B
enjamin Lerner is intelligent, articulate,
talented, handsome, hard-working,
ambitious, and well-pedigreed. But what
defines him as “a star” is … his authenticity.
Now sober 3 years (his sobriety date is June 13,
2016), Benjamin is set to take the world by storm
when his debut album of his all-original
“piano-raps” - developed here in Vermont - is
released later this year.
Benjamin, both a rapper and trained classical
pianist, has created new piano compositions based
on classical music theory – and he raps against
them, journaling his life of addiction and sobriety.
Throughout, his thoughts are genuine. The songs
are powerful, raw, and poignant.
He is human.
Benjamin hopes that by sharing his story, others
struggling with addiction, will find hope and help.
He feels it is never too late to find one’s true-self.
But Benjamin is the first to admit that it took him a
long time to find his true-self; his true voice.
“Growing up, I had two parents who really cared
about words and music. They were both
journalists. And my mom was a musician.
Other kids, depending on the nature of their par-
ents - and their parents’ parenting style - get pushed
in different ways. My parents didn’t
really care what I did, so much as they cared that I
was well-informed, presented myself well, and was
intellectually curious. Especially my father. He
would feed me high-level mathematical
problems (like, when I was 5), three-digit
multiplication tables. And when I was 8, 9, 10,
he’d give me American and British classics to read,
so that I developed more quickly than my peers.
I didn’t have the pressure to get a 4.0 GPA, but in
some ways, it was more intense, because he had me
participating in discussions with 60 year old baby
boomers who went to Harvard about the nature
of geopolitics and different ethical questions. So, I
was exposed to concepts that not many other
people at my age would have dealt with. I was
hungry for approval and attention. I basically had
to validate myself from the reaction of the people
around me. And I learned how to chameleon
myself in these situations and read people and just
perform and play a “Neibolt
variety Street”
of different
roles.”
- Pen, Ink, Watercolor
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