Year:
2017
Benjamin Dawson completed his Master of Music in Theory/Composition in Spring 2017, studying with Dr. Ben Hjertmann. His master’s thesis was “Timbral Explorations for Wind & Percussion Instruments”, focusing on the research of extended techniques and the subsequent incorporation of these sounds into a work for wind ensemble. During this time, Benjamin played violin in the Hayes String Quartet. In undergrad, he studied composition with Dr. Maria Niederberger of East Tennessee State University. Benjamin has written for many musical ensembles, including choir (SATB, SSATB, SSA, TTBB), symphony orchestra, wind ensemble, trombone choir, wind quintet, string quartet, saxophone quartet, piano trio, piano four-hands, musical theatre, and percussion multi-setup. He has composed fifteen independent film scores and is the “in house” arranger/orchestrator for Symphony of the Mountains in Kingsport, TN. Benjamin currently teaches music theory at King University in Bristol, TN.