Cruise Ship Drumming - Benjamin Graham

[@TheToocold]

You are great. I am going to do this. I am 67 and in good health and I can still play. Cruise ships, here I come!

[@kjc9trader491]

HaHa - I was thinking that same thought at 60... You inspired me Glenn!

[@mrbob55304]

@@kjc9trader491 Hey, I'm almost up there with Glenn and I AM THINKIN ABOUT IT...........

[@ladlad5463]

Robert Alexander go get em robert

[@vernonsteinkamp1088]

Don't forget the Geritol

[@jakethepitador2558]

60 is the new 30. You've got this!

[@julioavaeliv1491]

Up until 0:33, I thought I was watching A DavidCola vid, this is really good

[@keagansmith5235]

4:58 That moongel was outta there hahah

[@BxCortez2050]

I play drums but can't read music like this i always find this fascinating

[@joesmith34]

@CortezSingleton .You would nt get the job. I lost a job for a cruise ship because I could nt read. It s B S.

[@FernandoFlores-xi3mh]

The only thing i can tell you is to keep practicing...sight reading is a very important/helpful skill and it can be fun to challenge yourself!

[@FernandoFlores-xi3mh]

​@@joesmith34oh brother, i know the feeling

[@mattmatheson4172]

3 years I show band drummer. 1995 and 1999. 3 weeks on a nother ship. I'm thankful of it. Happy next thing. I wish u well.

[@Eyemallfunkedup]

You're a real pro. This type of thing isn't for everybody, but at least it pays the bills.

[@bhaveshsolanki6485]

Superb musical drumming man really is top playing and sight reading interpretation!

[@digitalpretzel]

1:19 I used to love playing on those Remo Ambassador Ebony heads.

[@christophermajor7750]

Man.. I just found my new direction! Tasty fills, love your hi hat and snare work! Cruise on brother..

[@WuTangDavis]

Really good drumming man

[@manuelpaez6361]

I really like the way you play!! Nice feeling!!

[@niall2353]

Great to hear 'The Chicken' featured

[@trevormcmanis]

Incredible chops and musicianship.... Two huge thumbs up 👍🏻👍🏻 from American One Productions Rehearsal Studios in NJ

[@paraflamdragonruff9487]

AWESOME MAN! killin it!

[@ginoseriacopi1555]

That`s a great job and a good feeling about the songs, dude. Superb!

[@OldManBadly]

Strikes me two ways: First I feel like it is a J-O-B, not really emotional, just knocking it out and punching the clock, a factory job. The second thing I guess is that this is amazing training for studio work and whatnot, because you have to be incredibly accurate and dependable, and able to play a wide range of material and styles without thinking too hard about it. An interesting job for those looking to make a living as a musician, while building up their chops and accuracy.

[@damirfenrich5439]

Grear professional drumming,it"s all there! 👍

[@bickkyy1960]

Unreal drumming dude, so smooth and crisp.

[@malditoklee]

Very nice! Wonderfully tasty playing!

[@matthiasrambally1899]

Damn bro your timing and execution is perfect

[@hanovergreen4091]

So clean!!! I can't imagine what it's like as a gig but I've heard horror stories. Best of luck young man!

[@benjaminjgraham]

Thanks! Yeah, there are definitely some downsides to the gig, that's for sure. But overall I enjoyed it!

[@matiaskrull2926]

Love that snare!

[@drumsavvy8224]

Those HHX hats sound great

[@walterthorne4819]

Wow....very cool....and very Professional!

[@NatachaP]

Wow! Clean and precise drumming. Very impressed!

[@Yaury1]

you play great, I was working as a drummer in a show band for NCL, without a doubt it is a great experience,

[@mesajam4894]

That old lady loved that chicken groove ! Great

[@dmguk9931]

solid!!!!!!..takes a certain type of drummer to play all genre's..to sight read to get on with others ..its demanding...great work.!

