Ben Hylton is an active composer, music educator, trumpeter, and clinician currently residing in Austin, Texas. Ben arranges and composes music for all types of ensembles and commercial purposes as well as designs competitive shows for the pageantry arts. A composer with diverse skill sets, in 2008 Ben provided musical arrangements for Rock ‘n Roll hall of fame inductee Percy Sledge and in 2015 Ben arranged music for WGI silver medalist Stryke Wynds. Ben’s composes music each year for over 35 clients in the pageantry arts who are successful at the state, regional, and national level. Ben also, accepts commissions for concert and jazz works each year; his work for Jazz Ensemble Fontainebleau Funk has been selected to be performed at the 2019 Midwest Clinic.

Over the past 10 years Mr. Hylton has been an elementary music teacher, middle school, and high school band director in Virginia, North Carolina, and Florida; most recently, Mr. Hylton was The Director of Music at The Pine School in Hobe Sound, Florida where he coordinated an extensive classical and jazz chamber music program. While in Florida, Ben also served as music caption head for the 3 time Florida State Champions and BOA Regional Finalists Jupiter High School and Park Vista High School. Ben currently, consults with groups around the U.S. and abroad offering music and design clinics.

In the drum and bugle corps activity, Ben was a member of the Blue Knights and the Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps then went on to teach with The Madison Scouts, The Blue Knights, The Phantom Regiment, and The Crossmen. In 2018 Ben was the brass caption head for the Academy Drum and Bugle Corps where he served as lead brass staff for 3 seasons.

Ben has performed as a trumpeter throughout Southeastern United States and in the Caribbean. As a classical artist he performs as a soloist for ceremonies and special events throughout the US. As a jazz artist, Ben has performed with Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee Percy Sledge, Carnival Cruise Lines, at Birdland in NYC, and more recently with Reggae-jazz artist Eugene Grey, Jazz Pianist Donald Brown, and others.

Ben received a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from East Carolina University, a Master’s Degree in Trumpet Performance from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and he completed additional graduate studies in Jazz at Florida State University.