Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ben Andrew. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Ben, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

The moment I realized I wanted to pursue a creative path professionally wasn’t a single grand epiphany—it was more like a series of small sparks leading me down an inevitable path. From the time I was six and started learning the piano, music became a huge part of my life. I found myself completely captivated by the idea of creating something out of nothing, shaping sound into emotion.
One of those sparks came early on when I started to feel the sheer joy of performing. Whether I was playing simple pieces as a child or more complex works later, there was always this magic in bringing music to life and sharing it with others. The fact that I could turn that joy into a career? That felt like a dream worth chasing.
Another big influence was the music of John Williams. I remember sitting wide-eyed as a child, totally mesmerized by his scores for Star Wars and Indiana Jones. His music wasn’t just background music—it was integral to the story, filled with so much energy and emotion. Even now, I can’t imagine those movies without his iconic themes.
In my early adult years, I dove deeper into performing as a concert pianist, interpreting the works of composers who often found inspiration in literature, visual art, and storytelling. That connection between narrative and music stuck with me.
Now, getting to compose scores for films feels like the ultimate culmination of everything I’ve loved about music. Looking back, all those moments—playing piano as a child, being inspired by film scores, and performing classical works—gave me the tools I needed to tell stories through music and follow my passion professionally.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My journey started in classical music, but it’s been anything but ordinary since then. I trained under the British concert pianist John Bingham, who studied with the legendary Russian pianist Heinrich Neuhaus, at Trinity College of Music in London. From there, I continued at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, learning under Jenő Jandó. Along the way, I had the privilege of performing at some iconic venues, like St Martin in the Fields in London and City Hall in Hong Kong.
Growing up as a young pianist, my goal was like that of most ambitious pianists—to conquer the big, demanding works. Performing pieces like Rachmaninov’s 2nd and 3rd Piano Concertos and Beethoven’s 4th has been a highlight of my career. They’re not just incredible pieces of music—they really pushed me to my limits and taught me the value of dedication (and a lot of practice!).
That said, my love for music has always extended beyond classical. I’ve been lucky to perform pop music too, supporting or playing alongside artists like Tom Walker, Rick Wakeman, Bernie Marsden from Whitesnake, and Roger Hodgson of Supertramp. Those collaborations have been completely different but equally rewarding.
Writing music has also been a constant in my life. Growing up in bands taught me how to improvise, which I like to think of as composing in real-time. It felt natural to transition into actual composition. I enjoy experimenting with all kinds of genres—rock, classical, you name it. One project I’m really proud of is a song I co-wrote called Not in My Name, featuring a guitar solo by Bernie Marsden. It even got airplay on BBC and LBC in the UK. Another highlight was having my arrangement of Hatikvah included in the grade 8 ABRSM syllabus—it’s always special when your work becomes part of someone else’s musical journey.
A pivotal moment in my career came in 2013 when I met Harry Gregson-Williams when he was visiting the UK. At the time, I didn’t realize how significant it was, but Harry is a composer I’d admired for years—his scores for Shrek, The Chronicles of Narnia, and Man on Fire are legendary. Fast forward, and now I’m based in LA, working full-time for him. It’s been amazing contributing to projects like Meg 2: The Trench and Gladiator II.
Collaboration has always been a big part of what I love about composing. One of my favorite recent projects was orchestrating Tony Iommi’s latest release, Deified. Working with the man who essentially invented heavy metal was both surreal and inspiring—there aren’t many artists who can say they’ve created an entire genre.
Beyond composing, I’ve had a diverse career. I’m passionate about music education and spent 12 years as Head of Keyboard at a leading private school in the UK, where I led a team of teachers, organized student recitals, and ran masterclasses. I’ve also authored a number of books for Hal Leonard and created ScaleTracks, an iOS app with over 1,000 backing tracks to make practicing scales fun. The app has been featured in BBC Music Magazine and The Strad amongst others.
Now, I’m living my dream of composing for film and TV. It’s exciting to wake up every day and create something new. Of course, the journey hasn’t been without challenges. One of the biggest hurdles was time—balancing a demanding job in music education with my passion for composing was tough, and burnout was always lurking around the corner. But with patience, persistence, and a lot of coffee, I eventually transitioned into full-time composing.
I’m so grateful to be doing what I love, and I can’t wait to see what’s next. For me, it’s all about creating music that tells a story, connects with people, and continues to challenge and inspire me.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me, it is that every day, month and year is different, and it brings with it it’s own surprises and challenges. Given that each musical project I work on is unique, there is never a dull moment. This allows me to constantly adapt, refine and develop my creative skills, which enhances the contributions I make to a project, whether that be a film or TV score, or a new book. Also, there are so many interesting people to meet and collaborate with in my industry. It is always rewarding to see what can happen when creatives from different facets of the music/film/TV industry share their respective skills as part of a wider project.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

As a film and TV composer, it is all about the story. Supporting and enhancing the picture is always foundational. Working closely with directors, producers, music editors and musicians, as well as others involved in the industry is really important. It is all about relationships and working together as a team towards a common goal.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.benandrewmusic.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ben_andrew_music/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@benandrewmusic

Image Credits

Mike Banks
Mike Exeter