Who We Are
Music is the literature of the heart; it commences where speech ends.
— Alphonse de Lamartine
Mission
To serve youth and young adults through the creation of music and performing arts programs. Through immersion we provide a healthy environment, quality instruction, inspired performance, team competition, and positive guidance. Key life skills of responsibility, creativity, goal-achievement, self-reliance, persistence, and respect will be enhanced in each participant.
501(c)(3)
Kingsmen Performing Arts (KPA) is operated by the Kingsmen Starcorps, a California registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit Corporation. Our Board of Directors is entirely composed of volunteers dedicated to our Mission.
Meet The Board
Dr. Tim Benge began his study of conducting at age 16 and completed his first professional conducting engagement at 17. Since then, Dr. Benge has accumulated over 40 years of experience as a conductor, trumpeter, and educator. A veteran of numerous national and international performing tours, his music teaching background includes posts at the middle school, high school, college, and university levels.
Active in the nonprofit arts world, Dr. Benge serves as President of the Southwest Judges Network which serves over 130 high schools and 10,000 high school students through providing adjudication at high school band contests. Dr. Benge also serves as Vice-President of the Southwest Music Education Association, the parent organization of the California State Band Championships. He says, “The investment in the next generation of amateur and professional musicians is essential to maintaining our culture.”
Tim Benge earned his Bachelor of Music degree at CSU Long Beach, his Master of Music degree from the University of Redlands, and his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from USC. He enjoyed the privilege of studying with Larry Curtis, Jim Jorgensen, Jimmy Stamp, Joan LaRue, Robert Rithaler, and David Washburn.
An accomplished professional player who self-started in 1967 in his school band program, Phil came up playing in band thru his scholastic career, which included the “Big Brown Music Machine” at Cal State Long Beach, the Long Beach Junior Concert Band, and the Anaheim Kingsmen Drum & Bugle Corps which he joined as a lead soprano in the fall of 1977. He studied trumpet with several teachers, including a 24 year study under Bob Valle. Bob, an accomplished player/soloist and former 12 year veteran Claude Gordon student, taught him all about how the trumpet embouchure really worked and all about the “physical approach” to playing. This pedagogy Phil brought to the Kingsmen hornline as an instructor. Phil was a soloist in the 2007 Kingsmen Alumni Corps and instructed the soprano/trumpet line as the soprano tech.
As a professional player, Phil is in demand with many bands in the LA, OC, and IE area and plays various California venues from Palm Springs to San Diego to San Francisco, as well as out of state events in New York, Chicago, Reno and Las Vegas. He’s backed acts as the Drifters, Coasters, Freda Payne, Ink Spots, the Platters, the Shirelles, the Temptations, David Foster, and John Tesh. Phil has also played principal trumpet for many pit orchestra gigs for musicals such as “Annie”, “No No Nannette”, “Anything Goes”, and “Chicago”. He is currently a performer and soloist with Zoot Suit Revue, Platinum Groove, and “Colour My World,” a tribute to Chicago. Phil was a herald/fanfare trumpeter in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Opening Ceremonies.
A graduate of the prestigious Haskayne School of Business at University of Calgary, Martin received his Bachelor of Commerce degree in 1989 with a major in Finance. An avid entrepreneur throughout his life, Martin established a service industry business before graduation from University, partnered a real estate development company, and co-founded The Herrington Teddy Bear Company.
Mr. Herrington currently provides fractional CFO, as well as Financial Controller services, and holds the Series 66 Securities License to provide financial advisory guidance to his clients.
Martin began learning piano as an 8 year old in 3rd grade. His love for playing piano and taking lessons lead him right up to his university years when he achieved Level 9 with the Royal Conservatory of Music. In recent years Martin has enjoyed singing as a member of the choir at his church.
Mr. Herrington holds a very distinguished record of service in non-profit organizations in Canada and the U.S. including the Youth Motivation Task Force of Orange County and Toastmasters International. His most recent focus is helping rebuild the Anaheim Kingsmen Drum & Bugle Corps as a member of the Board of Directors of the Kingsmen Starcorps.