Benno was born in Frankfurt, Germany.
He started to take lessons with Detlef Schroeder, who quickly recruited him into Dr. Hoch's Konservatorium, Frankfurt, where he studied rudiments Drum Corps-style and Classical Percussion.

An audition with the Berklee World Scholarship Tour earned him an award, and he moved to Boston, MA,  to graduate summa cum laude from  Berklee College of Music  in December 2000.

He has since returned to Germany where he is busy performing, practising (... as always...), teaching, and working as a freelance composer for the Tonatelier, a fine recording studio.

He continues to frequently perform in Boston and New York.
In 2003 he graduated with his second Diploma and outstanding grades from the "Hochschule fuer Musik, Frankfurt".

"I would say I'm mainly a groove player, no matter what style. I mean, I dig playing interactive and energetic music and use my chops here and there, but to me it's all about time. Being time. Being at least close to being time. I of course do have styles that I favour, but I don't care if it's Funk, BeBob, R&B, Pop or Drum’n Bass or whatever, if I can help bring out the groove, the pulse, I'm there, I'm happy."