Music@SPARK! Meet Mr. Shirley and find out about AC!

Welcome our new Band & Orchestra teacher, 

Mr. Benjamin Shirley 

Benjamin.Shirley@atlanta.k12.ga.us

B Shirley headshot by Steve Eberhardt

Benjamin Shirley is a musician, composer, educator, and organizer based in Atlanta, GA. Primarily a cellist, Benjamin has sought to incorporate his love of avant-garde jazz, old-time fiddle, and experimental classical traditions into a dynamic, creative, and personal vernacular.  He has performed in hundreds of concerts across the U.S. and Europe, performing with ensembles such as Bent Frequency, the Atlanta Contemporary Ensemble, the Albany, GA Symphony, and the Atlanta Improvisers Orchestra, and at major festivals including Big Ears in Knoxville, TN and the Black Mountain College’s {Re]Happening.  

Benjamin holds degrees in music and political science from UNC Chapel Hill and a certificate in music education from Georgia State University.  As a devoted student of music, he has sought out expansive learning opportunities, including a course with Anthony Braxton at Wesleyan University, studies with the Central Javanese gamelans at Yale University and Wesleyan, and selection for the Silk Road Ensemble's Global Musician Workshop at DePauw University.  

Named a 2021-2022 Fellow of the Jon Bekoff Project for the Advancement of Georgia Old-Time Music and in 2023 the PREMIER: Performance Residencies in Electronic Music for Interdisciplinary Education Research at GA Tech, Benjamin continues to garner inspiration from the music traditions of the past, while pursuing a music practice aimed at the future horizons of creativity. 

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Band & Orchestra Rentals/Purchase recommendations:

Ztunes

Atlanta Violins

Ronald Sachs

Voss Violins

Instruments from Amazon and other non-musical instrument vendors are not recommended. 

Good quality instruments will sound better and keep your student more motivated to practice. 

good practice = good progress

Ensemble schedules:

4th and 5th graders travel to Specials with their Ensemble or Music group

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AC RSVP form

AC/Chorus Gigs and Updates--dates, info, permission slips, and more. 

This document is updated whenever we have new information.

Below are photos from special gigs we did last year:

Performing at the APS Equity Champions Awards Ceremony

VaHi Fire Station

Scaroling

National Anthem for the 

Georgia Tech Readers are Leaders event

Dregs Caroling

                                                               Lets gooooOOoooooOOO

Read more throughout this blog to see what Music@SPARK is all about!