Benjamin Carter, a senior at Bowling Green High School, has talents that stand out to many, whether it be through singing, playing piano, or composing.
Benjamin has attended All-State Choir every year since he was in fifth grade and attended All-National Choir this year. “I decided that I wanted to be a choral director and composer after All-National Choir last year because of our conductor, Z. Randall Stroope,” said Benjamin. “We performed two pieces that he had composed, and that was what made me aware of a career path like his.”
Benjamin developed a passion for piano, vocal music, and composing early in life. At six years old, he played piano for the first time, and by the age of eight, he had started lessons in the instrument. “I wouldn’t say that I was immediately talented musically,” said Benjamin, “but I will say that a love for music came very easily to me. Still, when I started piano, I didn’t know how to read music, and I could barely play a song with two notes!” Now, when people hear Benjamin play, they may consider him to be a prodigy.
Benjamin started composing in early junior high after becoming interested in film scores, which inspired him to compose his own music. “My compositions have really blossomed over the last couple of years, and I owe that to AP Music Theory with Mrs. Beresford,” he said. “That class opened my eyes to the principles, techniques, and philosophies of writing music, and I haven’t looked back since.”
Since then, Benjamin has composed around 20 pieces of music. “My first real composition was actually a project for Mrs. Joiner’s English class in 8th grade,” Benjamin said. “After reading The Giver, she allowed me to compose scores for scenes from the book as a final project.”
Since then, he has composed piano solos, instrumental pieces, vocal pieces, and choral pieces, most of which have titles related to nature. “I spend a lot of time outdoors, and I usually have my best composition ideas while I’m hiking somewhere or just watching a sunset out of my music room’s window,” said Benjamin. Titles of pieces he’s composed include “Lamar River”, “Theme for an Autumn Day,” “Cedar Sink, Midwinter,” “First Fall Hike,” and “Sunset Clifftops.”
This is only the start of Benjamin’s musical journey. “As a composer, my job is essentially to give the listener an emotional enclave to fall into and experience,” he says. “I’ve failed you as a musician if you don’t feel your emotions being manipulated and brought out by the music you’re listening to.” With inspiration from multiple talented composers, Benjamin is ready to pursue his career in music.
By Gwen Hatcher