Something about the author
Mike Eben is a saxophonist and music educator from Berks County. He received a B.S. in Music Education from Lebanon Valley College in 1976. He is a teacher in the Muhlenberg School District, where he directs the middle school concert band and jazz band, and one of two high school jazz bands.
Mr. Eben spent two years as jazz coordinator for the Music Educators of Berks County (MEBC), and finished his third term as president of that organization in 2007.
In November of 2006, with the cooperation of the Reading Music Foundation and Zeswitz Music, Mike began hosting the Jazz Jam at Zeswitz Music, a monthly jam session for student musicians. The jam features professional musicians and educators from Berks County and beyond, performing with and giving advice to budding jazz artists.
Mike plays saxophone in several bands, including the rock bands Been There/Done That from West Chester, and The “Fabulous” Peptones from Philadelphia. In addition, Mike fronts his own jazz group, From the Hip. He has also performed with several other area jazz groups, including The Last Big Band and Hesse’s Nasty Nine, as well as many area rock bands.
In March of 2008, during the Berks Jazz Fest, Mike was presented with the Frank Scott Award, given to a member of the music community who works to promote jazz in the Berks County area. The award is named for tenor saxophonist Frank Scott, a well-known jazz and blues musician from Reading, Pa.
Subscribe