We recently connected with Ben Cline and have shared our conversation below.
Ben, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?
My parents are amazing! They’ve had a huge influence on my career and on the decisions I’ve made. Both my parents are teachers by trade. They made the difficult decision for my mom stay at home to raise and school my siblings and me in our early years. I attribute many of my abilities to the foundation she laid for me in our schooling (as an English teacher, I’m always watching for what grammatical mistakes I might be making…).
Meanwhile, my dad showed me hustle and humility. On top of teaching middle school social studies (a 30+ year educator now!), he operated a seasonal house painting business, sacrificing his summers to make ends meet for our family with a single-parent income. I had the fortune of working on his “paint crew” every summer through my teenage years. I learned values I’ve taken into my business today – both through the hard work and through seeing how my dad put forward immense effort to meet and exceed his customer’s expectations. Most jobs went awesome as far as customers go. The difficult customers, however, taught me even more about how to always treat people well, even if they don’t return the favor in the moment.
Ben, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Music has always been part of my DNA. It’s something I started young and never wanted to quit because I never stopped learning. I’ve played saxophone and keyboards my entire life, progressing from concert and jazz bands during school to playing in rock/alternative bands throughout my 20s. Most recently, I’ve found a niche as a saxophonist in the wedding and events industry.
Through performing at a friend’s wedding, I stumbled into a group of creative DJs. Together, we’ve developed an offering that pairs a live musician with a DJ at weddings and events, which offers the energy and spontaneity of live music without the price tag of a full band. I’m passionate about creating and facilitating uniquely tailored, high-energy events using live saxophone to enhance the experience alongside my DJ partners.
2023 has been a breakout year for this offering. We piloted in 2022 with 7 weddings and a handful of public events. This year, wedding bookings almost quadrupled, and I’m learning more about which types of couples and events are a great fit – and of course how to throw ever better parties with each repetition!
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
The impact of art and creativity is often intangible, but in unique, nuanced, and delightful ways, art teaches us more about the wonders of being human. In recent years and decades, our world has increasingly valued immediacy and measurability, neither of which mesh with art. While technology does many wonderful things for the world, we as a society have to choose to invest in things that aren’t immediate and aren’t measurable.
Said more simply, art makes us human, and society must choose to invest (with money; with time) in the talented humans who produce art.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
Put simply, my goal is to create unique, memorable experiences. To create special moments for others, giving and receiving energy through the power of music.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.benjaminclinemusic.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ben.cline/
Image Credits
Amber Jean