Benjamin started his violin studies at the age of five under the direction of Suzuki-trained violinist Tim Barrett, who is currently the Executive & Artistic Director of the Academy of Strings in Tennessee. Additionally, Benjamin studied with many other renowned teachers in the Midwest, including Des Moines Concertmaster Dr. Jonathan Sturm. He then went to Iowa State University under a music scholarship where he learned under the direction of Violin Professor Dr. Darlington. During his violin and music composition studies, Benjamin also took an interest in cello, piano, and voice classes, thus acquiring a well-rounded understanding of different instruments and musical repertoires. 

 

In Iowa during 2005 he founded and conducted the West Des Moines Community Youth Orchestra for two years before estrablishing a practice in Austin, Texas, which grew steadily for five years. Increased teaching and recording opportunities have brought him  to Utah and he is excited to share his passion for the musical arts throughout Utah Valley.

 

 

A few of Benjamin's own words...​



Music is all around us, from our smart phones to the speakers in shopping malls and from television commercials to complicated film scores and Broadway musicals. Indeed it can be difficult to find places where music can’t be heard. With music becoming increasingly background filler rather than a stand-alone art, it becomes ever easier to take it for granted in our high-paced society.

I decided to study music at the university level after completing a two-year church service mission in Germany. There were many opportunities for me to perform in a variety of settings including streets, in homes, and even in Cathedrals. When I saw the effect music had on my listeners, I felt a yearning to better understand it and to share it with people. It was interesting to me to observe in others as well as in myself how a series of vibrations can trigger certain human emotions, and I wanted to find out why. Though my studies over the past few decades have left me with more questions than answers, this I do know: Music is a powerful language. Where mathematics speaks to our mind, music speaks powerfully to center of our soul. My goal as an instructor is to teach my students how to understand this language so they can learn how to speak for themselves and then communicate effectively with a receptive audience.