What our clients are saying
"Ben Hylton has been a key component to the recent success of my program. In three years of performing Ben's arrangements, we have gone from a onetime Area Finalist to our first time at State in 22 years.
Ben's attentiveness to the needs of our program and embodying the philosophy of myself and my staff into our music has propelled us forward with thoughtful acoustic and electronic design for impact throughout our shows. He collaborates so well and gently nudges me in the right direction to build incredible pacing and showmanship that my students, community, and our judges have grown to love and expect from us.
All of this, of course, makes the design of the visual elements of our show much stronger and easier. Every season, Ben creates moments in our show that I could not have conceived of that become my team's favorite moments."
“This is our third year working with Mr. Ben Hylton. He consistently delivers sophisticated arrangements that help our students sound their best. His arrangements are creative, and the students love it!
He is regarded as a celebrity in our band hall. When Mr. Hylton visited our campus, he offered valuable feedback that positively impacted the quality of our rehearsal and performance approach. Outside of his services, he is also an amazing human being!! We greatly look forward to continuing our work with him in the future!”
“This was my first year (2023) working with Ben for our wind music for Larry A. Ryle High School (KY). 2023 was by far our most successful competitive season to date, and we much of that success to the design of our show!
Ben fully understands the pacing, demand, and content required for success in today’s marching band world, and this knowledge is evident in each of his arrangements and compositions. I am thoroughly impressed with Ben’s commitment to his work, but even more so, his clients. Ben sticks to his timelines, and is committed to delivering a quality product to each group that he writes for. I look forward to working with Ben in the years to come!”
"Ben Hylton does a great job working with my students. He consistently challenges them and always bring the best out of them musically. The students really enjoy working with him and he truly makes them sound better!
Cisco's percussion arrangements for our battery have challenged our students and provided a vehicle for them to excel, scoring consistently in the top 10% on NC state sheets. Top that all off with the fact that these are some of the best personalities I've worked with in the marching arts and you have the all around package."
“This was our first season working with Hylton Music Design. They helped us take a pre-designed show we loved and fully customized it to fit our desired length, soloists, instrumentation, and ability level. This allowed us to have a “custom show” that fit our needs at a much more affordable price point. We look forward to working with Ben and his team in the future.”
“Using the marching band arrangement from Hylton Music Design was a great decision for my program. The experience I had with Ben Hylton was fantastic! He was professional and courteous and made certain I was happy with my purchase of his music. The students in my program enjoyed performing his arrangement and it certainly showed on the field in competitions. I look forward to collaborating with Ben again in the future.”
Jason Cochrac - Director, Cooper City HS (FL)"Ben Hylton’s fresh approach to design, repertoire, and electronics has enhanced our productions and given our students something that will allow them to grow while experiencing success. He is with us from start to finish, making all the necessary adjustments along the way to ensure a great product. Working with Ben has been an amazing experience."
Stephen Howard - Rudder HS (TX)"Over the past 5 years, Ben and Brad's custom written shows have propelled our marching ensemble to the highest finishes in school history, including top 5 finishes in local finals competitions. I have been most pleased with the design concepts from the group, they have an attuned sense as to will be successful with our group and always provide a plethora of design ideas.
Cisco's percussion arrangements for our battery have challenged our students and provided a vehicle for them to excel, scoring consistently in the top 10% on NC state sheets. Top that all off with the fact that these are some of the best personalities I've worked with in the marching arts and you have the all around package."
“Ben's music shows a strong understanding of pacing of effects and contains the transitional space needed to help the overall visual design flow smoothly.
We used his music for a very small band. The music contained the underlying structure needed to help our students find success. Ben was professional in his timely response to questions and his delivery of the product. I would, and have, recommended Ben's music to other band directors.”
“This year we picked a show from Ben Hylton that was incredibly appealing to our directors, students, and community! Ben is great about making the music fit the demand of the ensemble, as well as pushing the members to boost their musical maturity. Our parents, community, and neighboring band programs had wonderful things to say about the music of our marching production, and we enjoyed preparing the music throughout the whole season!
Ben is also a world-class clinician and did a wonderful job working with our students during his visit to central Texas. I would highly recommend Hylton Music Design for your marching production needs!”
“This is my 20th year teaching marching band, 11 years as a head director responsible for administrating a marching program of between 250 and 350 members. I've been working with Ben Hylton for two seasons now, and they have been my two favorite shows in 20 years!
Ben's writing is creative and smart, always showcasing the current strengths of our program. Perhaps even more importantly, Ben is professional, punctual, and the process is collaborative from start to finish. I especially appreciate the electronics package that Ben delivers, as this is not a strength of mine, nor anyone on our team. I look forward to hearing what next season will bring!!”
