The Team
We’ve brought together a team of two highly experienced professionals to teach our unique 2-day Drums Recording Masterclass. Meet producer, recording and mixing engineer Haydn Bendall and drummer, producer and composer Ralph Salmins.
Haydn Bendall
Record Producer, Engineer and Mixer
Haydn Bendall is a record producer, engineer and mixer. He was a senior engineer at Abbey Road Studios for more than ten years and in 2009 was awarded the Audio Pro Industry Excellence Award for Best Studio Engineer.
Haydn started his musical career at Orange Studios in Soho in London. He then moved to Abbey Road Studios in 1972 where he joined Ken Townsend’s team as a part-time assistant. One year later he was offered a full-time position and worked there for the next seventeen years.
Haydn has worked on a vast array of albums and soundtracks too numerous to mention. In 1991 Haydn became an independent producer/engineer and comes back to Abbey Road on a regular basis.
Our students have had the opportunity to record with Haydn in Abbey Road’s Studio Two many times and learn from his extensive experience and expertise.
Ralph Salmins
Ralph Salmins is one of the UK’s most sought-after session drummers. His huge list of credits includes Paul McCartney, James Brown, Quincy Jones, Bjork, Van Morrison, Madonna, Elton John, Tori Amos, Jeff Beck, Robbie Williams, Chaka Khan and Lady Gaga.
Ralph has played on soundtracks for over 180 movies including Harry Potter: The Prisoner of Azkaban, Goldeneye, Tomorrow Never Dies, Charlie and The Chocolate Factory and Evita. His signature groove has made him the drummer of choice for producers and composers worldwide.
He shares his studio ‘The Bunker’ with award-winning producer Haydn Bendall. He records, composes, produces and teaches at ‘The Bunker’ where Georgie Fame, Hamish Stuart, Jocelyn Brown, Nick Mason, Billy Cobham, David Sanborn and Michael McDonald have all recorded.
A committed educator, Ralph is a Professor of Drum Kit at Guildhall School of Music & Drama and The Royal College of Music, London and gives masterclasses in the UK and internationally.
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An inspiring and incredibly well designed course that gave me the best musical education I could have dreamt of. Life-altering.
David Dargahi, Alumni
The curriculum is fantastic, extremely comprehensive, contemporary and relevant to today’s industry.
Andrea Mastroiacovo, Alumni
This course has helped to develop me into a well rounded producer, engineer, and musician. It has helped open doors to career opportunities that I would otherwise not have had access to. I would not be where I am today if it wasn’t for the fantastic team, course, and resources available at Abbey Road Institute London!
Yvan Chambers, Alumni
The course taught me what it means to be a producer and engineer in the industry, I learned things I couldn’t have learned anywhere else.
Marta Di Nozzi, Alumni
Abbey Road Institute trains you to deliver high quality work that matches industry standards.
Martí Canales, Alumni
I had an incredible experience. The staff have so much to offer and cover so many different areas of music.
Luke Glazewski, Alumni
The Abbey Road Institute helped me to unlock my musical potential.
Cory Lawrence, Alumni
Applying for the diploma was the best thing I could have done for my career. I'm really amazed at how much I learnt in one year.
Lizzie Arnold, Alumni
There is some real visionary foresight in Abbey Road Institute being established to preserve the cultural legacy of Abbey Road.
Youth (Paul McCartney, The Verve, Killing Joke)
It’s a unique experience in so many ways, the location, the calibre of guest lecturers and access to Abbey Road Studios for classes is pretty amazing. There aren't many places you get to record a full orchestra!
Jason O’Bryan, Lecturer
Come with an open mind and a voracious appetite to soak up the magic! Be prepared to work hard - you’ll get out what you put in.