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 multiple 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.
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), and others.
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. Participating in school orchestras from an early age inspired her to go on to become a music educator herself, and 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 moved to Nashville, TN in 2017 where she was 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, and 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 Master's 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.
HistoireduTango, Piazzolla(1921-1992)
Histoire du Tango is one of Astor Piazzolla’s most popular works. In its entirety, the work is four movements long and serves as a musical timeline of the Argentinian tango. While the piece was originally composed for guitar and violin, Ben adapted it for the marimba and violin. The Musser LHS 450 Grand Soloist Marimba (being used today) has an E2 that matches the lowest pitch of standard guitar tuning, making it a great fit for guitar adaptations.
A note from the composer: Night Club, 1960 is a time of rapidly expanding international exchange, and the tango evolves again as Brazil and Argentina come together in Buenos Aires. The bossa nova and the new tango are moving to the same beat. Audiences rush to the night clubs to listen earnestly to the new tango. This marks a revolution and a profound alteration in some of the original tango forms.
Conversationfor2Tambourines,Lopez(b. 1977)
This piece is a fun duet for headed tambourines that showcases techniques (both commonplace and otherwise) often found in orchestral tambourine playing. The piece is a running dialog between the two players as they execute articulated grace notes, pianissimo rolls, thumb rolls, and a variety of articulations. Conversation brings to the forefront the complexity, control, and variety of techniques that are required to play this instrument well. (Notes written by composer Bobby Lopez)
Two-partInventions,J.S.Bach(1685-1750)
J.S. Bach’s Inventions are a collection of thirty short keyboard compositions written as musical exercises for his students. In their entirety, there are fifteen two-part and fifteen three-part exercises organized in order of ascending key. The works were designed to facilitate learning by playing two voices clearly and achieving a cantabile (songlike) style of playing. Today they will be performed by two separate voices (violin and marimba), which should help the listener clearly distinguish the lines. Ben and Deena hope that the cantabile quality comes through from their distinct decisions on tempo, dynamics, and phrasing.
SacredSongsforJazzQuartet,variouscomposers(arr.Andrews)(b. 1990)
When Ben pondered how to convert his drum set lessons into a palatable recital package, there were a few things that he certainly didn’t want. He didn’t want to play jazz standards, as those had been played quite often in recitals. He didn’t want to invent something brand new, as there was already a plethora of inspirational music to draw from. Instead, he decided to take melodies commonly sung in churches and apply them to a new context. You’ll hear five distinct styles performed with melodies that have rarely been taken out of church: Latin with a cascara pattern (Crown Him), Afro-Cuban 12/8 (Bless the Lord), ballad (It Is Well), uptempo swing (Cornerstone), and New Orleans second line (Amazing Grace).
For those who haven’t heard these tunes, the hope is that you hear beautiful, new music with plenty of variety. For longtime churchgoers, the hope is to experience long-known melodies in brand new ways
“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” -Isaiah 43:19