Ben Purvis is the music teacher at Gem State Academy in Caldwell, Idaho. A 1979 graduate of Union College, Purvis has taught for 25 years. He began teaching at Enterprise Academy and subsequently taught at Indiana Academy before going to Midland Adventist Academy in Shawnee, Kansas, where he taught for seven years before going to GSA in 2001.

While at GSA, Purvis has become known for his creative work in his handbell program. He started an annual Cool Ringings Bells Festival in his second year, that in its fifth year included more than 100 5^th through 8^th graders. He has also developed a virtuoso-level handbell ensemble called Soundwave, which in 2007 toured in Florida for thirteen days. The high-energy group plays a varied repertoire from memory, using a five-octave set of Malmark handbells and a three-octave set of hand chimes. They played in a number of venues during the tour, including an invitational performance in Disney Magic Music Days in Orlando.

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