Career Roadmap
Ben's work combines: Music, Non-Profit Organizations, and Upholding a Cause and Belief
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Theater Arts
California State University, Los Angeles
Life & Career Milestones
I've taken a lot of twists and turns
1.
I grew up in a small town in Iowa, and I became involved in music very early on.
2.
Feeling like I needed more outlets to express myself, I taught myself how to play guitar and write music.
3.
I went to California State University, Los Angeles for college, where I initially planned to double major in theater and music, but realized I’d have to pick one to graduate on time.
4.
I chose theater and started building a career in the field, but really began to miss and feel called toward music.
5.
In 2016, while witnessing rising polarization, I shifted my life toward bridge building and civic healing.
6.
I founded The Caravan, a road-tripping project to spark dialogue between rural and urban communities.
7.
Volunteering with Braver Angels opened a door to combine music with depolarization work.
8.
Now, as co-director of Braver Angels Music, I use creativity to model democracy and bring people together.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Society in general:
Your journey needs to be a cohesive arc.
How I responded:
So many people start on a journey and they have this idea that it has to be one cohesive arc. And you think, "If I don’t follow through on this thing, I've betrayed something or I've betrayed myself." Due to unexpected events in my own life, I’ve learned to give myself permission to pivot. Letting go of rigid expectations freed me to keep evolving.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
I came out as gay in college. Going through the journey of finding chosen family, advocating for gay rights, and learning about more liberal experiences in Los Angeles compared to my upbringing in Iowa were pivotal experiences.