Ben F. Miller is Professor of Music at Marshall University, Huntington, West Virginia, where he serves as Percussion Instructor and is a member of the M.U. Jazz Faculty. A native of Joliet, Illinois, he received his B.M.E. degree from Indiana University and M.A. and D.M.A. degrees from the University of Iowa. Dr. Miller teaches undergraduate and graduate applied percussion, percussion techniques classes for music education students and instrumental conducting. For more than 30 years Dr. Miller served as the Assistant Director of Bands conducting Marching, Symphonic and Jazz Bands. He is the former Timpanist and Principal Percussionist with the Cedar Rapids (IA) and West Virginia Symphonies and serves in a similar capacity with the Huntington Symphony and Pops Orchestras. He is the founder and leader of the “Flat Baroque (mostly) Marimba Quartet.” Dr. Miller also performs with the Marshall University Faculty Jazz Ensemble “Bluetrane.” As a freelance performer, Ben is active in the tri-state region of West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio. A popular guest artist, conductor, clinician and adjudicator Dr. Miller has presented concerts and clinics throughout the United States as well as New Zealand, Cuba and Brazil. Many elementary school students know Ben as “Professor Boom Boom” who demonstrates his unique collection of percussion instruments from around the world and addresses the similarities of various cultures through percussion instruments and rhythm. He is associated with the Pearl Drum/Adams Musical Instruments, Sabian Cymbal, Mike Balter Mallet, Pro-Mark Drum Stick and Evans Drum Head companies as a clinician and consultant. He is Past President of the West Virginia Chapter of the Percussive Arts Society (P.A.S.) and is a member of the International P.A.S. Education and University Pedagogy Committees. He has also served as the West Virginia Chairperson for the National Band Association and is a member of NAfME, JEN and the American Federation of Musicians.
Percussion Instructor / Jazz Faculty
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