Ben Factor

About

Mr. Benjamin E. Factor is currently in his sixteenth year of teaching and ninth year as Director of Bands at Lancaster High School where he directs Symphonic Band, Concert Band, Freshman Band, Swinging Gales, Pep Band, and the Band of Gold. He also assists with the Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth grade bands at both General Sherman and Thomas Ewing Junior High Schools. All bands under his direction have been rated Superior at both the local and state levels, including the school’s first state Superior for the top concert band in over 20 years, and the first ever for the second concert band.

A native of Grove City, Ohio, Mr. Factor began his instrumental music instruction under the direction of Nancy Youse, Patrick Lewis, and George Edge. He attended The Ohio State University graduating magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in Music Education in 2007. Mr. Factor completed his student teaching experience in the Gahanna-Jefferson Schools with Jeff Shellhammer and Rob Cebriak.

Prior to his appointment at Lancaster High School, Mr. Factor was the Director of Bands for seven years at Liberty Union-Thurston Local Schools in Baltimore, Ohio. In 2007, under his direction, the Liberty Union Marching Band qualified for State Marching Band Finals for the first time ever, and earned state level superior ratings every year thereafter. The band also received fourteen consecutive “1st Place” awards, a streak spanning five seasons. In 2008, his Concert Band earned a superior rating at State Finals for the first time in nearly fifty years, and continued to receive consistent superior ratings at district and state adjudicated events throughout his entire tenure with the band program.

Mr. Factor’s professional memberships include the Phi Beta Mu International Bandmasters Fraternity, American School Band Directors Association, National Association for Music Education, the Ohio Music Education Association, and Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honor Society. In 2022, he was awarded the Music Education Roll of Distinction Award by the Ohio State University School of Music.

Mr. Factor served as Chairperson for the 2012 OMEA All-State Jazz Band, Co-Chair of the 2014 OMEA All-State Ensembles, State Treasurer for the OMEA Board of Trustees (2014-2016), OMEA Strategic Plan Chair (2016-present), and is an OMEA Marching Band Adjudicator. In addition, he has given clinics at the OMEA Professional Development Conference, the Ohio State University School of Music Student Leadership Intensive, Capital University’s Complete Band Director Workshop, and at the Marching Band Adjudicator’s Summer Session.

Outside of school, Mr. Factor plays trombone with the Heisey Wind Ensemble and is the Director of Music at St. Mary’s Church in Bremen.