[@daniellenaidoo8586]

Nice playing Benjamin! feel @ 2:19 is what its all about! great job :)

[@ginoseriacopi1555]

Benjamin, absolutely you are a super drummer! Skilled sight reading. Congrats! I have a boring questions, if you can help, surely. I know you are not technical support, but I`ve tried to apply as a drummer with my C-trac on Royal Caribean website, but there is no option to apply as a drummer, specifically. Sorry to bother you, but, do you have some suggestions for me? Wishes!

[@benjaminjgraham]

Hi friend! Best way to get a contract is through an agency. I went through Lime Entertainment.

[@totogroove]

Hey, that's a great and realistic video. Great drumming! FINAL COUNTDOWN is winning the speed competition here ;-)

[@raphyboii]

the chicken is one of my favorite songs, great playing man

[@nandoddrums1741]

Very Nice! 👏😃😍

[@jankarlsson8341]

Aha, I wonder how many cruise ship musician youtube channels there are? Great drumming!

[@emmry7091]

Hey Ben, sounds good dude. Your 6 stroke is amazing.

[@BenjyPortnoy]

Great drummer!

[@eeobeeob]

excellent snare tone!

[@Grit489]

You're a very good drummer, this is a great life experience and you've doing what you love. Good luck.

[@bonzomio]

Great video and drumming, Benjamin! Drums sound great, too!

[@jamielovell3656]

Your so versatile! Great technical ability.

[@SPAPBrocker]

Very very tasty playing indeed you got there!

[@CarmenGlanville90]

Killing it!

[@BBayjay]

ghost notes for days

[@trevormcmanis]

Incredible playing!!

[@TronciM]

Great feel

[@rmpercussion]

Sounds awesome man! Legend was a great ship! I played there for 2015-2016

[@benjaminjgraham]

Ryan McCausland Awesome! Just checked out your videos and you're killing it there! It was a great ship indeed, sucks it's been sold on, but lots of good times on there.

[@simplygroove]

Great sight reading drumer

[@thiagochavesss]

GREAT!!

[@DanielMorales-dz4nv]

Good playng cosiderating that the floor is moving!

[@dwaynejones1146]

Right on.

[@macdrummer4984]

awesome drumming and great sounding snare :)

[@pumpdumpster]

Nice drumming!

[@ngocthanh6068]

Wow awesome

[@michaelsalcedo3337]

Great playing bro

[@2010mspiper]

Great playing man! I have my audition on tomorrow. Any help or suggestions as I'm preparing?

[@benjaminjgraham]

Only advice is to be confident. You got this brother!

[@JedTaneo]

Music reading is highly required right?

[@Jerardo]

Murray Piper how’d it go?

[@Dave-PL]

3:45 Do somebody recognize this song? Thanks in advance 💕

[@brucemariondeoliveirasilva9328]

Congrats Dude, Very Nice.

[@johnca45]

I worked on several different RCCL ships including The Legend in both the orchestra and lounge bands.

[@benjaminjgraham]

Thats awesome! Was a great ship to be a part of.

[@ryancox5097]

Really excellent playing, man. Did you go through one of the staffing agencies, or did you audition directly for one of the lines?

[@niall2353]

Hey, I know sight reading is a big part of it. Are specific fills often notated, or would it just say e.g. 'fill for 2 bars'?

[@victoke]

to all young drummers...to freelance and accept an offer like this sometimes on the spot, you MUST READ and read well. PRIMA VISTA...loosely defined is 'sight reading'..practice reading as you grow up as important as physical drumming conditioning. ♫♫♫♪

[@JulianFernandez]

sounding good, man!

[@maevahanisi]

Solid!

[@signals34]

very awesome sir.....i can not read a lick....just play every weekend as a cover '80's party band....i wish i learned how to read....so cool....one question, how far ahead are you reading when you play...?...are you allowed to "fill in" your own stuff once in a while?

