Ben Case

The foundation of Maestro Ben Case’s educational philosophy is, “I do not teach MUSIC, I teach STUDENTS.” His exceptional Northwood High School music program offers students four concert bands, four orchestras, four jazz bands, and a marching band with over 230 members. His young musicians refer to the program as “family, a place to belong.”

In Ben’s own words, “The cacophony of joy…pours from the open doors and is a beacon of connectivity to the rest of campus.” His students take ownership of their curricular and social-emotional learning as Ben facilitates, adding content and enrichment while establishing realistic, yet ambitious, goals to push and stretch their understanding. He weaves in concepts from math, science, and the humanities, while giving them collegiate level music experiences and allowing them the creativity to express themselves through their art.

The strands of the California Arts Standards – creating, performing, responding, and connecting – are at the forefront in Mr. Case’s classes, as he takes his students through a concert cycle, from sight reading to performance, while exploring contextual understanding, developing technical skills, and facilitating decisions on next steps. His students are focused on the overall process. He maintains that “the process and reflection build deep and personal relationships with the music, as well as strong collaborative bonds with the ensemble. Together, we set the pace of learning.”  Additionally, to help close achievement gaps and bridge socioeconomic inequalities, Ben often brings in professional musicians to coach both group and individual sessions.

Ben feels that his most rewarding accomplishments are not the national recognitions, such as being named a seven-time Grammy Signature Award-winning music program at Northwood High, but in the personal moments, like receiving a card from a student who struggled saying, “Thank you for believing in me.”

As a beginning teacher, Ben was asked what he wanted his students to have learned after four years in his program. His response today is, “I want them to own their experiences and to connect with each other and their art. I want them to know that they belong to something bigger than just themselves, and overall, to know that I care deeply for each of them. After all, our program is a family.”