Ben is a native of Ankeny, Iowa. Inspired by the excellent teaching he received while in the Blue Devils A corps, Ben aspired to replicate that excellence, and to create a phenomenal teaching persona of his own. After graduating with a degree in Music Education from Iowa State University, he moved to California to work with the Blue Devils ‘B’ corps. A few years later he received the opportunity to help out with Blue Devils ‘C’ Corps, and went on to take over the Brass Caption Head, Visual Caption Head, and Staff Coordinator roles. His goal is always to challenge what anyone thinks is possible for 8-14 year olds to do on a marching field.

Ben lives in San Francisco. He works as a full-time band and orchestra teacher for Hayward Schools in Hayward, California. In the Fall, he works with the Amador Valley High School Marching Dons. Ben LOVES training students to pursue excellence in musical and marching performance. Beyond that, he loves driving both his hard top convertible and his SUV. He spends a lot of time lifting weights, and works on his Portuguese daily using Duolingo. He loves going to the beach ANYWHERE but in San Francisco. He travels to cities like Los Angeles, and countries like Mexico and Brazil to enjoy the beach and the culture with his friends, family, and husband. His favorite singer is Ariana Grande.