As a veteran DC-area drummer and teacher, Ben has maintained a full teaching studio in northern Virginia since 1999, taught classes and workshops for numerous area school wind ensembles and marching bands, and has served on faculty at the Franklin Middle School Band & Orchestra Camp for over 10 years. In addition to teaching around 30 hours each week, Ben busies himself as one of the top call live drumset artists in the region, having played thousands of shows all over the continental US. He also records drums, percussion and electric bass for studio sessions in the DMV, as well as engineering his own tracks for clients. His Ben Tufts & Friends charity shows have raised tens of thousands of dollars for the Craig Tufts Educational Scholarship Fund since 2011. His other hobbies include the outdoors--when he’s not teaching or playing drums, you can usually find him on a bike or a kayak, probably somewhere in or near the Potomac. Ben’s teaching philosophy is a holistic one--he encourages his students to experience as many facets of drumming and music as possible. With almost 25 years in the area, the new position of director is a natural fit!