Contact Information
Biography
Dr. Stephen Benham is Professor of Music Education and Chair of Performance at the Mary Pappert School of Music at Duquesne University. He has degrees from the University of Minnesota, the University of Michigan (M.M.), and the Eastman School of Music (Ph.D.). At Duquesne, Dr. Benham teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in music education and string pedagogy.
Prior to this, Dr. Benham held teaching positions in both public and private schools in Oregon, Michigan, and New York. Dr. Benham maintains a very active schedule as a guest conductor, clinician, speaker, and adjudicator, with professional appearances in nearly 40 states and more than 30 countries in Europe, Africa, the Caribbean, and Asia, including more than 250 clinics, multiple residencies, and extended workshops.
Dr. Benham is in high demand as a clinician, conductor, and speaker. His areas of expertise include string pedagogy, methods, curriculum, and assessment. His research interests include cultural issues in music education, increasing access to music instruction in underserved populations, and culturally relevant pedagogy, and his work has been featured in numerous international research seminars and conferences. He is the lead author of the ASTA String Curriculum: Standards, Goals, Learning Sequences for Essential Skills and Knowledge in K–12 String Programs (Published by ASTA) and Yes You Can! The Band and Choral Director's Guide to Teaching Strings (published by Carl Fischer). He has also authored several works for scholarly journals, handbooks, and encyclopedias, including publications by Oxford University Press and Sage Publications. He is also a member of the writing team for Alfred's Sound Innovations: Creative Warm-ups--Exercises for Intonation, Rhythm, Bowing, and Creativity for Intermediate String Orchestra.
Dr. Benham is also a consultant in the development of new music programs in communities without current string programs across the US, in addition to providing expertise to new music education projects in Europe, the Caribbean, and Africa. He is an internationally-recognized leader in the music education profession, having served in leadership positions in several states and is past-president of the American String Teachers Association.
Education
- Ph.D., Eastman School of Music
- M.M., University of Michigan
- B.S., University of Minnesota
Areas of Expertise
- String Pedagogy
- Music Education and Social Justice
- Culturally-relevant Music Pedagogy
- New Program Development for Underserved Populations
- International Music Education
- Assessment
- Curriculum Development