New Youth Representative

The ATOS Board of Directors has named Benjamin Helton as the 2025 Youth Representative.

Benjamin S. Helton was born and raised in Central Indiana. Benjamin now resides in Manhattan, where he is currently pursuing dual degrees in Politics and Jazz Piano Performance at The New School. On top of his studies, Benjamin also serves as a Resident Assistant at The New School, where he supports and guides students living on campus. He also works at The New School’s College of Performing Arts and the Mannes School of Music as a Piano Technician, working to tune and maintain hundreds of pianos across The New School’s campus.

From an early age, Benjamin showed a deep interest in music that eventually developed into a passion. He plays the piano, organ, and double bass. He also teaches piano to students of all ages and experience levels at Tian Song Musical Arts in Brooklyn and through his own studio, Pitch Perfect Piano Studio. Many of his students have achieved exceptional recognition, including awards at prestigious competitions and ABRSM distinction, the highest honor available from the Royal Schools of Music.

A strong advocate for community engagement and accessible music, Benjamin serves as Second Vice President and board member of the Central Indiana Chapter of the American Theatre Organ Society. He is also an active member of the greater American Theatre Organ Society and the Automated Musical Instrument Collectors' Association, contributing to the preservation and appreciation of these unique musical art forms.

As a firm believer in the values of social justice and support, Benjamin volunteers with the New York Civil Liberties Union as a Protest Monitor. In the New School community, he serves on three organizational committees of the New Student Worker’s Union, fighting to support the underrepresented and ensuring safe and fair working conditions for all student employees.

In the future, Benjamin hopes to put his passions for social justice and civic duty together by attending law school and entering a career in labor law and possibly politics. He hopes to make the world a more equal and equitable place for all and looks forward to making many wonderful connections along the way.