Paul Bannerman was born and raised in Brussels, Belgium. After studying drums & percussion at school, he attended several Jazz summer programs in London (England) and Brussels (Belgium). Paul Bannerman also attended the Classical Music Program at England's prestigious Canford School of Music. After graduating from high school with the school's music award, he moved to Canada to pursue his musical career.



At the age of 19, Paul Bannerman graduated with the performance-oriented Jazz Music Diploma with Honours from St. Francis Xavier University. Following his military service in Ottawa, with Canada's National Military Band of the Ceremonial Guard for the 'Changing of the Guard' ceremony on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Paul moved to Toronto and attended the music programs at Humber College for the Applied Arts (Jazz / Commercial Music Performance) and the Harris Institute for the Arts (Music Business).



After 23 years of drumming professionally, Paul Bannerman has recorded on 20 CDs (Cirque Du Soleil, McCauley, Solitudes), one DVD (Cirque Du Soleil's ‘Varekai'), performed in two motion pictures (‘The X-Men'), three videos (Justin Gray), and ten live television shows (The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Live with Regis and Kelly).



Paul Bannerman also performed as a timpanist with Symphony Nova Scotia, the Nova Scotia Youth Orchestra, the Etobicoke Philharmonic, the Scarborough Philharmonic, and the Mississauga Symphony Orchestra. He is on the musical staff of five cruise lines including Princess Cruises. His touring/cruising experience has brought him to more than 79 countries on 6 continents.



Up until 2001, Paul Bannerman taught privately for several years and conducted percussion seminars in schools all over Toronto. In the Spring of 2001, Paul was hired as the featured drum set player with the Emmy-nominated/Tony Award-winning Broadway Show ‘Blast!' at Disney's Epcot Centre in Orlando, Florida. In December 2001, Paul passed world-wide auditions and joined Cirque Du Soleil to tour North America with their brand new production show ‘Varekai'. He performs over 400 shows a year to over one million spectators with this Emmy-award winning show.



Last, Paul Bannerman is the author of "Level 42; the Phil Gould Years" drum transcription book and is currently working on his second book entitled "The Musician's Guide to Cruise Ship Gigging".



Between his busy music schedule, Paul Bannerman has used his knowledge of 5 languages working as a Policy Advisor in the Minister's office for the Ontario Government (6 Years), Manager of In-Flight Services, Flight Attendant Instructor, and Company Aviation Safety/Security Officer with a VIP charter airline (6 Years), uniformed Auxiliary Police Constable with the Ontario Provincial Police (7 years), a Corporal in the Canadian Armed Forces Primary Reserves (7 Years) and most recently as a paralegal in traffic and criminal court for X-Copper Legal Services.



Paul Bannerman has taken a leave from all his activities to tour with Cirque Du Soleil and pursue his musical career full-time.