Originally from California, Ben has a long drum corps history marching seven years as a soprano/mellophone soloist with the DCI World Class Mandarins Drum & Bugle Corps and coming back as their Brass Caption Head/Brass Arranger for an additional three years. He has also marched as a mellophone player with the Commodores Drum & Bugle Corps for two years next to Bonnie Ott and under the tutelage of 1995 DCI Hall of Fame recipient, Jim Ott. He has also collaborated as an arranger with 1991 DCI Hall of Fame recipient, Wayne Downey.
In addition to studying with Noel Smelser, Principal Trumpet with the Sacramento Symphony, Ben graduated from California State University, Sacramento with a BA in Music Education. Ben was also a freelance trumpet player in the Sacramento area and a member of the Sacramento Camellia Symphony.
Since moving to the East Coast, Ben has taught Music at Father Judge HS, Philadelphia, PA; Jenkintown HS, Jenkintown, PA; Egg Harbor Township HS, Egg Harbor Township, NJ; Atlantic County Special Services, NJ; and presently teaches instrumental music at Reeds Road Elementary School, Galloway, NJ. And for the past sixteen years, Ben has been the Assistant Director/Music Arranger for the Absegami HS Marching Braves where he has help them win fourteen NJ State Championships, two TOB Atlantic Coast Championships in 1998 and 2002, and two USBands National Championships in 2006 and 2013.
Ben has also served as a music adjudicator for the Northern California Drum Corps Circuit, the National Judges Association, and USBands.
As a recording & sound engineer, Ben has worked on several projects with Polydor recording artists, Alton McClain & Destiny; ARC & Columbia artists, Afterbach; and Earth, Wind & Fire.
In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Ben is also on the NJMEA Executive Board as the President of the South Jersey Band and Orchestra Directors Association, and is a lead trumpet player with the South Jersey Area Wind Ensemble and the Atlantic Pops Community Band. Ben also performs as a freelance trumpet player throughout South Jersey, and is truly honored to have this opportunity to work with the Bushwacker Drum and Bugle Corps.