Ben Riley

Editor. Musician. Educator. Writer.

Resume

Benjamin Riley
Musician, Educator, Editor, Writer
Website: benguitarmusic.com

Editor, classical guitarist, musician, music educator, composer, writer, and website designer. Combines his passions for education, editing, and academic research in his role as Associate Editor, Current Reports at Springer Nature. Performs his unique blend of folk-rock tunes and classical music at cafes, farmers markets, restaurants, churches, and other venues throughout the Hudson Valley and beyond. Teaches music lessons on a variety of instruments at Rivertown Music and privately. Creates, designs, and manages websites for individuals, businesses, and organizations in the arts and humanities. Passionate about music, research, writing, editing, and digital media.

Education:

Master of Arts in Music
Hunter College, New York, New York 2019 – 2021

  • Concentration in Music Theory
  • Thesis: “Lost in Translation? A Comparison of the Anna Magdalena Bach Manuscript and John W. Duarte Arrangement of Cello Suite No. 3, BWV 1009 by Johann Sebastian Bach”  
  • Recipient of Society for Music Theory Independent Scholar Grant (2021 and 2020)
  • Recipient of Summer Scholarship for Continuing Students (2020)

Bachelor of Music
Nyack College, Nyack, New York 2014 – 2018

  • Major in Classical Guitar Performance
  • Graduated Summa Cum Laude (3.96 GPA)
  • Studied Classical Guitar with Professor Glenn Sparks
  • First Prize Winner of Invitational Music Scholarship Competition (2015)
  • Recipient of Music Ensemble Achievement Grant (2014)

Master Guitar Certificate Program                                     
Berklee College of Music, Boston, Massachusetts 2012 – 2014

  • Studied blues guitar, jazz guitar, rock guitar, music theory, and music business
  • GPA: 3.96
Professional Experience:

  • Associate Editor, Current Reports for Springer Nature (January 2022 – present)
  • Faculty at Westchester Community College (September 2021 – present)
  • Website Manager for Rockland County Music Teachers Guild (August 2019 – present)
  • Teaches guitar, bass, mandolin, banjo, ukulele, beginner piano, and music theory at Rivertown Music and privately (2017 – present)
  • Writes and edits articles on music, education, and related topics that have been published by Grey House Publishing, Life Learning Magazine, Routledge, The Envoy, The Fine Print, The Journal of Unschooling and Alternative Learning, and Tipping Points Magazine (2015 – present)
  • Performs solo and ensemble concerts at cafes, restaurants, farmers markets, libraries, churches, and other venues (2012 – present)
  • Journal Manager for Other Education (October 2021 – December 2022)
  • Culture Writer for The Envoy (September 2020 – May 2021)
  • Website Designer for The Envoy (January 2021 – May 2021)
  • Intern for The College Music Society as Content Editor of their academic journal, College Music Symposium (May 2018 – May 2019)
  • Advanced Music Theory Tutor at Nyack College Tutoring Center (September 2017 – May 2018)
  • Presented on music, musicology, and education at the Nyack College Scholars Symposium and the Alternative Education Resource Organization (AERO) Conference (2017)
  • Website Administrator for Alternatives to School (2014)
  • Classical Guitar and Music Theory Blog: https://classicalguitaranalysis.wordpress.com/
Performances:

  • A Virtual Concert with Guitarist and Singer/Songwriter Ben Riley. Rockland County Music Teachers Guild (April 2021)
  • Renaissance: A Time For Renewal. Valley Cottage Library Virtual Program Video Commission (April 2020) http://guides.rcls.org/homeworking/benriley
  • Featured Performer at Valley Cottage Library, Valley Cottage NY (June 2019)
  • Frequent Performer at Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow Farmers Market (2018 – present)
  • Frequent Performer at Piermont Farmers Market (2019 – 2020)
  • Frequent Performer at St. Thomas Concert Series, Nyack NY (2018 – 2020)              
  • Frequent Performer at The OUTSIDE IN, Piermont NY (2018 – 2020)
  • Frequent Performer at The Art Café, Nyack NY (2015 – 2020) 
  • Frequent Performer at River Vale Community Church, River Vale NJ (2016 – 2020)
  • Frequent Performer at Montvale Evangelical Free Church, Montvale NJ (2017 – 2020)      
  • Featured Performer at Nyack College School of Education Graduation, Nyack NY (2015 – 2018)   
  • Handbell Ensemble and Classical Guitar Performer at the Nyack College Carol and Candlelight Tour (2014 – 2018)
Publications:

