Meet Ben Barnett

Ben Barnett, Class of 2016

As a teenager exiting high school I didn’t want to attend college. My trombone teacher at the time had a habit of sending a lot of his students to Purchase College to study with John Fedchock, who was the jazz trombone teacher at the time of my attendance, and he convinced me to at least apply. That made my parents happy, and so they convinced me to apply to a few more colleges. In the end I was only accepted to Purchase and Hofstra University. The latter was too expensive for me, so with that my fate was sealed! 

Today, I am thankful that it all turned out that way. While at Purchase I was lucky enough to get my butt whooped by heavy hitters on the faculty. Without them I wouldn’t understand what it truly takes to make music. I wouldn’t understand true devotion. I will always be thankful of my time at Purchase, and I will always be a proud graduate. Currently I am a first call substitute trombonist for the 7-time Grammy-winning Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra led by Arturo O’Farrill, member of the George Gee Swing Orchestra, and a manager at the world famous Smalls Jazz Club, and was recently endorsed by Conn-Selmer, Inc.