“Working with Ben and his team has been nothing short of enjoyable and stress-free. They are amazing about communicating and getting you everything you need for your ensemble to be successful from day one! We especially appreciate that he is able to tailor any of his works to the ability level of your group and customize parts along with sending SmartMusic files for students to practice with. You will NOT be disappointed using Ben’s music for your group!”
"Ben Hylton’s sound effects and digital audio designs made a huge impact to our marching program. His work was timely, professional, and as long as he has room for us, we’ll keep going back… Exceptional quality of work. We had the most successful marching we’ve ever had, and Ben’s design concepts were a significant part of that."
Chad Reed, Director of Bands, Shawnee Mission North HS"This is my third year having Ben design our show. The products that we have received have been outstanding. The key element is the detail that both Brad and Ben along with the color guard designer put into making sure that everything is coordinated from both a music and visual design element. They work so closely together to make sure it’s a seamless product and everything works well together.
Each year the product continues to get stronger as they understand our program more and what our students are able to achieve. We are now consistently placing at the top of our class at our State Championships and much of this is due to the design of the shows. Both the students, audience and adjudicators have raved about our shows each of the past three years. I would highly recommend using them for a product that you will be proud to perform."
"Ben, Brad, and Cisco are incredibly easy to work with and were there to offer assistance every step of the way. Their collective ideas and insight helped shape the direction of our show design from start to finish . . . from our initial discussions on show design, to the finished product on the field, every part of the process was seamless, smooth, and ENJOYABLE! We will definitely be working with them again in the future and I happily share my experiences with my colleagues.
Each year the product continues to get stronger as they understand our program more and what our students are able to achieve. We are now consistently placing at the top of our class at our State Championships and much of this is due to the design of the shows. Both the students, audience and adjudicators have raved about our shows each of the past three years. I would highly recommend using them for a product that you will be proud to perform."
I cannot express enough how delighted I am with the exceptional services provided by our show arranger, Ben Hylton, at Hylton Music Designs. Ben arranged the 2023 Liberty University Spirit of the Mountain Marching Band show, “To the Moon and Back.” Ben's outstanding skills in communication, efficiency, and creativity have truly transformed our musical experience into something extraordinary.
From the very beginning, it was evident that Ben possessed a remarkable ability to understand and adapt to our vision. His willingness to engage in open and productive communication allowed us to share our ideas seamlessly, resulting in a project that not only met but exceeded our expectations.
Every step of the way, Ben consistently delivered on-time products and solutions, ensuring that we were well-prepared for every performance. His attention to detail and dedication to meeting deadlines made the entire creative process a stress-free and enjoyable journey.
Hylton's creativity was truly remarkable. He took our shared vision and transformed it into a composition filled with effective applause points, seamlessly integrated into the instrumentation provided. His ability to showcase the wind instruments in a way that highlighted their unique qualities was both impressive and engaging.
One of the standout features of his work was his electronics design, which included synths, bass, and a soundscape design and samples that were nothing short of exceptional. These elements were precisely what we needed to elevate our sound to the next level and provide the perfect support for our overall band sound. The way he seamlessly integrated these electronic elements into our show added depth and character that set us apart from previous years.
We couldn't be more thrilled with the results, and we look forward to continuing our creative partnership with Ben Hylton's extraordinary talent.
“Ben Hylton's music design has truly changed the way we do marching band at Bassett High School. His musical AND electronic packages have made a world of difference in our product. Our band program has been very successful at local, regional, and state contests through his products.
Our band has used his works the last 2 years and have won a class state championship both years. We commonly receive judge feedback that includes the words "clever, innovative and next-level."
Ben has always been very helpful with phone consultations on design, and he is also able to provide quick fixes for areas of the music that we are trying to enhance from the beginning product to create the best experiences for our students. If you continually say "I just don't know how to do the electronics game"...Ben Hylton will change your experience immediately!”
"We have been working with Ben and his team for the last three years and look forward to continuing to work together in the future. Over the three years we have received comments from directors, judges, other band students, and community members about how fun, cool, and interesting our shows and music have been.
We consistently have higher scores in music and general effect due to the effective writing and planning from Ben and his team that helps ensure our success. We love that Ben and his team work with us to have the best possible product for our students and that the writing always reflects our needs, enhances our strengths, and pushes our students to improve each year."
"We have been working with Ben and his team for the last three years and look forward to continuing to work together in the future. Over the three years we have received comments from directors, judges, other band students, and community members about how fun, cool, and interesting our shows and music have been.