Riley, Gina & Benjamin Riley. “A Unique Education: Unschooling to Adulthood.” In This Is Homeschooling: Stories of Unconventional Learning Practices on the Road and in Nature, edited by Katie Rybakova Mathews. London, United Kingdom: Routledge, 2022. https://www.routledge.com/This-is-Homeschooling-Stories-of-Unconventional-Learning-Practices-On-the/Mathews/p/book/9781032201405

Riley, Benjamin. “Lost in Translation? A Comparison of the Anna Magdalena Bach Manuscript and John W. Duarte Arrangement of Cello Suite No. 3, BWV 1009 by Johann Sebastian Bach.” Master’s Thesis, Hunter College – CUNY, New York, 2021. CUNY Academic Works School of Arts & Sciences Theses. https://academicworks.cuny.edu/hc_sas_etds/698/?fbclid=IwAR2UuxOOPmEZ9AxkPiXAqwWPo4blML0Yyp1NeavrVvtmvfARKj2UyhJd6y8

Riley, Benjamin. “CUNY Chapbook Event Showcases Student Art and Poetry.” The Envoy, April 5, 2021. https://thehunterenvoy.wordpress.com/2021/04/05/cuny-chapbook-event-showcases-student-art-and-poetry/

Riley, Benjamin. “The Olivetree Review Releases First Digital-Only Issue.” The Envoy, January 27, 2021. https://thehunterenvoy.wordpress.com/2021/01/27/the-olivetree-review-releases-first-digital-only-issue/

Jones, Matt. “In the Spotlight: A Conversation with Matt Jones, Artist and MFA Student at Hunter College.” Interview by Benjamin Riley. The Envoy, November 16, 2020. https://thehunterenvoy.wordpress.com/2020/11/16/in-the-spotlight-a-conversation-with-matt-jones-artist-and-mfa-student-at-hunter-college

Riley, Benjamin. “My Experience as a Home Education Graduate.” In Global Perspectives on Home Education in the 21st Century, edited by Rebecca English. Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA: IGI Global, 2020. https://www.igi-global.com/book/global-perspectives-home-education-21st/256633

Riley, Benjamin. “Sing, O Muse: On the Link Between Creativity and Self-Directed Education.” The Journal of Unschooling and Alternative Learning 14, no. 27 (Spring 2020): 31-47. https://jual.nipissingu.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/25/2020/06/v14273.pdf

Riley, Benjamin. “What Will You Choose?” The Fine Print (2018). https://www.nyack.edu/site/the-fine-print/

Riley, Benjamin. “The Power of Story: Encouraging homeschoolers, unschoolers, and those who attend alternative schools to change the world through personal narrative.” Tipping Points (Fall 2017). https://www.self-directed.org/tp/power-of-story/

Riley, Benjamin. “A Unique Education.” Life Learning Magazine (Spring 2017). http://www.lifelearningmagazine.com/1706/unique-education.htm

Riley, Benjamin. “Global Warming Hiatus.” In Salem Science: Encyclopedia of Climate Change, 2nd Edition, edited by Steven I. Dutch. Amenia, New York: Grey House Publishing, 2016. https://www.salempress.com/Encyclopedia-of-Climate-Change

Riley, Benjamin. “Personalized Medicine/Whole Genome Sequencing.” In Salem Health: Cancer 2nd Edition, edited by Michael A. Buratovich and Laurie Jackson-Grusby. Amenia, New York: Grey House Publishing, 2016. https://www.salempress.com/salem_health_cancer

Riley, Benjamin. “Being Gluten-Free.” In Salem Health: Adolescent Health & Wellness, edited by Paul Moglia. Amenia, New York: Grey House Publishing, 2015. https://www.salempress.com/salem_health_adolescent_health_wellness

Presentations:

  • “Lost in Translation? A Comparison of the Anna Magdalena Bach Manuscript and John W. Duarte Arrangement of Cello Suite No. 3, BWV 1009 by Johann Sebastian Bach,” Thesis Defense Presentation, Hunter College, April 13, 2021
  • “Teaching Beginners: A Round Table Discussion with Guild Teachers,” Rockland County Music Teachers Guild, April 3, 2019
  • “Béla Bartók: Collector, Notator, Assimilator, and Composer,” Scholars Symposium, Nyack College, November 9, 2017
  • “From Unschooling to College: One Young Man’s Story,” Alternative Education Resource Organization (AERO) Conference, August 5, 2017
Media & Press:

Professional Memberships:

  • Society for Scholarly Publishing
  • Society for Music Theory
  • American Musicological Society
  • Rockland County Music Teachers Guild
  • Nyack College Honor Society
  • Alpha Chi National College Honor Society
  • Handbell Musicians of America
 

References Available Upon Request