Benjamin Holmes

Originally from Lubbock, Texas, DR. BENJAMIN HOLMES serves as Assistant Professor of Percussion Studies at Texas Tech University. He is an accomplished percussionist, educator, and composer. Holmes earned his Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from Texas Tech University, where he studied under Lisa Rogers and Alan Shinn. He later completed his Master of Music degree at the University of Oklahoma in 2017 with Dr. Lance Drege and went on to earn his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Percussion Performance from Texas Tech University in 2022.

From 2018 to 2025, Holmes served as the Percussion Coordinator and Arranger for the University of Oklahoma’s Pride of Oklahoma Marching Band. During this time, he also taught applied percussion lessons to both undergraduate and graduate students as a member of the University of Oklahoma (OU) Percussion Studio Faculty. While based in Oklahoma, he was an active performer with ensembles including the Norman Philharmonic, Frontier Brass Band, Avant Garden contemporary music ensemble, among many others.

Holmes is the co-founder of the Holmes Percussion Duo, alongside his brother Cody Holmes. Together, they have composed over 20 original works for percussion solo, duo, quartet, and ensemble, and their performances have garnered over two million views on social media. The duo was awarded Second Place in the 2022 North American International Music Competition (Chamber Music category), Third Place in the 2024 American Prize in Chamber Music and was selected as a member of the prestigious World Percussion Group in 2023.

As a composer, Holmes’s original percussion music has been performed in concert halls around the world, including the Sydney Opera House and Taiwan’s Eslite Performance Hall. His percussion duo Palm Reader was named a JW Pepper Editor’s Choice nominee. His works are published by Tapspace Publications, C. Alan Publications, and HolmesPercussion.com. Additionally, he serves on the Percussion Arts Society Composition Committee. Holmes is a Yamaha Performing Artist and proudly endorses Vic Firth sticks & mallets, as well as Zildjian cymbals.