Benjamin I. Andrews, percussion
Benjamin I. Andrews is a drummer, percussionist, and educator based in Wilmington, Delaware. He started playing drums at age 10, and has since played in chamber groups and bands around the world. He's shared the stage with artists such as Chubby Checker, Matt Maher, Rebecca St. James, Rachael Lampa, David Dunn, Andrew Ripp, Michael Burritt, Chris Deviney, and others. He's won several concerto competitions, including the National Collegiate Solo Competition hosted by the United States Army Band. Ben has also served as principal percussionist and principal timpanist with the Nashville Philharmonic Orchestra; was a member of the percussion section of The Jackson Symphony in Jackson, Tennessee; and regularly subs locally with the Brandywine Valley Symphony (formerly Kennett Symphony).
Ben’s love for the unusual has led to some unique one-of-a-kind experiences, including filming an Amazon Alexa commercial with mega-influencer Zach King (and a marimba). In addition, he’s played cajon in Costa Rica, bongos in Brazil, a cantata in Kentucky, and A Night in Tunisia at night, in Tunisia. One of his all-time favorite musical moments was when a soon-to-be-mother told him that she felt her baby kick for the very first time during his drum solo.
He spent over seven years freelancing in Nashville, Tennessee where he recorded over 100 percussion tracks on the legendary and iconic Music Row. For three years he also served as the Manager of Music for QuaverEd, an innovative online music curriculum that is currently used in over 28,000 schools worldwide. An active percussionist in the Nashville theatre scene, he was known for his “unyielding charm and consummate professionalism” (www.broadwayworld.com).
In addition to his outstanding education at West Chester University, Ben has had the opportunity to study with some of the world's greatest percussionists and drum set artists, including Valerie Naranjo (SNL house band, Lion King on Broadway), George "Butch" Ballard (Duke Ellington, Count Basie), Derico Watson (Victor Wooten), Ivan Trevino, and others.
Following graduation this Spring, Ben plans to attend Princeton Theological Seminary as a candidate for a Master of Divinity At Princeton Theological, he hopes to continue his lifelong quest of marrying music with ministry.
FEATURED PERFORMERS
Deena Andrews, violin
Deena Rizkalla Andrews is an enthusiastic educator and performer who looks to bridge cultural gaps and forge friendships by playing and exploring different styles of music. Growing up in a suburb of Washington, D.C., Deena began playing the violin in her elementary school music program. She graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor’s in Music Education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. After graduating, she stayed local and began teaching strings in Title I schools before joining the cast of Barrage 8, a show that combines singing and dancing with playing multi-genre music on string instruments. Deena has been active in the recording industry, working on projects for Koji Kondo, Yoshihiro Ike, Blake Neely (Greyhound, Masters of the Air), Bungie, Disney, Tommee Profitt, Jordan St. Cyr, and Karen Elson, among others. She has also had the privilege of performing with many wonderful and iconic groups and shows, including Mannheim Steamroller, 2Cellos, Michael Bublé, Cody Fry, Ben Rector, Cory Wong, Lolo, and the Hello Dolly and Phantom of the Opera National Tours, as well as numerous local musical theater productions. For her final act in Nashville, she completed the 2022 Drummer Boy Christmas Tour with Grammy award winning duo for King and Country, and can be seen on CMT's Crossroads with For King and Country and Jimmie Allen.
Deena also holds a Masters degree in instrumental performance from Belmont University, where she was also the Graduate Student Award recipient. Now living in the greater Philadelphia area, Deena enjoys a full teaching schedule, as well as performing regularly around town and as a soloist with Red Clay Creek Presbyterian Church.
Alex Fry is currently in his third year at West Chester University pursuing a BM in Music Education. He is from North Huntingdon, PA and a graduate of Norwin High School where he participated in several curricular, extracurricular, and honors ensembles. He has performed at Heinz Hall with the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra, is a recipient of the John Phillip Sousa Band Award, and currently holds positions as a private lesson teacher and marching band instructor. Alex is extremely passionate about music education and is greatly looking forward to his career and impacting the lives of his future students. Additionally, he enjoys spending time with his family and friends, and has recently found a passion for learning American Sign Language and socializing within the Deaf community.
Abigail Walton is an active percussionist, educator, and researcher based in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Especially adoring solo keyboard percussion repertoire, she was awarded first place in Penn State University’s 2025 Marimba Festival and has found recent competition success with Nathan Daughtrey’s Concerto for Vibraphone. Her next scheduled performance of the work will be with the Newark Symphony Orchestra in May 2026. Outside of performing, she is passionate about pedagogy, seen through her private lesson teaching and research grant awards. Abby will graduate from West Chester University with a BM Instrumental Performance in May 2026, where she presently studies with Dr. Ralph Sorrentino and Professor Chandler Beaugrand. She will be continuing her education at McGill University in Fall 2026, pursuing an MM in Orchestral Instruments.
