Dr. Al Benner
Music Instructor
[Theory, Composition,
Instrumental, Ensembles, Piano]
Philosophy Instructor
[Philosophy, Ethics]
Louisiana School for Math, Science and the Arts
Room P109A [Prudhomme Hall]
318-357-3231
ABenner@lsmsa.edu
Office Hours
MW 10-11:00, 2-3:00; T 8-9:30,
1:30-3:00; F 10-11:00
Guided Study
MWF 1-2:00
For a listing of performances of my music in
2009, please click here.
To visit my favorite LSMSA Instructor, please click here.
Life Philosophy
Do what is right even if it is unpopular.
Take responsibility for your actions.
Don't let others think for you.
There is always a choice.
Be true to yourself.
“Excellence is not an action, but a habit.”
--Aristotle
"To educate a person in intelligence but not in
character is a crime to the human spirit."
--Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
"I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination.
Imagination is more important than knowledge.
Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world."
--Dr. Albert Einstein
“In God We Trust”
--George Washington, Thomas Jefferson,
Patrick Henry, John Adams,
Benjamin Franklin, Abraham
Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, Franklin Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan
Courses offered for Fall 2009
Click courses to see the
current syllabi.
|
Fundamentals of
Music |
Beg. Piano
Class I |
|
Music
Composition |
Chamber
Ensemble |
|
Wind Ensemble |
Adv. Music Theory
I |
To see past courses taught at LSMSA and last semester’s syllabi, please click here. To see projected courses for the 2009-10 school term, please click here.
For a description of the Philosophy courses and the Music Theory and Composition courses I teach, please click here.
Stomper; Aftershock; R&J; Elijah Rock; RTDD
2008-09 National or Regional Conferences Invites
|
Oct. 23-25, 2008 Centenary College Shreveport, LA Office Held: Board Member; Commissioning Chair
|
May 20-21, 2008 Dallas, TX Office Held: National Advisory Council; ComposerUSA Editor
Past and Future Visions (1991) for violin and piano Karen Lim, violin; Luca Bruno, piano Eisemann Center for Performing Arts; Dallas, TX |
To see past conference invites, please click here.
Special Performances and Commissions
|
Performances Psalm 117 (2007) for SATB choir and piano Red
River Chorale; Alexandria, LA;
Changes (1990) for woodwind septet (flute, oboe, English horn, 2 clarinets, bassoon, contrabassoon) Louisiana Sinfonietta;
Baton Rouge, LA; December 9, 2007
Illumination (1991) for string orchestra (Louisiana Sinfonietta Tenth Anniversary Commission) Premiered January 12, 1992
A Concert of Distinguished Alumni Composers Louisiana Sinfonietta;
Baton Rouge, LA; The LSU 61st Festival of Contemporary Music
L to R: Dr. David Penri-Evans, Dr. Stephen
Lias,
Commissions Louisiana Music Teachers Association the 2009 LMTA Commissioning Composers Award for a piano duet to be premiered at the 2009 LMTA Conference in Lafayette, LA in October.
[organist and coordinator, Harvard's Memorial Church] to write a new sacred motet (an anthem for 4-part SATB choir) for the Choral Fellows ensemble of the Harvard University (a select 16-person professional choir) for use at daily worship services and other events for which the ensemble sings.
to write an arrangement for the Hudson Valley Brass Quintet of Handel’s “March” from the Occasional Oratorio to be played at the graduation ceremonies of the State University of New York at New Paltz on May 19 & 24, 2006 and at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY on May 28, 2006.
|
Louisiana
Sunshine (2004) Theme and Variations based upon by Jimmie Davis and Charles Mitchell © 2004 by Peer International Corp.
Commissioned collaboratively by Louisiana's seven professional orchestras through the Louisiana Association of Symphony Orchestras (LASO).
Young People’s Discovery Concert Series “One Louisiana—One Song” Kermit Poling, conductor; Shreveport Civic Theatre [Jan. 26, 2005; 9:30 am; Jan. 27-28, 2005; 9:30 & 11:00 am] Lake Charles Symphony Orchestra William Kushner, conductor; Rosa Hart Theatre [April 10, 2005; 3:00pm] Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra Stuart Chafetz, guest conductor; Baton Rouge River Civic Theatre [April 11-13, 2005; 9:30 & 11:00 am] [April 12, 2005; 11:00 am—Carnegie Hall’s LinkUP! Program] Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra Stu Chafetz, conductor [April 6, 2005; Greater Covington Center , 9:30 & 11am] [April 26, 2005; Mahalia Jackson Theatre, 10 am] [April 28, 2005; Slidell Municipal Auditorium, 9:30 & 11:00 am] [May 4, 2005; Pontchartrain Center, 10:00 am] [May 5, 2005; St. Bernard Civic Center, 10:00 am] Myron Turner, conductor; Neville High School “Sound Safari” [May 11, 2005; 10:00 am & 1:00 pm] Side-by-Side Educational Concert Joshua Zona, conductor; Coughlin Saunders Performing Art Center [April 24, 2006; 9:30 am]
Radio Broadcasts September 21, 2008 WRKF, 89.3 FM, public radio
Changes (1990) for woodwind septet Louisiana Sinfonietta Winds; Baton Rouge,
LA; |
The LSMSA Chamber and String Ensembles are treated as
professional performing groups. Consequently, inclusion in these groups
is by audition only. The Wind Ensemble is by Instructor approval.
For details about the different LSMSA Ensembles, please contact Dr.
Benner. For more information about the LSMSA Music Ensembles and/or other
instrumental performing group opportunities at LSMSA, please
click here. There will be a
small Chamber Ensemble concert March 18, 6:15pm in Treen Auditorium. The
main Chamber and Wind Ensemble concert this Spring will be on May 10 at 2pm in
Magale Recital Hall on the NSU campus. Please check back for further
details.
Past concerts for
Chamber, Wind and String Ensembles
Additional Concert
Opportunities provided for LSMSA students
LSMSA
Ensembles Original Compositions, Arrangements, and Transpositions
LSMSA's All-State and
District II Ensemble Members
Composition Opportunities
provided for LSMSA students
Ensemble Concert
Invitations
Past Student Assistants to
the Chamber/Wind Ensemble Director
Individual Student Recitals
Major Instrumental, Composition and Piano Students
Click here to see past recital programs.
At times, various students of Dr. Al Benner give a Junior or Senior Recital. For the 2008-09 school year, there will be a Senior Recital of Phillip Larroque (oboe), May 2, 7:00pm, in Treen Auditorium on the LSMSA campus. Check back here during the year for further details.
Distinction Projects
To see past abstracts of completed distinction projects, please click here.
At times, various students of Dr. Al Benner complete the requirements to graduate with distinction. This is a rare occurrence for usually no more than about a dozen students a year complete this process throughout all the disciplines.
Louisiana Composers' Consortium
Total Concerts performed so far: 35
The goal of the LCC is to promote Louisiana talent throughout the state by playing works of living Louisiana composers and other guest composers who are significant figures in 20th century music. The LCC, which was founded in 1999 by Dr. Al Benner, also promotes current and recent Louisiana School faculty, students, and alumni. It is a way of not only giving something back to the Natchitoches and surrounding communities, but also to present fresh music and to show that contemporary music can also be fun to hear. To learn more about the LCC or to see past concerts, please click here.
The next LCC concert is scheduled for the Fall in Natchitoches. Please check back for future details.
Learn more about me
For some little known facts about Dr. Benner, click here.
Family Photos
Albert and Nicholas Family Star Wars