Wisconsin

Ben studied with Sister Cecilia Burns at the Holy Family Conservatory in Manitowoc WI starting at the age of 5. This gave him a strong musical foundation which has informed everything he has done. Ben absorbed a lot of musical influences from his family, and was introduced to jazz in his teenage years by Greg Pagel. During this time he taught himself guitar, bass and drums and lent his talents to various local bands while placing in numerous piano competitions around the state.

While attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Ben didn’t study music formally but worked closely with renowned bass player Richard Davis and actively performed both on and off campus.

Chicago

Ben moved to Chicago in 2011 and quickly found a home within The Gala music community, where he solidified his musical identity. Delving deeper into Soul, Funk, R&B and Hip-Hop, Ben formed Reels Green with Alec Lehrman and Andrew Furth, a collaborative and fruitful project. He established long-lasting relationships with various artists that he continues to work with to this day. During this time he also started teaching on a more consistent basis.

Brooklyn

Relocating to Brooklyn in 2014, Ben quickly found a musical community at the Jelly jam session started by Sly5thAve, where he became the house keyboardist. He also combined forces with Caroline Davis to form a songwriting partnership under My Tree, who is releasing a new full-length album in 2021. Some of the other New York-based artists that he continues to work with frequently include Tamika Lawrence, Miranda Joan, J Hoard, SK Invitational, Tongues Unknown and Meditator.

Though Ben has lent his contributions to many other artists’ visions, he focusing more and more on his own. Look for upcoming releases and performances soon under the name Soul Lever Lift.