Ben Norman Of Local Band Flow Resale Brings Energy And Passion To The Drums
“How are you doing, everyone? We’re Flow Resale and this is our new single, ‘Inside Her Head.’”
This is how the local band Flow Resale opened their set at Luckey’s Club on March 9. They like to start off their shows with the fan favorite, “Inside Her Head,” a song that gets the crowd’s energy to create the right atmosphere for their music. The only thing left to do was to wow the crowd.
This was not Flow Resale’s first rodeo; the band had already played many sets in Albany, Corvallis, Salem, and now Eugene. The band always makes sure to keep the energy high, and a huge source of energy for them comes from the drums.
This is where Ben Norman does his part. He is the drummer for the hot local band Flow Resale. They have featured multiple drummers over the last few years, but he is the one they have kept; for many reasons. Flow Resale in began in 2016 as a group of students from West Albany High School who wanted to perform at the school talent show. After they practiced and performed together, they realized they had some real talent and chemistry.
Norman has a raw passion for the drums that is evident when he plays, and he uses this to keep the crowd excited at his gigs. After all, he has played percussion in his school band since sixth grade. But drums aren’t the only instrument he is passionate about; He is proficient in playing guitar, bass, and keys along with his drumming skills. For Norman, it’s the marriage of all these different kinds of instruments that kindle his love for music.
“Drums are interesting to me because they’re like a double-edged sword,” Norman said. “On one hand, drums and guitar are at the very front of the band. You can’t ignore them. On the other, if you mess up, you can’t ignore that either. That puts a lot of pressure on the drummer but it’s also what makes it fun.”
Norman’s band mates recognize this, too. He is always involved in the writing and creative process of their songs, and they even hold the band practices in the basement of his house. Along with practicing the drums for the songs they make, he is constantly experimenting with the guitar and bass, trying to think of new riffs to incorporate.
“He’s always willing to push outside of his comfort zone more than anyone else and is willing to try new things and spice up the show. In practice, he always tries his best to push the band to its highest potential,” says Brandon Dodd, the bass player for Flow Resale.
Lead singer Mari Stenger added, “He definitely brought a lot of commitment and drive. He’s really good about getting gigs and was actually the one who got us a manager as well!”
Although Flow Resale is a central part of Norman’s life, music plays a much bigger role in Norman’s life than just the band. Ever since middle school, he’s used music as a creative outlet.
“Ben discovered drums in sixth grade,” said Jennifer Norman, Norman’s mother. “I encouraged him to join band class and steered him towards percussion, so he didn’t have to sit still all day. He came home from school the first week and told me how much fun it was when the band managed to play a song together. Flow Resale is his dream come true.”
He is currently majoring in popular music at the University of Oregon and hopes to make a career out of the band. If that doesn’t work, however, he wants to be a recording engineer or a producer.
Music has also played a large role in shaping who Norman is as a person. He is someone who values being unique and independent and says that he wouldn’t be who he is today without music. In fact, he was voted most original in the yearbook for his senior year of high school.
“For almost my entire adolescent life, I’ve been playing music, and it has defined who I am. However, I don’t think that just playing music by myself shaped me all that much until I joined the band. I also think that listening to certain types of music shaped my identity. Let’s just say I definitely wouldn’t be the same person I am if I hadn’t played music,” Norman explained.
Next time you do what you love, think about how it has shaped who you are today. For Norman, music is a piece of him that will never go away.
Story by Davis Ihde
