“Any style, any genre… preferably rock though”
Hi, I’m Ben, a cellist, electric cellist and multi-instrumentalist. My distinctive style is built on 30 years’ experience playing acoustic and electric cello for bands, singers, songwriters, film soundtracks and orchestras. I love improvising, composing, writing and arranging string parts, performing on stage, working in pro studios or recording from my own studio in Devon, UK.
“Whether it’s simple textures, ambient soundscapes, or blazing solos, I tend to favour elegant simplicity, feeling into the rich tone of the cello and expressing the emotion of the music.”
cellist | composer | multi-instrumentalist
As well as cello, I play guitars and bass guitar, piano and keyboard. I’ve been known to play synths, didgeridoo, trumpet and percussion, and to be honest I’ll give pretty much anything a go if the weather’s right.
I have my own band, Prosthetic Head, which has been an amazing learning experience for writing and recording, playing and organising regular live shows and tours, and creating and releasing an album of original material. So I have a pretty in-depth appreciation of the whole process of creating and promoting original music.
I have grade 8 cello and a detailed knowledge of music theory, so I’m equally at home writing arrangements and reading dots as playing by ear and improvising.
Recording…
I love recording cello…. Whatever the style, I like to listen and get into the feel of the music before starting to play with some ideas. The most important thing to me is finding the right sound and feeling for the music. It’s always fun to improvise at first and see what comes naturally and instinctively before I know what the chords are supposed to be.
I prefer to work with chord charts, but I’m also really happy following by ear, or reading from written notation. I love working with people who don’t read music; they come up with the best ways of explaining what they mean, and I always understand what they want from the strangest requests.
I can work with a variety of budgets, typically starting from around £100 per song, or £150 for half a day. I’m always happy to chat and find a solution that works for everyone, so please contact me via the contact page, or through any of my social media links at the top and bottom of this page.
Performing…
I have performed in pretty much any context you can think of, and am always looking for new live music experiences. I can play as a solo acoustic or electric cellist, but most of my experience to date has been playing with other bands and artists.
As a soloist, I like to improvise and create soundscapes to respond to the setting, whether that’s a music venue, a garden party, an art exhibition, or a funeral. I will include classical repertoire such as Bach, Fauré, Saint-Saëns, or Arvo Pärt.
I have also performed with many solo artists and bands, where I aim to keep things simple, find the right sounds to underpin the music, and introduce subtle textures to enhance spaces in the songs. And if you want a face-melting solo, I can do that too.
Song production…
I can also offer a more comprehensive recording service, capturing vocals and providing additional instrumentation as well as providing production ideas and guidance. If you have a song for which you’d like to get an initial demo down, but aren’t ready for a full studio experience, I am able to provide a one-stop shop, playing guitar, keys, bass, and simple programmed drums, recording your vocals with some simple treatment, and being a sounding board for your ideas… And of course adding a lovely string section in for good measure too. Check out a sample below for reference.
Having spent a lot of time in professional music studios over the years, I’ve been steadily collecting ideas, knowledge and experience, bringing it all back to my home studio. By now I’ve honed in on some of the best equipment for a small space, and got it down to a simple setup, which is portable enough to be recreated in just about any context.
Again, I can work with a variety of budgets, typically starting from around £200 per day, and we can usually get a whole song down in a day. I’m always happy to chat and find a solution that works for everyone, so please contact me via the contact page, or through any of my social media links at the top and bottom of this page.