Alex Fry, percussion
Abigail Walton, percussion
LEGALHIGHS(1987/88)
The First Prize Winner in the 1988 Marimolin Composition Competition, "Legal Highs" by David P. Jones is a 12and-a-half-minute musical composition for violin and marimba composed in three movements
The first movement, Mister Coffee, begins with a driving, asymmetrical marimba ostinato that repeats in three measure phrases The violin enters to fill out the harmonies, and then blossoms, eventually taking over the texture. While the violin is featured heavily in this movement, the marimba enjoys an aggressive and jumpy solo smack dab in the middle. The movement ends with various unison and complementary mixed meter passages, finishing with a triumphant “cheers.”
Movement II, Menthology, relaxes. Another marimba ostinato begins the movement, but this time it lingers much longer, and is comfortably kept within an even four-bar phrase. Interplay between the marimba and violin dominates the texture, but never in an aggressive manner. Lay back and enjoy.
The final movement, Sweet Thing, could easily represent the spike of a sugar high. This fast, syncopated, and wild movement barely leaves any time for a breath. Enjoy the wackiness and listen in for hints of the first movement in its final moments.
MUSIQUEDETABLE(1987)
“Filmmaker and composer Thierry de Mey blurs the lines between artistic disciplines in Musique de Table (“Table Music”). Called a “ballet for six hands,” the work is as visually intricate as it is musically pleasing. Three percussionists sit each with an amplified table and follow notation calling for different taps, swipes, claps, and more. Written roughly in the style of a Baroque suite (including a Fugue, Rondo, etc.), the piece honors both traditional Baroque dancing and historical Tafelmusik with modern wit and humor.” -Abigail Walton
AMINUTEOFNEWS(1990)
“While on a trip to Mexico, composer Eugene Novotney came across a local band and noticed the drummer ‘carrying an old beat-up snare drum over his shoulder that just looked awful…’ He stopped to watch the drummer, who proceeded to turn his broken drum and mismatched sticks into an entire trap-set.
The unknown drummer was the inspiration for A Minute of News, which requires the soloist to produce many different sound effects, imitating those of the Mexican drummer. The performer rarely uses matching sticks, and is even asked to rhythmically engage and disengage the snares, all while performing a mixture of Brazilian and Afro-Cuban grooves.” – Christine Augspurger
MERLIN(1985)
“Written in 1985 by Andrew Thomas and commissioned by William Moersch... Merlin is composed in two movements. The first movement is a slow, chorale-like work. According to Thomas it depicts the knight Gawaine "looking from the battlements of Arthur's castle towards the horizon, sensing the terrible events to come." As expected, the music creates an eerie atmosphere of an unsettled calm... The second movement is a fast virtuosic work that is full of musical and technical challenges. Rhythm is Thomas' vehicle as the music lifts and falls in shifting groupings of sixteenth notes over different meters. The work gradually increases in tempo as it approaches a charging fortissimo ending.” - Mark Ford
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank my fellow performers Deena Andrews, Alex Fry, and Abby Walton. Thanks for joining me on stage and inspiring me to make beautiful music!
I would also like to thank all my teachers and mentors at West Chester University: Dean Hanning, Dr. Sorrentino, Professor Nelson, Professor Behrenshausen, Professor Beaugrand, Dr. Jacoby, and Professor Monaghan. Thank you for caring for me enough to provide honest and compassionate feedback
Thank you to my mom and dad for encouraging and supporting my musical development as a child; to my brother Rich for inspiring my interest in guitar and worship music; to my sister Kim for helping me understand and appreciate private lessons; and to my brother Mike for heavily influencing my early musical tastes. Thank you to mom and dad Rizkalla for being so encouraging in my musical journey. Special shout-out to Connie for watching Nora tonight so Deena and I can play together!
Thank you to my church family at Red Clay Creek Presbyterian, for being such a warm, vibrant community where art flourishes. Special shout-out to Rev. Dr. Nate Phillips for his encouragement in my musical and professional endeavors.
Thank you to my daughter Nora for giving me joy and laughter every day, and for occasionally jamming along with me. Thank you to my amazing wife Deena, not only for joining me on stage, but for joining me in life, and for encouraging me to practice even when it is inconvenient for her I love you Deena, and I am so grateful for every moment we share.
