Who? Ben Pellow!
Favorite artist? “I will always be in the mood for Hippo Campus and Coldplay.”
Monday evening activity? Netflix in bed or improvising piano.
Her Campus Illinois State: When did you realize you were gifted with a heavenly voice and musical talent?
Ben Pellow: Well I would not say my voice is heavenly hahah but I’ve been singing as long as I can remember but it wasn’t until high school that I sang with a choir which gave me a lot of high range and better technique. It was 7th and 8th grade when I borrowed a microphone from my uncle to plug into my computer and I started recording myself singing over instrumentals of my favorite songs. Some of which are still on my SoundCloud!
As for the talent, I would pick up any instrument, try to play it and if it clicked then I would keep at it. That’s how I came to be able to play piano, drum set and guitar. I wouldn’t say I’m overly talented at all of them but I can fake it until one day I am!
HC ISU: When you are creating music, what is the goal behind your music?
BP: I love to listen to music, so a big goal when creating music is making a song that would be something I would want to listen to — something that I would star on Pandora if it ever played. That’s why when people ask if my music is good I say, “yeah I love it because it’s what I want to hear in a song! It may not be actually good but I love it and maybe you will, too.” Another huge goal is to get out my emotions I have inside me that I can’t express any other way. When talking about them doesn’t help or I CAN’T talk about them, I’ll write a song inspired by it and even if you can’t tell lyrically that it’s about the situation that made me upset, I know that this is the song that was inspired by such and such thing that happened.
HC ISU: Do you randomly come up with song ideas or does something that happens in your life or society spark your magic?
BP: It’s a lot of both. There are songs like “Out Of Control” that started by being overwhelmed with going to college. Or “Get Me Down” which came from a chorus I randomly made up while I was driving home one day. But also, songs like “Happier Mind” which came from a friend dealing with coming out to a parent who didn’t take it well. Or “Treat” which came soon after the deaths of Freddie Gray and Sandra Bland and I was so upset that people didn’t know how to treat one another with more respect and dignity. But also, you have songs like “Shy” and “Blue Blanket” which are about relationships I’ve had or wished I could have had.
Ben is one of the most talented human beings I have ever encountered.
You can listen to the songs that he listed, plus many more on platforms like iTunes, Spotify, Tidal, Google Play, Amazon Music, Apple Music, and YouTube.
Good luck with every endeavor you have in life, HC ISU is supporting you without a doubt!