Percussionist ∞ Composer ∞ Teacher ∞ Collaborator
Ben Paysen is a professional musician specializing in percussion performance and composition. He is based in the San Francisco Bay Area and has played throughout the country and in Europe. Ben is the former principal timpanist of the New Haven Symphony Orchestra in Connecticut, and has performed with many of the professional orchestras in the SF bay area including the SF Symphony and SF Opera. In the new music scene he has premiered works by many notable composers including Frederic Rzewski and Augusta Read Thomas and has performed with groups such as SO percussion and the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players.
Mission: It is my belief that the value from education makes possible our ability to accomplish our our greatest achievements. Eleanor Roosevelt is known to have said that "education is essential to good citizenship and that education is important to life because it enables people to contribute to their community and their country. ... Still others believe that education is important because it teaches people about the world around them." A musical education drives to the core of these principles. It teaches you to learn, to express your creativity and to adopt a language that speaks to community, humanity and global awareness. You engage a student in such principles, teaching them to recognize these values, you are creating an awareness that will reciprocate in considerable proportions later in life.
Experience: Ben has guest lectured and taught clinics on the collegiate level at institutions such as Rutgers University, CSU Sacramento, UC Santa Cruz, UC Berkeley and has an extensive background teaching publicly and privately at every level. Ben has taught percussion at Skyline College and was coach for the Keep Music Rockin' Foundation teaching over 100 students in the in the Bay Area.
Education: Presently, Ben is continuing his studies at Rutgers University with a Doctorate in Music. He holds a Masters and Bachelors in Music from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He has studied from some of the most prestigious classical musicians in the country, including Tim Genis -principal timpanist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, David Herbert -principal timpanist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Jack VanGeem -mallet percussion virtuoso and former principal percussionist of the San Francisco Symphony, and Markus Rhoten -principal timpanist of the New York Philharmonic.
Mission: It is my belief that the value from education makes possible our ability to accomplish our our greatest achievements. Eleanor Roosevelt is known to have said that "education is essential to good citizenship and that education is important to life because it enables people to contribute to their community and their country. ... Still others believe that education is important because it teaches people about the world around them." A musical education drives to the core of these principles. It teaches you to learn, to express your creativity and to adopt a language that speaks to community, humanity and global awareness. You engage a student in such principles, teaching them to recognize these values, you are creating an awareness that will reciprocate in considerable proportions later in life.
Experience: Ben has guest lectured and taught clinics on the collegiate level at institutions such as Rutgers University, CSU Sacramento, UC Santa Cruz, UC Berkeley and has an extensive background teaching publicly and privately at every level. Ben has taught percussion at Skyline College and was coach for the Keep Music Rockin' Foundation teaching over 100 students in the in the Bay Area.
Education: Presently, Ben is continuing his studies at Rutgers University with a Doctorate in Music. He holds a Masters and Bachelors in Music from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He has studied from some of the most prestigious classical musicians in the country, including Tim Genis -principal timpanist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, David Herbert -principal timpanist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Jack VanGeem -mallet percussion virtuoso and former principal percussionist of the San Francisco Symphony, and Markus Rhoten -principal timpanist of the New York Philharmonic.
