Ben Neill

Ben Neill (born November 14, 1957) is an American composer, trumpeter, producer, author, and educator. He is the inventor of the “Mutantrumpet”, a hybrid electro-acoustic instrument. Early life, family and education Neill was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. His early studies included the North Carolina School of the Arts and Eastern Music Festival, where he played alongside many notable young musicians including Wynton Marsalis. He attended the Dana School of Music at Youngstown State University, where he earned Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees. His primary trumpet teacher was Esotto Pellegrini, but he also studied trumpet with Bernard Adelstein and James Darling. In 1983 he moved to New York City, and earned a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree from Manhattan School of Music. He also studied privately with La Monte Young and was mentored by Jon Hassell. Career In 1980 Neill formed The B-Minors, a new wave band with drummer Don Yallech, and became an active participant in the Northeast Ohio punk/new wave scene, frequently performing at The Bank in Akron, JB’s in Kent, and the Cedars in Youngstown. Neill began writing his own music and developed the prototype for h