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.
Check out his professional webpage
(www.chriscameron.com.au)
for more info on past and current projects.
Currently the drummer for progressive rock bands Acolyte and Lucid Planet as well as cult jazz quintet The Rookies,
alongside involvement in a number of other original music projects.
2021: Released the single 'Trust', released arrangement of Tiberiu Olah's Sonata for Solo Clarinet (Arranged for Drum Kit, Keyboards and Synthesisers),
Acolyte released Entropy and were shortlisted in the Music Victoria awards for 'Best Heavy Act',
The Rookies released Play Jazz 2 and were nominated in the Music Victoria Awards for 'Best Jazz Act',
performance at the inaugural 'Yirramboi Festival' for the
show A Fight For Survival.
2020: The Rookies contributed a single True Coin of the Realm to the Plug Seven / Wondercore Island compilation
album Seven Wonders, other notable releases as a session player included: Lucid Planet's landmark
second album II, Breaking It Open by
the Ben Cameron Project, Egoboo by Daniel Tedford and Step On In by Tyler Nakoa.
2019: Released debut EP Relentless, The Rookies released their fourth album Stay Weird and for the second time
hosted the late night jam sessions at the Melbourne International Jazz Festival, Soft Power released their third album Bucolica.
2018: Acolyte performed at PROGFEST, The Rookies released their third album Play Jazz and
hosted the late night jam sessions at the Melbourne International Jazz Festival, Soft Power released their second album Easy Listening.
2017: Produced a second series of live performance videos documenting his ambidextrous approach to drum kit performance with his
funk/fusion group Goat Control, The Rookies released their second album Live At The Jazzlab.
2016: Finalist in Australia's Best Up And Coming Drummer competition, 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, joined Acolyte as they released their debut album Shades of Black and
The Rookies also released their debut album Convincing Bulls#!t.
Previously: 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).
Some performance highlights along the journey include: tours to Brazil (Jarrah Thompson 2010 & 2011),
The Philippines (Snack Music 2009) and across Australia including 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...
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 Yarra Hills Secondary College, 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.
As of 2017, Chris has been endorsed by Sleishman Drums.
Chris Cameron at The Evelyn Hotel, Melbourne, August 2016