I’ve been involved with music since I was about seven or eight – at which time my family got a Casio keyboard, and I began writing instrumental music. A couple of years later, (after a brief interest in harmonica) I began playing the 5-string banjo and acoustic guitar.
After focusing on traditional bluegrass banjo styles for a time, I found myself gravitating toward the softer, more contemplative textures presented in some of the work of John McEuen (String Wizards II in particular) and Bela Fleck (especially Tales from the Acoustic Planet).
My exploration of these textures ultimately lead me to leave the band I was with at the time, and spend several years focusing entirely on solo banjo music. I set up my main solo instrument with a darker tone, and more sustain, than was typically the case for banjos. I also employed a variety of generally lower-pitched alternate tunings, in an effort to get a fuller sound from the instrument. Above all, I tried to develop a style of composing, arranging, and playing, that conveyed a complete musical soundscape.
During 2001, I once again explored bluegrass banjo styles, as a member of the band Monroe Crossing. I appeared on their first album – Across the Blue Mountains. At the end of the year, I left the band to focus on setting up a recording studio with my friend Todd Running, and to further refine my solo banjo techniques.
During the years that followed, I was able to explore many other musical textures and instruments. 2006 found my playing upright bass with a local trio called Acoustic Nerve (the other musicians being a mandolinist/violinist, and a guitarist/vocalist/songwriter). I also played some amount of banjo, guitar, and Native American flute with this group.
In mid-December of 2006, I got a call from Mark Anderson, Monroe Crossing’s bass player, informing me that the banjo slot had opened up again. The timing was perfect for both the band and myself, and I’ve been playing full-time with them again since the beginning of 2007.
Electronic/synthetically produced music has also remained a part of my work from the very beginning, despite being pushed to the background for several years. My earliest musical influence, in fact (the first recording that I listened to incessantly,) was an album by Tomita. My efforts in this realm are now focused around the wide variety of powerful audio and video systems for the GNU/Linux platform.
Hey man! Just stumbled across your music…I must say it is absolutely beautiful! I bought the iTunes version and will be buying a hard copy as soon as I send this message. I’m a professional solo saxophonist but I also have been playing plectrum banjo for a time as well. I was looking for something different on banjo and I found you. Thank you Benji! You’ll always have my support!
Hi Matt,
I took a listen to a few of the tunes on your site – very evocative stuff! Thanks so much for stopping by my site, and for taking the time to drop me a note! (And thanks, of course, for your patronage.
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I have been attending the Toronto bluegrass series this year, each show featuring a U.S. band, mostly from the Tennessee area. Your performance with Monroe Crossing was a refreshing change from the normally simplistic and monotonous hillbilly stylings we’ve been seeing. Bluegrass is a music that could have a wider appeal if some well thought-out theatrics were added to the show and Monre Crossing did just that.
My guess is you and the band would appeal greatly to fans of all kinds of music and I salute you for that.
Hello, I downloaded your solo album from itunes and I am really impressed with your writing and your technique as well. I put out a solo clawhammer banjo album a few years ago, but really like your three finger approach to the instrument. How is your Nechville set up differently than when you play in a band setting?
Anyway, thank you again for your work and I look forward to more in the future,
Keith Arneson
Hi Keith,
The primary differences are string gauges (I use 10-11-13-26-10 on my solo/Nechville instrument, and 9 1/2-11-12-20-9 1/2 – GHS PF140 – on my band/Deering instrument), head tension (lots of tension on the Deering, not quite as much on the Nechville), and bridges (my Nechville has a heavy Sampson bridge made from Koa and Purpleheart, while my Deering has a Nechville bridge from which I removed as much material as I thought was structurally safe).