Ben Fong Bio
Mr. Fong recently retired as the instrumental music teacher at Reeds Road Elementary School in Galloway, NJ. Prior to Reeds Road, Mr. Fong has taught General Music at Atlantic County Special Services and Instrumental Music at Egg Harbor Township High School. He has also taught Instrumental Music in the Philadelphia area and began his teaching career in Sacramento, CA.
Mr. Fong is a member of the National Association for Music Education, New Jersey Music Educators Association and the South Jersey Band & Orchestra Directors Association. He has also been a clinician at the February “New Jersey Music Educators Association†Conference and the NAfME Eastern Division Conference. As an adjudicator, Mr. Fong has worked with the National Judges Association, USBands, and Performing Arts Consultants Music Festivals. As a Music Arranger, Mr. Fong has written for several high school marching band programs in the New Jersey and Pennsylvania area. For 16 years, Mr. Fong has been the Assistant Director/Music Arranger and part of the Design Team for the highly successful Absegami HS Marching Braves where he helped them win 14 NJ State Championships, 2 TOB Atlantic Coast Championships in 1998 and 2002, and 2 USBands National Championships in 2006 and 2013. Mr. Fong has also been active as a sound reinforcement engineer in California and Atlantic City, and a recording studio engineer for several recording artists in the Los Angeles area. Mr. Fong also has a long history with the DCI World Class Mandarins Drum and Bugle Corps; First, as a performer, then as their Brass Caption Head/Instructor/Music Arranger.
Mr. Fong holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from California State University, Sacramento and has graduate credits towards his Masters Degree from Combs College of Music, St. Joe’s University in Philadelphia and Rowan University in Glassboro, NJ. While in California, he studied under Noel Smelser, principal trumpet for the Sacramento Symphony. Mr. Fong was also a former member of the Sacramento Camellia Symphony Orchestra and a freelance trumpet player in the greater Sacramento area. He has performed in almost every state in the union, in Hawaii, and in Taiwan. Currently, Mr. Fong performs as a lead trumpet player with the South Jersey Area Wind Ensemble and, as a lead trumpet player and Associate Conductor for the Atlantic Pops Community Band.
He has also conducted the South Jersey Band and Orchestra Directors Association Jr. High Honors Band, the Olympic Conference Jr. High Honors Band, and the South Jersey Band and Orchestra Directors Association Elementary Honors Band. He has also been a manager for several honors bands, the coordinator for the South Jersey Band and Orchestra Directors Association Elementary Band Festival, and is presently the Past-President of the South Jersey Band & Orchestra Directors Association.
Mr. Fong recently retired as the instrumental music teacher at Reeds Road Elementary School in Galloway, NJ. Prior to Reeds Road, Mr. Fong has taught General Music at Atlantic County Special Services and Instrumental Music at Egg Harbor Township High School. He has also taught Instrumental Music in the Philadelphia area and began his teaching career in Sacramento, CA.
Mr. Fong is a member of the National Association for Music Education, New Jersey Music Educators Association and the South Jersey Band & Orchestra Directors Association. He has also been a clinician at the February “New Jersey Music Educators Association†Conference and the NAfME Eastern Division Conference. As an adjudicator, Mr. Fong has worked with the National Judges Association, USBands, and Performing Arts Consultants Music Festivals. As a Music Arranger, Mr. Fong has written for several high school marching band programs in the New Jersey and Pennsylvania area. For 16 years, Mr. Fong has been the Assistant Director/Music Arranger and part of the Design Team for the highly successful Absegami HS Marching Braves where he helped them win 14 NJ State Championships, 2 TOB Atlantic Coast Championships in 1998 and 2002, and 2 USBands National Championships in 2006 and 2013. Mr. Fong has also been active as a sound reinforcement engineer in California and Atlantic City, and a recording studio engineer for several recording artists in the Los Angeles area. Mr. Fong also has a long history with the DCI World Class Mandarins Drum and Bugle Corps; First, as a performer, then as their Brass Caption Head/Instructor/Music Arranger.
Mr. Fong holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from California State University, Sacramento and has graduate credits towards his Masters Degree from Combs College of Music, St. Joe’s University in Philadelphia and Rowan University in Glassboro, NJ. While in California, he studied under Noel Smelser, principal trumpet for the Sacramento Symphony. Mr. Fong was also a former member of the Sacramento Camellia Symphony Orchestra and a freelance trumpet player in the greater Sacramento area. He has performed in almost every state in the union, in Hawaii, and in Taiwan. Currently, Mr. Fong performs as a lead trumpet player with the South Jersey Area Wind Ensemble and, as a lead trumpet player and Associate Conductor for the Atlantic Pops Community Band.
He has also conducted the South Jersey Band and Orchestra Directors Association Jr. High Honors Band, the Olympic Conference Jr. High Honors Band, and the South Jersey Band and Orchestra Directors Association Elementary Honors Band. He has also been a manager for several honors bands, the coordinator for the South Jersey Band and Orchestra Directors Association Elementary Band Festival, and is presently the Past-President of the South Jersey Band & Orchestra Directors Association.