If you have kids, there’s a good chance you know about Mr. Ben! He’s a staple in the parenting community and there’s a good reason why. His talent, fun and engaging personality, and ability to connect with kids through music at a young age have unquestionably made him a fan favourite in Hamilton.
Tune in below to read more about Ben and his musical business:
Q: What inspired you to start this businessA: I started teaching music to small children when my eldest, Charlie, was small. We started exploring the world of kids' music and found that a lot of it was pretty rough for parents to sit through and a someone with a long background in pop and jazz I thought, I think I could do this... and I made it central to my ethos as a kids' musician to make music that parents would enjoy too!
Q: What’s a Fun Fact about your business?A: During the pandemic I was forced to pivot and start offering classes both online and outdoors, neither of which I had ever even considered. I taught in snow pants and a parka in -20 weather, looking at my fingers on the guitar strings because I couldn't feel them! The upshot, however, was that a) those videos now get tons of views (well over 100K at this point) and they attract lots of new customers, but also we ended loving being outside so much that I made a permanent change and my classes are now outside from May-October!
Q: What is your most memorable moment in business so far?A: Most memorable moment.... HMMM.... I used to play birthday parties, and did one for a millionaire family that included an entire midway, ponies, ATVs, a magician, a juggler, bouncy castles, paid-for food trucks, and a catered meal .... but also, when I was doing my Masters I got to have about a 45min conversation with my musical hero, Pete Seeger, before he died (he was in his 90s). He was a force of nature and a lovely human being (a LOT of the folk music I use in classes I learned from his recordings); in general they say don't meet your heroes, but in this case it was absolutely wonderful. I'm also going out to St John's NFLD the first weekend in April bc I'm up for Children's Album of the Year with the Canadian Folk Music Awards for my record Here Comes the Train and while that hasn't happened yet it feels pretty important and monumental!