Dr. BEN MORRIS benmorrismusic.com | bmorriscomposer@gmail.com (+1) 973-722-0460 | 621 Mr Henrys Drive, Nacogdoches TX 75965
EDUCATION University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO D.M.A. in Music Composition with ATLAS/Cecil Effinger Technology Fellowship Composition studies with Carter Pann, Annika Socolofsky, and Michael Theodore
2022
Rice University Shepherd School of Music, Houston, TX M.M. in Music Composition with Brown Fellowship Composition studies with Karim Al-Zand, Anthony Brandt, and Pierre Jalbert
2017
University of Miami Frost School of Music, Miami, FL B.M. summa cum laude in Music Composition and History with honors Composition studies with Lansing McLoskey, jazz studies with Gary Lindsay, Bryan Lynch, and Martin Bejerano, film music with Carlos Rafael Rivera
2015
TEACHING EXPERIENCE University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO Assistant Professor of Composition
2026-present
Undergraduate and Graduate Courses Applied Composition Lessons, Class Composition, Seminar in Collaboration, Electronic Music Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, TX Assistant Professor of Composition
2022-2026
Undergraduate and Graduate Courses Applied Composition Lessons, Orchestration, Jazz and Pop Analysis, Jazz Piano, Jazz Improvisation, Thesis Advising, Music Entrepreneurship, Post-tonal Analysis, Composition Studio Class, and Film Music Master’s Theses: Primary Advisor Nga Ma Chan (2026): “J-Pop Reimagined: A Fusion of the Royal Road Progression and Japanese Pop in Contemporary Orchestral Composition.” Hugh Taylor (2026): “Bass and Drum Grooves in R&B: Analysis and Composition.” Leigha Turner (2026): “Architecture as Frozen Music: An Original Wind Ensemble Work Exploring Architectural Metaphors in Contemporary Music.” Nicholas Knirk (2025): “Spirit Suite: An Original Jazz Manouche Composition for Large Ensemble.” Jason Ronnie Whitt (2025): “Metamorphosis: An Original Jazz Guitar Concerto Exploring Improvisation and Polystylistic Compositional Strategies in the Cross-genre Concerto.” Victorino Perez (2025): “A Comparison of Traditional Típica Style Salsa Piano Accompaniment and Latin Jazz Comping.” Matthew Delcambre (2024): “The Scream Notation System: A Notation System for Screamed Vocals.” Jimmy Bartley (2024): “Digital Orchestration in Media Composition: Creating an Ideal Mockup.” University of Colorado Boulder School of Music, Boulder, CO Instructor of Record Basic Composition, Aural Skills, Applications of Music Technology, and Film Scoring
2019-2022
Boulder Philharmonic Emerging Composers Program, Broomfield, CO 2020-2022 Individual Mentor for emerging composers at Legacy, Skyline, and Boulder High Schools Rice University Shepherd School of Music, Houston, TX 2015-2017 Graduate Assistant and Instructor of Record, Brown Teaching Fellow Michael P. Hammond Preparatory Program, GA for Undergraduate Theory, Cross-cultural Asian Music, and Creativity Up Close, and Electronic Music Lab Assistant
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