Elevator Pitch Benjamin “Bencasso” Barnes is a new up-and-coming artist who creates music that is a mix of multiple genres including Bluegrass,classical, jazz, and rock. The eclectic musician draws from his traumatic childhood, his life as an adult, and his disabilities to create immensely authentic and raw music that while stemming from darkness preaches light. This passion to create positively tinted musical spaces is to help cultivate feelings of friendliness in the hearts and minds of the audience despite a lifelong experience of misfortune.
Biography Benjamin “Bencasso” Barnes has been exceptionally passionate about music since his childhood wherein the inspiring singer did street performances and sold art. This early inculcation of the musical spirit spurned much of the artistic endeavors undertaken by the young songwriter. In a nutshell, Ben has been a street performer and artist since 1975, a record producer since 1993, a published writer since 1996, a music video producer since 2015. Throughout these multiple stages in life, the singer has been dutifully committed to the production of a place for hope and solace for all forlorn souls.
Ben has been taught how to play the guitar and sing by his father, David Barnes. His mother taught him how to make collages and paint. Apart from family, notable teachers such as Izzy Tinkleman, Sherry Kloss, Dave Balakrishnan, and Mark Sokol, taught the eclectic musician how to play the violin as well as coached his chamber music ensemble Rilke String Quartet. This early guidance with the singer’s musical vision has helped him truly craft the musical experience that he wishes to share with the world.
Some of the singer’s most notable music includes “Tea Time”, “Heaven’s For Few”, and “Faithful Dog” all of which have very different meanings and lyrics. “Tea Time” is a reflection of an LSD trip by the musician wherein a red-headed dwarf played a Bob Dylan song whose lyrics “and a one-eyed midget” has been recycled by the artist in this song. “Heaven’s For Few” is about spending the last part of your life in repentance only to find that when you die you are judged on the misdeeds you have committed and are still cast into the fiery pit despite your commitment to the good before you die. “Faithful Dog” is the artist’s own story where he exercised forgiveness towards people even when they mistreated him due to his disabilities.
In the rising star’s own words “Like I encompass and ingest all my different kinds of music I like, I want to digest it and let the music become a melting pot of all my influences…” The singer realizes that it takes him a long time to form a coherent song but that this is because his musical project is loosened associations. This allows the artist to use improvisation and free-lancing to produce music that is focused and pinned to the themes that interest him. Ben simply wants to make enough money through his music to make a living whilst spreading this endearing and inspirational message of hope to all those that feel dejected and disappointed with the current predicaments in their life. For them, this collection of music is a symbol of resilience and a place for community!