Mr. Dennis Wells Benjamin obtained a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies from Howard University, Washington D.C., Summa Cum Laude, June 1991. While studying at Howard, Mr. Benjamin received the honor of being selected to perform in the renowned Howard University Jazz Ensemble.
He also studied jazz arranging and composition, as well as Jazz guitar, for three years at the Boston campus of the Berklee College of Music.
Mr. Benjamin has more than 40-years’ composing experience, and has composed over 40 works for solo guitar, as well as numerous pieces for small jazz bands, and played on numerous CDs in additon to Hymns and Songs for Living.
His most recent solo CD is 'DARK MATTER'. [IS THERE A SOURCE WHERE READERS CAN OBTAIN THAT AND ANY OTHER RECORDINGS?]
As of 2020, he had been teaching private guitar lessons for more than 25 years at Music and Arts in McLean, Virginia. (That store claims it is the nation’s leading provider of private music lessons, instrument sales, rentals, and repairs.)
His profile on Linkedin says he is currently self-employed teaching guitar in Bethesda, MD. Conjecture is maybe the Carona virus pandemic had some impact on his employment with them.
He recently co-authored the book GETTING MUSIC, which is a practical guide to music theory for popular styles of contemporary music. It is available from Amazon books at Getting Music, Giannini and Benjamin.
Mr. Benjamin has performed in bands in the Washington D.C. metro area and the New York metro area in the music genres of:
In 2019, in addition to teaching, he was performing as a solo guitarist, playing from his extensive portfolio of all original music at Sonoma Cellar resturant at 207 King Street in Alexandria, VA. (Check their website for whether Mr. Benjamin is still playing there.)
His Linkedin profile says he is now performing in the DC metro area as a member of the Tara Hofmann Trio (jazz trio) at Daniel O'Connells resturant at 112 King St,. Alexandria VA. which advertises the Trio is playing Sunday Brunches there.
He is in the planning stages of new recording projects to document his body of solo guitar compositions. In addition to his life-long passion for understanding, performing and composing music, Mr. Benjamin enjoys bicycling, yoga and being at home with his lovely wife and their two adopted shelter cats.
On Hymns and Songs for Living, Mr. Benjamin demonstrated his command of improvisation by creating the acoustic guitar accompaniment for the hymn "In the Garden," ad lib.
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