted by Roxanne Nesbitt. With these, I am trying to push the boundaries of drumming by using movement to communicate the energy of sound—helping an audience hear differently by creating and breaking expectations for a sound through gesture.
As a Drummer, I am a member of the Pugs and Crows, Cast, Malleus Trio and father/son duo Zen Dogs. In April 2013 I received a Juno Award for Best Instrumental Album of the year with the group Pugs and Crows.
I regularly collaborate with Dancers and Choreographers and have worked with Katie Duck, Justine A. Chambers, Deanna Peters.
I am the Director and founder of Music And Movement Mondays (MAMM), an improvisational series for live musicians and dancers as well as Conundrum a performance series showcasing drummers in Vancouver,BC.
As a composer I have created scores for both Dance and Film, including commissioned works for Manuela Tessi, Areli Moran, Jamee Valin and The Western Front with U.K’s Szuper Gallery. These compositions have been featured at festivals in Vancouver, Amsterdam, Toronto and Mexico.
For more information see my CV below.
CV
BEN BROWN
A : #202-1860 Nelson st. Vancouver, BC V6G 1N1
E : benbrown8@gmail.com
P : 778-883-4236
EDUCATION
• Private Studies with Drummer George Marsh. USA, On-Going
• Private Studies with Drummers Jim White and Amy Farina. USA, 2020
• Private studies with Dame Evelyn Glennie. UK, On-Going
• Private studies with Performance artist Katie Duck. Amsterdam, On-Going
• Diploma in Jazz Drum performance, Vancouver Community College. 2013
• International Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music. Banff Centre, 2011
• Jazz Guitar and Classical Studies. Capilano University, Vancouver, 2007-10
AWARDS AND NOMINATIONS
• Stingray Rising Star Award nomination (Malleus Trio) 2019
• Juno Award nomination (Pugs & Crows), 2017
• West Coast Music Award received (Pugs & Crows), 2016
• Juno Award received (Pugs & Crows), 2013
• Galaxie Rising Star Award received (Pugs & Crows), 2010
PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS
• Halifax Jazz Festival. (Malleus Trio) Halifax 2019
• Jazztopad Festival. (Pugs & Crows) Poland, 2017
• Germany Tour. (Emily Millard) 2017
• Italy Tour. (Pinkno Hana) Southern Italy, 2017
• Bimhuis. Monday Match (performer & curator) Amsterdam, 2016 + 2015
• Vancouver Jazz Festival. Opening for Hiromi (Alicia Hansen) Jun 2016
• Performance with London Improvising Orchestra. London, UK, Mar 2015
• Fylkingen. (Lisa Ullen) Stockholm, Jan 2015
WORKSHOPS & CLINICS PRESENTED
• Ready Dance Summer Camp. Co-Organizer, Co-Teacher. Vancouver, 2021
• MusicDance Residency. Guest Artist, Teacher. Capetown, South Africa, 2020
• 0T301. Improv Workshop with Dancer Manuela Tessi. Vancouver, 2019
• Mascall Dance. Sources of Sound in our Dancing Workshop, 2018
• Vancouver Jazz Festival. Colloquium Guest Speaker, Jun 2015
MUSIC INSTRUCTION
• Sarah McLachlan School of Music, 2010 – Present
• HKU Conservatory. Guest speaker for Musician 3.0 Program. Utrecht, 2019
• Rufus Drum Shop, 2018-2019
• Tapestry Music, 2015-16
SELECTED RECORDINGS & COMMISIONS
• Symbiotic instruments album commissioned by Roxanne Nesbitt, 2021
• NOW Society graphic score commission for Trading Places Festival, 2019
• Western Front. Music for film commission, Liquid Trust, 2014
• Malleus Trio: self-titled (2017), Play Nice (2019)
• Alicia Hansen: Before You (2018), Companion (2014), Freighters (2007)
• Pugs & Crows: Uncle ! (2019), Everybody Knows Everybody (2015), Fantastic Pictures (2011), Slum Towers (2009)
CURATION & SERIES CREATION
• Western Front. NOW Workshops (Curator, Facilitator) Vancouver, 2019
• Vancouver. Trading Places Concert Series (Curator, Host) Vancouver, 2019
• Vancouver. Katie Duck Residency (Creator, Curator, Musician) 2019
• MAMM. Improv music & dance series (Creator, Curator) 2013-Present
• Conundrum. Drum Performance Series (Creator, Co-Curator) 2018 – Present
• Conundrum. Drum Study Club. Online. (Curator, Host) 2021
DANCE/YOGA ACCOMPANIMENT
• Simon Fraser University. Dance program. Vancouver, 2018 – Present
• Foolish Operations. Dancing the Parenting class. Vancouver, 2017-Present
• AHK University. Dance program. Amsterdam, 2019 + 2016
• Stretch Yoga Studio. Vancouver, 2016-Present
• Afro-Butoh workshop with Tebby Ramasike. Berlin, 2015
• All Bodies Dance Project. Vancouver, 2014-Present
RESEARCH
• Sound Sculptures. Playing public sculptures as percussion, 2021
• Mutual & Symbiotic Instruments with Roxanne Nesbitt, 2016-present
• We’re Making a Band. Drum Choreography with Justine Chambers, 2016