Ben Kaye-Skinner

Ben has been playing the piano since 1994 and performing as an accompanist and soloist since 2004. On top of that, he has earned degrees in music education and music composition and is proficient in a variety of wind and percussion instruments, specializing in brass. He has performed throughout the Midwest and Northeast United States and as a composer, his music has been heard across the United States and in Australia.

With 15 years' experience performing for weddings (and planning the music for his own), Ben has in-depth knowledge about what works for couples, what's interesting to audiences, and what's practical to expect. On top of performing requested music ranging from Mozart to Nat King Cole to Slipknot, Ben can also help couples plan the music before, during, and after the ceremony and customize every song to meet their preferences.

As a DJ, Ben has entertained school groups of all ages, wedding receptions, anniversary parties, street dances, and fashion shows. Music selections are always catered to the audience and the preferences of the host so every guest can have their best time.

Ben Kaye-Skinner (ASCAP) is a Nebraska-based composer, educator, performer, and clinician. His music ranges from rhythmically demanding to absurdly comical. As an undergraduate at Doane College (now Doane University), his interest in creating his own music blossomed under the direction of Dr. Jay W. Gilbert. For 14 years he was the Director of Bands and Choir at Fillmore Central Public Schools, where he composed and arranged frequently for and with his students. He received his MFA in Music Composition from the Vermont College of Fine Arts in July 2024.

Ben was a familiar face in the Lincoln, Nebraska-based Colonel Mustard Amateur Attic Theater Company, where he performed, conducted, and composed with the house orchestra. He also composes custom marching band shows, arranges for show choirs, and performs frequently in his hometown of Geneva. If you’re really lucky you can find him as the DJ at a middle school dance.

When not enveloped in music, Ben loves watching hockey, cooking for his wife and three kids (and the dogs, if they’re really lucky), building Lego, and espousing the joy of a chandelier made from a cardboard box and Christmas lights.

Venues that provide pianos for performance are ideal, but when that doesn't work, Ben can provide his own instrument and sound system and can bring enough equipment to run most small- to medium-sized weddings.

Ben always brings his own sound and lighting equipment for DJ gigs. Wifi is the easiest way to get every guest's request played, but other arrangements can always be made.