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Biography

Dr. Stephen Benham is Professor of Music Education and Chair of Performance at the Mary Pappert School of Music at Duquesne University (Pittsburgh, PA). 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 busy schedule as a guest conductor, clinician, speaker, and adjudicator, with professional appearances in nearly 40 states and 40 countries across Europe, Africa, the Caribbean, and Asia, including nearly 300 clinics, multiple residencies, and extended workshops. His 2024–2025 schedule includes engagements in California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Albania, Estonia, Kosovo, Ukraine, Kenya, and Zambia.

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 the ASTA String Curriculum: Standards, Goals, Learning Sequences for Essential Skills and Knowledge in K–12 String Programs (Published by ASTA; distributed by Alfred) 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. He is the recipient of the 2024 Duquesne University President’s Faculty Award for Excellence in Scholarship.

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 and Africa. He is an internationally recognized leader in the music education profession, having served in leadership positions in several states and is a past president of the American String Teachers Association. He received the Marvin J. Rabin Community Service award from ASTA in 2024 for having had “a profound impact on string education locally, nationally, and internationally.” He is currently chair of the ASTA National Advocacy Committee and a member of the board of the Pennsylvania-Delaware String Teachers Association. In addition, he received the 2021 President’s Faculty Award for Excellence in Service from Duquesne University.

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

School

Associated Programs