We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ben Smith a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Ben, appreciate you joining us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.
The biggest risk that I ever took was betting on myself, by trusting God and setting out to work for myself. I get these little (read: BIG) ideas that I call downloads. When I listen to these downloads and put in the work, historically, they have always worked out. However, sometimes they take a bit longer to come to pass. Specifically, quitting a nice paying job, that brought me daily frustration that was equal to or greater than that same frustration of “gigging”, but with no creative outlet, to doing the Splice Cream Truck full-time, which of course has its own unique set of challenges, including but not limited to not getting paid on time, (if at all), breakdowns, last minute cancellations, and exhaustion. With that being said, I am so glad to have taken the risk because I am happier knowing that I am existing within my purpose while making other folks happy!
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?
I’m a music composer, vintage electronics tinkerer, and an overall glass-half-full dreamer aural/visual artist. I love video game music, analog gear of all sorts, and old BBC television programs, but my passion in life is connecting and connecting with people through art and sound— Especially those who wouldn’t normally be presented with what I like to call the “opportunity of community” collaboration. I believe that music is one of the greatest instruments of camaraderie, outside of Love itself. I use and create sometimes forgotten analog and acoustic (tangible) musical devices to bring a hands-on approach to “bringing us together”, teaching while creating. I truly believe that the sound of music is everywhere, and I strive to capture and share it. As a person of color, I have experienced firsthand how important it is to be seen and heard, as well as be accepted as a unique individual, so I seek to teach that everybody, no matter how “different”, is to be treated equally and encouraged to let their light shine bright by putting our stories out there through the vehicle of music!
I grew up in California but with a Military/Pastor Father, I’ve lived in 16 different states which gifted me the ability to comfortably interact with anyone from any walk of life. I started channeling music at age 15 and began tinkering with the visual arts as early as 10, building “toys” from disassembled tube televisions and various audio equipment. I moved to Cleveland after the passing of my older brother Chris. Since then I have gone on to create and collaborate on various art pieces including the Splice Cream Truck, The Riff Mechanics School For the Riffted, and The See Our Light Art exhibit which is currently on display at the Glenville Public Library. Every art project that I involve myself in always has a central theme of bringing people together by any (positive) means possible — Which ultimately culminated in my 4-day round trip journey to purchase and pick up the Splice Cream Truck from Helena, Montana and drive it back over 2000 miles to Cleveland with no sleep. I’m dedicated.
The splice-cream truck is an ice cream truck equipped with a fully analog recording studio. The purpose of the truck is to “splice together” communities that have been historically separated by color lines and virtual borders by recording and sharing their stories with other groups that may have been previously inaccessible to each other. In exchange for your interview, you will receive an ice cream treat, or a SPLICEE (as we hope to have the newly acquired Icee machine installed soon) and an on-the-spot “vinyl”45rpm record! So, what’s your story?
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.
My art is my passion, and I cannot live without passion., therefore I cannot live without art. This art, and other art has provided countless moments of solitude, reflection, happiness, love, rejuvenation, healing and so many other feelings that would not otherwise have been accessible– Beit Music, Fine Art, Dance, Mixed Media, etc. Yet it is so easy for the very same people who benefit from the art to gatekeep funds, and opportunities to the artists that make you feel all of those emotions.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
Assist in providing housing, and ways to pay for day-to-day needs, so that the artist can focus on making great art, and not worry about if they are going to be able to eat today.
Contact Info:
- Website: splicecreamtruck.com (Coming soon)
- Instagram: bendotferrari
- Facebook: splicecream
Image Credits
Main modeling photo courtesy of Ron Knerem Photography. All others By Fred Lee, Jr. (@vrconnectd)