[@joeshmoe7967]

Question about sight reading for drumming. Is this used to learn new material and then as a refers he as to where you are in the song and sets?? I couldn't imagine have to read charts as I played, it would take all the joy out. I am used to just learning and then playing the songs in a rock band setting. I took piano lessons and always caught hell, because once I learned the song I wouldn't read along. Total respect for your performance, very versatile and looks like fun. At one time I was looking into the cruise ship thing, but as more of one man band in a pub scenario. I play guitar, sing, can drum, a little keyboard, corny jokes... - Cheers

[@benjaminjgraham]

Hey Joe, thanks for the question! A lot of the charts on the ship are sight read, not much of a chance to look at charts before rehearsal unfortunately. Chart interpretation is a big part of any sight reading gig, learning how to interperate what is written on the page into something that sounds and feels great. There a heaps of "Pub" Style gigs you can get on ships for sure. You can also join as a party band and play covers most nights. Theres a few different avenues to look into to get work as a musician on a ship. This video shows the Orchestra Musician side of things.

[@damirfenrich5439]

You are right! When you read charts-magic is gone! Thats why i try to learn the tunes in my memory as much as I can and the charts is there just to remined me on important spots, accents or fills...

[@konarain]

Killer!! Aloha

[@RichoMaya]

Habría forma de poder ver las partituras que lees? Para darnos una idea de como están estructuradas 😬

[@thebeatfreakz4278]

How much do Cruise Drummers typically make per night or trip? Just curious:)

[@fuzzylogiceire]

Hi Benjamin, great playing. What practice methods would you focus on in order to improve sight-reading to a high level like this? Would you read fully drum notated pieces or just focus on charts? Also, do you feel it's possible for someone to jump straight into this type of environment if their sight-reading skills are good but lack experience in these situations (in the form of previous experience in cruise ship/theatre shows etc?)

[@benjaminjgraham]

Thanks for the question! I'd recommend getting your hands on as many charts as possible. Big band/Jazz Lead sheets/Production shows. Should be able to find a bunch online, might have to pay for some. Just read as much as possible! To be honest my reading was not great when joining the ship but with a bunch of hard work it got a lot better really quick. Everyday you'll need to to sight read on the ship, so you really need to get those chops up. If you have anymore questions, send me an email - [e-mail] We can chat some more about it :)

[@Rose.Of.Hizaki]

Just curious... Who chooses what sort of music should be played on these cruises?

[@andrewwarrendrums8969]

Hey! Just landed a job on a ship! Quick question, what did you use to record video and audio

[@larryshelast8979]

Great to watch a working pro

[@malachiwong7689]

what cymbals do you use? they sound amazing!

[@scootergreen3]

Good playing and it's good to know how to read but I think having to read would take the fun out of playing. I'm a drummer and I play by ear and it's a blast!

[@benorourke_]

Not really. I play in a jazz band, and I can read well but only really use the sheet music as a guideline. Just so I know where I am, what accents to hit, when fills are, stuff like that.

[@adamcallahan242]

Solid drumming my man. Sight reading level is set on jedi lol

[@michelestone3194]

Did you play the drums on the song just between you and me

[@OscarBorrem]

Who else is in the cruise ship drum rabbit hole?

[@angelodelacruz2101]

What's song is this 2:17? thanks

[@LuisDavila-lr4ij]

Hi benjamin ,i want to ask you , how can aply to this job?, which agencies do you recommend?

[@nathanwalsh3028]

See kids if you wanna be paid it's not about chops or licks or anything of that nature it's about holding good time and playing the song!

[@MrJoDrumz2011]

Great drumming, Benjamin ....are you with a Royal Caribbean?

[@DrCorr]

How often can you use that drum set for your personal rehearsal? Is the drummer allowed to use it for practice?

[@benjaminjgraham]

Unfortunately I couldn't practice in the theatre, it was used all the time for movies or presentations etc. But I did bring a DW Smart Practise kit on board which I left in the orchestra pit for practice.

