BEN MCMILLAN (b. 1984) is an American composer known for his colorful, cinematic style of writing. His works have been featured at national and international conferences, recitals, festivals, and competitions, including the International Tuba/Euphonium Conference (ITEC) & Regional Conferences, Carnegie Hall, the Tennessee Music Educators Conference, the US Army Band Tuba/Euphonium Workshop, and the International Women’s Brass Conference, as well as on numerous albums. He has received performances and commissions by premiere artists and ensembles including The United States Army Band "Pershing's Own", Steven Mead, Sergio Carolino, Timothy Northcut, Dr. Gail Robertson, Adam Frey, Spanish Brass, Eufonix Quartet, North Texas Euphonium Quartet, and the Tennessee Tech Tuba Ensemble. He’s received three consecutive nominations for the Harvey Phillip’s Award For Excellence In Composition from ITEA.
As a former euphoniumist, Ben was principle soloist with the Tennessee Tech Tuba Ensemble on numerous tours and performances. He recorded or produced eight albums to date with the group, including several that were Grammy-nominated. While studying composition in Kansas, Ben performed on baritone and tenor horn with the award-winning Fountain City Brass Band during their consecutive wins of the U.S. and Scottish Open competitions. He has taught and tutored brass methods, tuba/euphonium lessons, composition, aural techniques, and music theory. Originally from Cookeville, Tennessee, Ben holds a Bachelor’s in Music Composition from Tennessee Tech University. He studied composition with Dr. Greg Danner and James Barnes. His music is published by Cimarron Music & Potenza Music. ON COMPOSING "When I was growing up, I remember there being a lot of music around me. My mother had been a clarinet major in college and always seemed to have cassettes of Baroque ensembles playing; Looney Tunes was full of great arrangements of classic orchestral and opera lit; the music of Indiana Jones and Star Wars made huge impressions (thanks JW). I banged on pots and pans with a wooden spoon as a toddler, picked out melodies on the family upright as a kid, and joined band in middle school. What initially drew me to composing—subconsciously at the time—was the desire to create music without the parts that I felt were boring or uninteresting. I just wanted the good stuff. I started with arranging some of my favorite film music by ear, then began to dabble with original material. Today, my method of writing is firmly rooted in the belief that if I don't enjoy listening to what I'm writing, the listener probably won't either. Musical excitement doesn't necessarily equate exclusively with bright tempi and loud dynamics. Instead, it only needs to spark the inner creative flame that draws us to Music in the first place—it has to move the listener in some way. Another part of the creative process that I've slowly been discovering over the years is a kind of simultaneity or duality. I find that as much as I create a piece of music, in a way I'm also discovering something that already exists. A blurry image that becomes clearer, more focused—more REAL—the more it gets created. This view contradicts the more popular concept of composing, which may be likened to constructing a building. Blueprints are drafted, then a piece is built beam by beam, bolt by bolt. Music (as much as any Art), relies on a balance between the expected and unexpected. It's the little surprises that unfold during the creative process that often wind up giving the work an unplanned but intuitively RIGHT direction. Looking at composing as a process of discovery and evolution opens our ears to more possibilities." |