Carnegie Mellon hopes to be miles better with Bennington

Carnegie Mellon University has settled on Miles Bennington as its new Drumming Instructor, following a lengthy search. In one of the world’s few paid pipe band drumming roles, Bennington provide individual instruction to the students, direct the drum corps at rehearsals, performances, and competitions, and, according to the university, work to build “a cohesive and talented drum corps.

Bennington is a professional snare drummer and special education teacher from Pittsburgh, where Carnegie Mellon is located. He’s a veteran of several upper-grade bands, including Grade 2 Great Lakes and Grade 1 Toronto Police. Bennington has also served as an instructor for Grade 2 North Coast of Ohio, and currently also competes with the Grade 1 Grade 1 78th Fraser Highlanders of Ontario.

Miles Bennington will work with his piping counterpart, Andrew Carlisle, who heads up the degree program started by Jimmy McIntosh in the 1990s, as well as the pipe-majorship of the university’s competing bands.

“I am excited for the opportunity to work with the Carnegie Mellon University Pipes & Drums,” Bennington said. “Having grown up in the greater Pittsburgh pipe band community, I’ve been able to observe firsthand what a massive impact Carnegie Mellon has made in our community here and abroad. The opportunity to collaborate with someone as esteemed as Andrew on the development of the program and its members is truly an honor. I look forward to diving in and helping to continue developing an already prestigious program.”

The university fields bands that compete in Grade 3 and Grade 5.

Also in a statement from the university, Carlisle commented, “I am looking forward to working with Miles. He is clearly very passionate about teaching drumming. His background and experience as an educator along with his involvement with top level bands will be skills that will serve him in good stead at Carnegie Mellon. I have no doubt that he will be an asset to our students [and] the University.”

Bennington takes over from Richard Baughman, who filled the role for five years.

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