About Ben

“Demonstrates his aptitude to adapt.” — Susan Frances, Jazz2Love

Ben Goldman is a versatile drummer and percussionist who “demonstrates his aptitude to adapt” (Susan Frances, Jazz2Love). Teaching out of studios in Philadelphia and Delaware, Ben has a private studio of 40 students. When he is not teaching or performing locally, Ben performs as an associate artist with Rodney Marsalis and the Philadelphia Big Brass and as the co-leader of The Ben Diagram Duo.

Ben is a member of 6ix Wire, a Fusion/World Music ensemble in residence at The University of Delaware. In addition to touring nationally and internationally with these ensembles, Ben has been on faculty at several international music festivals. Ben led the Peace Drums Orchestra and performed in faculty ensembles at the Tefen Music Festival in Israel. At the 2017 and 2019 Master Players Festival hosted at the University of Delaware, Ben directed the World-Music ensembles and chaired the percussion division.

Ben is also the bandleader for Glen Boldman & The Philadelphia 5 and The Ben Goldman Project. Their self-titled album of Ben’s original compositions has been hailed as “bubbling [and] long on style” (Dodie Miller-Gould of LemonWire) and as “a fresh outlook on jazz [with a] solid dose of funk and groove” (Brice Boorman of Chalked UP Magazine).

Ben holds a BFA from California Institute of the Arts, an MM from University of Delaware, and a Masters of Education Policy from University of Illinois.