Ben Clinesmith -- cellist, educational curriculum
developer, occasional “philosopher king” --
was born in Ft. Scott, Kansas, in 1942. In 1962, after
two years and one month of majoring in ‘cello at
the University of Kansas, Ben, with fellow student,
Kathleen Snodgrass,
“ran away” to New York City. There, Ben and
Kathleen began a life together that for the past 48 years
has been lived primarily in the Northeastern United
States.
For the two years before settling permanently in the Northeast, Ben was cellist in the Houston Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sir John Barbirolli and Andre Previn. In 1965, Ben and Kathleen’s daughter, Ellen, was born in Houston.
In 1969, Ben was employed in New York City as a cellist in the American Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Leopold Stokowski. His daughter, Ellen, was about to begin kindergarten. It was at this time that Ben and Kathleen first read the book Summerhill by A.S. Neill, and as a result, life for these transplanted Jayhawkers was again profoundly and forever changed.
From 1970 to 1976 Ben and Kathleen helped run The Learning Tree School,* a school based mainly on the extraordinary educational insights of A. S. Neill. At this time Ben also played cello in the “folk/rock” group Merlin.
From 1976 to 1990 Ben and Kathleen lived in Brunswick, Maine. Ben taught cello at U.N.H, Bates and Bowdoin colleges, and played in the New England Trio. He also conducted a youth orchestra, (BRYO), that rehearsed at Bowdoin and performed throughout Southern Maine. Their house in Brunswick, which they helped design and build, is now the home of their son Kendall.
From 1990 to the present Ben and Kathleen have lived again in New York City. Many of Ben’s arrangements for string orchestra have been published and are available at JW Pepper Music. As a result of his work with children at The Calhoun School in New York, four CD’s of music by and for children have been produced, Calhoun Kids for Kids, Vol’s 1 through 4. And a method of helping children learn to read by studying the syllables contained in familiar songs, (Sing It, Say It, Read It, Write It), is an important part of Calhoun’s lower school academic curriculum.
Ben’s Etudes for Cello, “Boring But Beneficial Exercises,” and other teaching materials and educational writings will eventually be available through this website.
*Photographer and writer Gordon Parks, author of the book and director of the movie The Learning Tree, was also born in Ft. Scott.
For the two years before settling permanently in the Northeast, Ben was cellist in the Houston Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sir John Barbirolli and Andre Previn. In 1965, Ben and Kathleen’s daughter, Ellen, was born in Houston.
In 1969, Ben was employed in New York City as a cellist in the American Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Leopold Stokowski. His daughter, Ellen, was about to begin kindergarten. It was at this time that Ben and Kathleen first read the book Summerhill by A.S. Neill, and as a result, life for these transplanted Jayhawkers was again profoundly and forever changed.
From 1970 to 1976 Ben and Kathleen helped run The Learning Tree School,* a school based mainly on the extraordinary educational insights of A. S. Neill. At this time Ben also played cello in the “folk/rock” group Merlin.
From 1976 to 1990 Ben and Kathleen lived in Brunswick, Maine. Ben taught cello at U.N.H, Bates and Bowdoin colleges, and played in the New England Trio. He also conducted a youth orchestra, (BRYO), that rehearsed at Bowdoin and performed throughout Southern Maine. Their house in Brunswick, which they helped design and build, is now the home of their son Kendall.
From 1990 to the present Ben and Kathleen have lived again in New York City. Many of Ben’s arrangements for string orchestra have been published and are available at JW Pepper Music. As a result of his work with children at The Calhoun School in New York, four CD’s of music by and for children have been produced, Calhoun Kids for Kids, Vol’s 1 through 4. And a method of helping children learn to read by studying the syllables contained in familiar songs, (Sing It, Say It, Read It, Write It), is an important part of Calhoun’s lower school academic curriculum.
Ben’s Etudes for Cello, “Boring But Beneficial Exercises,” and other teaching materials and educational writings will eventually be available through this website.
*Photographer and writer Gordon Parks, author of the book and director of the movie The Learning Tree, was also born in Ft. Scott.