Inside the Square 2017

the arts teaching music as a career,” Benson recalled.

Benson studied music education and music therapy at the University of Georgia, where he marched in the UGA Redcoat Band.

In addition to directing numerous concerts and programs during the school year, Benson also works with Tattnall’s praise band, which performs at some of the middle and upper school chapel services. By adding jazz band as an extracurricular ensemble and with the addition of guitar lessons and an AP Music Theory course, Benson hopes to expand the Tattnall band program even further. Ultimately, Benson seeks to strengthen the program each year and encourage more students to have fun learning and playing music. “Now that the band has grown, I have been working to get more students involved in honor bands and clinics offered around the state,” Benson stated.

Looking ahead, Benson hopes to give Tattnall students more experiences outside of school. “Just last year, our marching band started marching in the annual Monroe County Christmas parade. I would like to continue that, along with finding other performance opportunities for our students in the community,” Benson remarked.

In addition to his role as director of bands at Tattnall, Benson enjoys playing in two of his own bands, Velvet Runway and Swain and the Highway Souls. He also serves as the music director at Mt. Zion United Methodist Church. Benson stated that “continuing to see progress in my own playing is always inspiring, and I like to think that when the students see me practicing and performing on a regular basis outside of school, they see that they can continue playing their instruments even after they graduate.”