"Ben is a great composer, and an energetic performer who knows how deep music can go. It's always fun to play with him."
- Jovino Santos Neto,
Brazilian pianist/composer/flautist

Dr. Ben Thomas has been a percussionist since 1985. Playing vibes, drumset, and percussion, he has performed in a wide variety of groups and genres. In the last few years, Thomas has performed at the Bumbershoot Arts Festival, Earshot Jazz Festival, Detroit-Montreaux Jazz Festival, Issaquah Jazz Festival, Anacortes Arts Festival, Ellensburg Jazz in the Valley Festival, Tacoma Maritime Festival, Bellingham Art of Jazz Series, and the Juneau Jazz and Classics Festival.

Thomas completed his Doctor of Musical Art in Percussion Performance at the University of Washington in 2007. His disseration was on the development of Cal Tjader's early Latin Jazz vibraphone style. Thomas received his Master of Music with Honors in Improvisation from the University of Michigan in 1994. While in graduate school, he directed the University's Jazz Composers Orchestra and performed with Stephen Rush. His time with Rush resulted in the CD recording of Rush's chamber opera, Murders in the Rue Morgue. Thomas also graduated from Swarthmore College, where he majored in mathematics and music.

As a composer, Thomas has written for chamber groups, big bands, jazz combos, dance and theater. In 1999, he was awarded a grant for music composition by the Seattle Arts Commission. Since moving to Seattle, he has been leading jazz groups and performing as sideman with many types of groups. Thomas currently teaches at Highline Community College. Working as a clinician/educator, Thomas has taught clinics and masterclasses at Eastern Washington University, the University of British Columbia, Western Washington University, the University of Puget Sound, and Seattle's World Rhythm Festival, as well as high schools and grade schools in Florida, Michigan and Pennsylvania.