[@mabach2014]

What in ears do you use?

[@ryancox5097]

Ben, thanks so much for posting this vid. Really enjoyed your playing, and really enjoyed seeing the day-to-day of a cruise ship drummer. My question is about the staffing agencies: do you recommend one over the other? I know of Proship, Landau, and Lime Music. What's your take on them? Also, do know much about auditioning directly for the various lines? Thanks again for doing this!!!

[@JaviTron_19]

In the minute 4:58. Moongel´snare fell to the ground.

[@xPussyWhistlex]

Is this recorded with just a GoPro? I use a Yi 4K to film my gigs and the audio is atrociously distorted. This sounds great though.

[@benjaminjgraham]

Yeah just a Go Pro 6. Was pretty impressed with the sound!

[@oldguy9078]

I would love to give drumming on a cruise ship a try, but I can't read music, so I guess that takes care of that.

[@mikkovaltonen3564]

You can look up basic chart reading and notation knowledge from youtube. Or you can take drum lessons focused on reading and work through some drum books like Syncopation and Tommy Igoe's Groove Essentials, that gets you well versed in musical styles as well.

[@mitchlg531]

Hey do cruise lines have a drum kit for you or do you have to bring your own?

[@EHinz1]

everything sounds great. What cymbals?

[@benjaminjgraham]

Thanks! All Sabian. 15" HHX Groove Hats, 18" Artisan Crash, 22" AAX Apollo Ride, 21" HHX Legacy Ride/Crash.

[@jimjim1598]

Are these all your kits?

[@mikkovaltonen3564]

Which agency did you audition for?

[@fernyfloresdrummer3568]

This is amazing! I have an audition on tuesday afternoon. Any advice? And question: once you are playing the show, can you improvise a lol, o do you have to play the fills Just as they are on the chárt?

[@johnca45]

Hi Nice job. What cruise line are you on in this video?

[@benjaminjgraham]

Thanks, this was on a Royal Caribbean ship.

[@ej.entertainmentsteelpan]

love the video man! question, do you think a lot of cruise ship gigs (for drummers) require sight reading, or depending on the band or requirement you should just be able to play (and know different grooves)?

[@jakehatter5459]

The house band job he is doing here absolutely requires sight reading, but you could go on with a function band and play pop/rock songs without reading a note

[@ej.entertainmentsteelpan]

@@jakehatter5459 thanks!

[@archie34734]

Cool gig. But as in all things in the music biz you gotta know someone to get a gig like this.

[@benjaminjgraham]

Its actually surprisingly easy to get a gig on a ship, as long as you're good at your craft of course. I had no contacts at all. I hit up an agency, did an audition and got offered contracts after that.

[@Jbdrums62]

top job mate, any tips on getting chart reading ready for gigs like this? Cheers!

[@tissuepaper9962]

Read. All the time. Every day. A lot. Get your hands on as many charts as you possibly can.

[@damirfenrich5439]

I"m 55,I"m reading since I was 7 year old! every day..

[@Groovix2020]

Cooool

[@bro-rockmobamba28]

how do you get these gigs?

[@imPreXii]

Do I have to be a studied musician to get into a job like this? Or can I take part on the audition anyway?

[@mikkovaltonen3564]

If you are a solid reader and well versed in styles, go for it. I suggest giving Tom Jackson's Cruise Ship Drumming Workbook a try, it's free, includes a handful of charts with backing tracks and you can find it from KZbin. Kinda gets you in the neighborhood on what to expect. I'm studying drums and percussion in music college atm, but I'll give cruise work a try when I graduate, hopefully the industry is picking up again by then. Cheers!

[@irrsinnrainer]

Wow, great drumming. Seems to be an awesome thing to play on a cruise ship. How many hours a day do you spend behind the kit?

[@benjaminjgraham]

Really depends on the cruise / day. Could be a couple of hours. Could be a night off (somewhat rare).