We consistently have higher scores in music and general effect due to the effective writing and planning from Ben and his team that helps ensure our success. We love that Ben and his team work with us to have the best possible product for our students and that the writing always reflects our needs, enhances our strengths, and pushes our students to improve each year."
"I have been using Ben Hylton as the arranger for my high school jazz band for the last three years. We started out as a 6 piece combo and have grown to 15 pieces. Ben's arrangements have always been spot on. He tailors the tunes to my exact specifications allowing the young players to really sound strong and build confidence. I've called on him for swing charts, bossas, funk tunes and everything in between. He's a real professional, always delivers on time and makes us sound great!"
Who We Work With
Current and Past Clients
- Akins High School - Austin, TX
- Albemarle High School - Albemarle, NC
- Alta High School - Alta, UT
- Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders - Austin, TX
- Ava High School - Ava, MO
- Ayala High School - Chino Hills, CA
- Basha High School - Chandler, AZ
- Bassett High School - Bassett, VA
- Ben Davis High School - Indianapolis, IN
- Caldwell High School - Caldwell, ID
- Capistrano Valley High School - Mission Viejo, CA
- Cary High School - Cary, NC
- Cedar Creek High School - Bastrop, TX
- Cicero North Syracuse HS - Cicero, NY
- Coastal Carolina University (SC)
- Council Rock North High School - Newton, PA
- Cox Mill High School - Concord, NC
- Cypress Creek High School - Orlando, FL
- Desert Pines High School - Las Vegas, NV
- Donelson Christian Academy - Nashville, TN
- Dripping Springs High School - Dripping Springs, TX
- E.C. Glass High School - Lynchburg, VA
- East Bladen High School - Wilmington, NC
- East Ridge High School - Woodbury, MN
- East Ridge HS - Clermont, FL
- East Rowan High School - Salisbury, NC
- Eastern Alamance High School - Mebane, NC
- Erath High School - Erath, LA
- Eugene Ashley High School - Wilmington, NC
- Fieldale-Collinsville High School - Collinsville, VA
- Flowing Wells High School - Tucson, AZ
- Fontainebleau High School - Mandeville, LA
- Forestview High School - Gastonia, NC
- Franklin County High School - Rocky Mount, VA
- George Washington HS - Danville, VA
- Harmony High School - St. Cloud, FL
- Hopewell Valley Central High - Pennington, NJ
- Houston High School - Germantown, TN
- Howe High School - Howe, TX
- Hunterdon Central High School - Flemington, NJ
- Hutto High School - Hutto, TX
- James F. Byrnes High School - Duncan, SC
- Jensen Beach High School - Jensen Beach, FL
- Jupiter High School - Jupiter, FL
- Kaiser High School - Honolulu, HI
- Lakeshore High School - Mandeville, LA
- Liberty Christian Academy - Lynchburg, VA
- M. & G. Johnson High School - Buda, TX
- Marvin Ridge High School - Waxhaw, NC
- McMichael High School - Mayodan, NC
- Meridian High School - Meridian, ID
- Morton Ranch High School - Katy, TX
- New Palestine High School - New Palestine, IN
- New Prairie High School - New Carlisle, IN
- Newton Community High School - Newton, IL
- North Mecklenburg High School - Huntersville, NC
- North Stokes High School - Danbury, NC
- Northside High School - Columbus, GA
- Okeechobee High School - Okeechobee, FL
- P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School - Gainesville, FL
- Park Vista High School - Lake Worth, FL
- Parkview Baptist School - Baton Rouge, LA
- Pensacola High School - Pensacola, FL
- Piedmont High School - Piedmont, OK
- Prescott High School - Prescott, AZ
- Ripley High School - Ripley, MS
- Ronald W. Reagan Doral High School - Doral, FL
- Seminole Ridge High School - Loxahatchee, FL
- Silver Bluff High School - Aiken, SC
- Smith-Cotton High School - Sedalia, MO
- Smithson Valley High School, Spring Branch, TX
- South Fork High School - Stuart, FL
- South Pointe High School - Rock Hill, SC
- Southern Garrett High School - Oakland, MD
- Southwest Guilford High School - High Point, NC
- Stryke Wynds Independent - West Palm Beach, FL
- Sun Valley High School - Monroe, NC
- Vista Ridge High School - Cedar Park, TX
- West Craven High School - Vanceboro, NC
- West Johnston High School - Benson, NC
- Whitney High School - Rocklin, CA
- Wimberley High School - Wimberley, TX
- Winter Haven High School - Winter Haven, FL