Ben Schwartz is currently in his 8th year as a Band Director and Full Music Arranger for Elizabeth High School in Elizabeth, NJ, where he teaches concert band, jazz band, marching band, and music technology. As co-director and wind and percussion arranger, the Elizabeth High School Marching Band has been undefeated in competition for 3 years straight and has won 3 consecutive USBands 5A State and National Championships in 2011, 2012, and 2013. Under his direction, the Elizabeth High School Lower Academy Jazz Ensemble has received numerous Superior ratings at music festivals in the United States, and the band has been a finalist in the New Jersey Association of Jazz Educators state jazz festival in 2011 and 2013.
As a music arranger, Ben has worked with some of the top names in the drum corps world, including Jim Prime Jr. and Larry Kerchner. He is currently the wind arranger for the South Brunswick High School Viking Marching Band, and writes for several highly competitive Marching Bands in the United States. On the drum corps side, he has arranged music for Fusion Core in 2007, High Country Brass in 2013, and the Bushwackers in 2014. Ben is also an active drummer, and has won the DCA I&E Drum Set competition in 2006, 2009, and 2010. In addition, he is also an active marching band and jazz band music adjudicator for Cavalcade of Bands.
In 2012, Ben was selected to represent New Jersey in the December edition of School, Band, and Orchestra Magazine’s “50 Directors Who Make a Difference.” He graduated with a B.M. in Music Education from Mason Gross School of the Arts, studying classical percussion with She-e Wu and Dennis Delucia. He is currently pursuing a Master of Arts degree in Music Education from New Jersey City University. Ben resides in South Brunswick Twp., NJ where he lives with his beautiful wife Robyn, and his dog Linden. He is a proud Bushwacker alumnus, marching in the 2008 drumline and a member of the percussion staff in 2010. He is very excited to continue his work with the 2015 Bushwackers!!!