Biography

Having completed a Bachelor of Music majoring in contemporary drum kit performance (Monash University, 2005) as well as returning to complete Honours (2013) and Master of Arts (Music Performance, 2016), Chris Cameron is a Melbourne based drummer who remains devoted to furthering his drumming skills and musical experience.

Chris is currently the drummer of Melbourne based progressive rock band Acolyte, jazz quintet The Rookies and funk group Goat Control. In 2016 he was named a finalist in Australia's Best Up And Coming Drummer competition.

Some performance highlights along the journey so far include: tours to Brazil, The Philippines and across Australia; performances at the Melbourne Fringe Festival, Point Nepean Music Festival, Wangaratta Jazz Festival, Strawberry Fields Festival, Folk Rhythm & Life Festival, Melbourne's inaugural Emerging Jazz Festival, Castlemaine Jazz Festival, Grampians Jazz Festival, Nukara Music Festival and for UNESCO's International Jazz Day; and conducting drum workshops in North Carolina USA.

In 2016, Chris independently released Chris Cameron - The Multi-dexterity Project, a series of live studio performances documenting an exploration of a multi-dexterous approach to drum kit performance, as well as releasing an album with The Rookies (Convincing Bulls#!t). Previously, he has contributed to the 2014 ARIA nominated album Vince Jones - The Monash Sessions, and has played on studio albums by prog rockers Aronora (Escapology, 2015) and The Ben Cameron Project (Tipping Point, 2014), as well as blues/rock artist Jarrah Thompson (Rio Claro, 2010 and Stargazer, 2008). In addition, he has engaged in a variety of recordings and collaborations with a number of diverse original musical projects in Melbourne. Check out the MUSIC. menu tab above for more info on past and current projects.

Commencing his drum studies at the age of thirteen, Chris is not only an experienced and skilled drummer but a well rounded musician. He began his music studies by learning the piano from the age of nine and was able to achieve high marks in AMEB grade seven piano and AMEB grade five music theory before focusing solely on the drums.

After taking up drum kit lessons at Doncaster Secondary College, and whilst still learning piano, Chris completed a number of AMEB exams in both percussion and contemporary drum kit. He then continued to achieve a high mark in ‘VCE Solo Performance - Drum Kit’, and following his secondary studies, was accepted into the Music Conservatorium at Monash University. Majoring in drum kit performance, Chris studied and performed in the university’s Jazz Ensembles, Wind Symphony, Symphony Orchestra, and Percussion Ensemble, graduating with impressive marks at the end of 2005.

After a number of years of performing and teaching Chris returned to Monash in 2013 and extended his Bachelor of Music degree by completing an Honours year, submitting a thesis researching the extended use of feet in contemporary drum kit performance. Continuing his post-graduate studies, Chris completed a post-graduate Master of Arts degree in 2016, culminating in 'The Multi-Dexterity Project' and related exegesis 'Exploring applications of multi-dexterity in drum kit performance.'

In addition to his impressive and ever increasing performance experience, Chris also has a vast amount of teaching experience having taught drums and percussion at Norwood Secondary College, Blackburn Primary School, Montmorency Secondary College, Doncaster Secondary College and East Doncaster Secondary College as well as tutoring a constant stream of private students since 2007. In 2008 he conducted a series of drum kit workshops for primary and secondary students at Camp Chestnut Ridge in North Carolina, USA. Currently, Chris is on staff at Yarra Hills Secondary College as well as continuing private tuition from his home studio in eastern Melbourne.