We recently connected with Ben Fremin and have shared our conversation below.

Ben, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

The biggest obstacle I had was myself. I quickly learned that I controlled my motivation level and the intensity I wanted to accomplish tasks and exercises. My teacher, Ed Anzueto, was a key factor in my development. Ed taught me the key components to technique and rhythmic vocabulary that would set me up for the rest of my career and musical journey. I was very blessed to have a committed teacher at such a young age. Something I wish I did earlier was diversify my listening. Nowadays I listen to Jazz, R&B, Rock, Rap, Fusion, you name it. When I was younger, I had a much more stubborn ear that I outgrew through maturity and time. I really never wanted to force myself to listen or consume a style of music if I really deep down didn’t feel passionate about it. I am very content how I was brought up musically, I would be an entirely different player if anything was different as anyone would be.

Ben, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Ben Fremin, I am a modern performing/touring drummer. I started playing drums when I was 5 roughly 15 years ago. I am currently 20 and pursuing my education at Berklee College of Music for a degree in Drumset performance with a minor in Production and Engineering. My life up to this point has been filled with long hours of practicing and time on stage which I wouldn’t trade for the world. I recently got off a 27 date tour that went from Austin Texas up to Montreal, my time on the road was incredible. I enjoyed playing shows in a different city every day while meeting the greatest people. While my main goals lay in the physical world, I stay up to date on social media posting frequently on Instagram and making occasional YouTube videos reviewing gear, playing drum solos, even to simply talking about my living situation as a musician/drummer. I want to be known as a drummer that can play many styles at a high level, being well rounded is an important milestone for me. I continue to practice and get better at the instrument with hopes of one day being a respected musician in the industry who frequents touring and session work.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

For me the most rewarding aspect is dedicating myself to the craft. There’s a level of commitment and passion that I have felt towards my instrument that has lingered since a young age. Always feeling like I need another hour in a shed, or I need to run something until perfection etc. Whatever it might be, I have always felt the need for more. The need to respect the instrument is necessary in my eyes. Always striving to be better than the previous practice session, making each note better the next time. Approaching the drums with this mindset has motivated me to continue to round my edges and get better, it also fuels me emotionally. The passion I feel to grow and get better is one of the most rewarding feelings I have ever felt. The ability to sit behind wooden shells and play a Mambo at 110 bpm with a timer for 15 minutes is not fun, it just isn’t. But doing so I feel like I’m taking another step towards being better, and that fuels me to not only continue but to be happy. I feel joy while doing it, I feel happy after doing it, so I must practice every day. Why wouldn’t you do something that makes you happy in the moment in addition to afterwards.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

It’s important that I separate career from craft when answering this question. My goal is to play the biggest stages in the biggest arenas on the biggest tours, but my fuel comes from the craft. My fuel is the 4-hour practice session after work/school on a random Tuesday night. I strive to be the best I can behind the drumset. I also strive to achieve the most within my career. I am new to the music industry, so I continue to dream big, allowing my imagination to be ambitious. I have yet to be on a big stadium tour, I have yet to play a large club in a major city, but I strive to achieve these goals. Even through failure I will achieve more striving for my dreams and aspirations rather than not trying.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://benfremin.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benfremin/?hl=en
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@benfremin?si=_UGgeROplTQAwJgV

Image Credits

Bella Demita
Cooper Swartzentruber
DMF