South Brisbane Federal Band

Ben Crocker

Ben was born in Cairns, and began his musical studies at the piano with his mother Jacqueline at age 4. In 1994 he commenced learning the trumpet under the tutelage of George Schipke, the then principal trombonist with Cairns Brass. 1997 saw Ben’s first involvement with brass bands when he took up the cornet with the Herbert River District Band in the small sugar cane farming town of Ingham in North Queensland. In 2000, Ben was invited to become part of the Townsville Brass organisation, joining on soprano cornet in 2000. 2001 saw him make the change from soprano cornet to euphonium, and move permanently from Ingham to Townsville.

Ben Graduated in 2003 from Kirwan High School as recipient of the schools leadership award and history prizes, gaining entry to study law and criminology at Griffith University, however, he chose to remain in Townsville and become further involved in music. From 2003 to 2006 Ben was principal euphonium with Townsville Brass, playing under Craig Millar, Roy Hosking, Ralph Hotz and Kim Lofthouse. Ben has won the Northern Zone junior euphonium championship on three occassions, and in 2003 won the Townsville Eistedfodd’s open championship for instrumentalists. In 2004 he also conducted Townsville Brass whilst the organisation sought a long-term professional conductor. From 2004 to 2006 he worked as a conductor and brass tutor at Townsville’s Cathedral School of St. Anne and St. James, leading the school’s ensemble’s with great success at local competitions. In 2004 he received a high commendation for his performance of the Horovitz Euphonium Concerto at the North Queensland Concerto and Vocal Competition.

In 2006 Ben moved to Brisbane to undertake further studies at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music under Greg Aitken. At the same time, he became a member of the already highly successful Brisbane Excelsior Band, playing under Howard Taylor and Ashley Gittens. With Excelsior, Ben has performed at both concerts and competitions in Brisbane and across the country, in New Zealand and at the Melbourne International Festival of Brass. At the conservatorium, he has played with the Brass Ensemble, Wind Orchestra and Brass Band, and has also conducted the university’s Brass Band every year since 2006. In August 2009, Ben conducted new music for Griffith University’s sounding out composer’s collective. He is currently concluding a 4 year bachelor of music degree, under the tuition of Peter Luff.

Ben comes to the feds after a very brief ‘break’ from banding after leaving Brisbane Excelsior in April 2009.