Ben Bussey is a musician, educator, and arranger based in Minneapolis. His accomplishments cover a wide range of music genres and reflect a keen interest in education at all levels of the music business. He is currently Professor of Trombone, Euphonium, and Tuba at Concordia University, St Paul and serves on the faculty of the MacPhail Center for Music in Minneapolis as a low brass instructor and ensemble clinician.
Ben has backed up some of the region’s top live acts and performed with the music industry’s best artists across a variety of styles - Michael Davis (trombone w/Rolling Stones, composition), Ingrid Jensen (jazz trumpet, Maria Schneider Orchestra), Oystein Baadsvik (modern tuba soloist), Dave Pirner (Soul Asylum), Mike Mills (REM), Jeremy Messersmith, Aby Wolf, Cameron Kinghorn, The New Standards, Belfast Cowboys, McNasty Brass Band, Adam Meckler Orchestra, and many others. His current projects include performing and writing for Jaedyn James and the Hunger (Funk/Soul/ Love) and the Hennepin County Millionaire’s Club (indie rock ska) . Ben is a leader in the area of online instruction, with hundreds of hours of experience offering one-on-one lessons, small group rehearsals, and band clinics to students across the state of Minnesota through MacPhail’s online outreach program. Ben’s students - both online and in-person - regularly receive top scores and Best in Site awards in solo and ensemble competitions, placement in honor ensembles, and win collegiate scholarship auditions. Ben is also a frequent clinician, coach, and adjudicator for the Minnesota Band Directors Association honor bands, the Minnesota Music Educators Association All State program, and Minnesota State High School League large group, jazz, small ensemble, and solo competitions. His previous experiences as a band director at Anoka High School and Northdale Middle School help guide his instruction in a unique way that helps cultivate a strong sense of self-awareness and self-guidance in his students. A Minneapolis native, Ben holds degrees from the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities (BM Music Ed, 2008) and McNally Smith College of Music (MM Trombone, 2015). He is an avid baseball fan and may be found in and around Target Field and CHS Field in the spring and summer. |